Has anyone had any experience with getting a dog to Europe? Are there things I need to worry about with the health of my dog?

FAQ: Pets and plane travel

I am actually taking my dog to Europe next week! Each country in Europe has different requirements.

Do you know what countries you are looking at? What kind of dog? What time of year are you planning to depart?

Most countries provide the information needed on their consulate website and most EU countries require the dog to be microchipped, to have a health certificate (from a registered vet) and a Form 998 in their language (basically a vaccination form translated). England, Ireland and Sweden have very strict rules to avoid a quarantine, but it can be done.

Definitely start the process as early as you can! We are extremely fortunate to have found a vet that specializes in pet travel, so he knows the drill very well, but a vet that is new to the process may need some time and help understanding the correct procedures and when and where to send the forms off to.

In regards to flying the dog, it makes a huge difference what size he is. Smaller is definitely better for traveling.

I've done a lot of research, so I'd be glad to share everything I've found with you.

I have taken 2 Huskies! from the US into SaudiArabia, used a animal shipping service, www.airanimal.com. Very professional but expensive but worth the headache of not messing up on the paperwork to get my pups into the country and not lost.
Since this was a move, the cost was tax deductible. For just air travel, the best companies are Lufthansa and KLM, both have a special area on either aiport, in Frankfurt and Amsterdam, where the dogs can get out of the kennels, get watered, fed, walked and played with, highly recommended! Hope that helps.