Have you ever been scrolling through Instagram and come across incredible pictures of animals all over the world? A chihuahua posing in front of the Louvre, a pair of dogs wagging their tales through Lisbon, or a cat scaling the side of a cliff? Animal social influencers are taking over the digital world, gaining thousands, sometimes millions of followers, and even acquiring their own managers and agents!
It's not hard to understand why. Who doesn't love an adorable puppy/duck friendship? It's a nice relief from the barrage of depressing news headlines and social media drama from the Kardashian crowd. And combining your love of fluff with your love of travel seems like the perfect combination.
We caught up with a few of our favorite well-traveled friends and their owners to see what it’s like to be an animal who is better traveled than most people!
Django and Chloe
Django and Chloe are a beloved doggy duo from Brazil, and have been traveling the world with their humans behind the camera Bruna and Luiz. When asked why they decided to start traveling with their pets, Bruna and Luiz said, “The funny thing is one of the major reasons we didn’t get a pup until Django and Chloe was because we traveled often and thought we wouldn’t be able to do that anymore if we had a dog. After some research we found out that it was totally possible to travel with them, and so it all began.”
Miami
While traveling with dogs is certainly possible, it's not without its difficulties.
World-famous Miami the Traveller Dog and his owner Marianna dished on the difficulties of arranging travel with a canine friend: “When traveling, you are only allowed for two pets to be in the cabin with you, so before buying tickets you must verify if there are any other pets. Also, the price for dogs is a hard pill to swallow. Sometimes Miami’s ticket costs more than ours!”
Can you put a price tag on the amazing memories you make out on the road together? Maybe, or maybe not.
Millie
If you're willing to pay the price, traveling with your pet can be an extraordinary experience. Craig and his adventure kitty, Millie save money by sticking close to home, and come away with some incredible insights.
“Wandering through the desert at a kitty's pace instead of more mindlessly following a trail through it makes for the best time. They find little caves, canyons, flowers and bugs and things that otherwise I would have walked right past. They move a little then sit, move some more then sit, and generally go slowly. It's really fun experiencing the landscape from a new and different perspective.”
“We do much more outdoor activities and we’ve met so many people because of them," Bruna and Luiz added. "The dogs are always a conversation starter and we also usually meet friends from Instagram who know we are in town and lots of them have become great friends in real life too.”
Ready to Book Your Furry Friend a Flight?
“Most importantly, [your pet needs] a valid passport," advises Marianna, "with evidence of all the vaccinations that you need for the places that you are visiting. Make sure your travel case is airline approved. Definitely [bring] a doggy bowl with plenty of water. Proper tags with your name and telephone number. And you can’t forget their favorite toys and treats.”
Craig takes a more philosophical approach, advising that you have to “Be ready to put your own agenda away and just be there to help them get the joy of experiencing a beautiful place safely. Be ready to follow them around slowly, keep them safe, and simply enjoy the environment from their perspective.”
Bruna and Luiz agree, adding, “You have to respect your dog’s pace. As for tips for flying in cabin: We always try to tire them out on the day we travel, we usually take them to the park and play a lot, this way they will be tired and they will want to sleep during the flight (we never medicate them). When we are traveling long flights (9 – 10 hours) we try to choose night flights, the time they would be normally sleeping.”
