The Foreign Service Journal, May 2015

60 MAY 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS It’s Flying Cats and Dogs BY DEBRA BLOME, ASSOCIATE EDITOR I’ve been a Foreign Service family member for more than 20 years. I’ve accompanied my husband to hardship posts with three children in tow, running the airport gauntlet with a stroller, tod- dlers and more luggage than any single person should ever manage. I’ve experi- enced unaccompanied tours, medical evacuations and an ordered departure. And I’ve been a Community Liaison Office Coordinator. So I used to feel ready to face any challenge the Foreign Service could throw at me. Then I got a dog. As I prepare now to move with my husband and children to our next post, in Jerusalem, I am discovering that traveling with a pet on official orders is a formidable task. Although the Overseas Briefing Center does a valiant job of pulling together all the logistical pieces, it is still a tricky (and expensive!) busi- ness to take your furry family members to your onward assignment. Even the OBC’s checklist is 14 pages long. For one thing, the rules and regulations governing the shipment of pets differ from country to country, and some are downright byzan- tine in complexity. The rules governing official travel and the recent mergers of Ameri- can air carriers make it even more complicated. Ask any Foreign Service pet owner for a “traveling with your pet” story, and you’ll get an earful—or at least a story that makes you hope you don’t face the same troubles. Here’s one thing I’ve learned: Plan early, even before you get assigned. In the same way that you might nix a post because you find the school options unaccept- able, you may also want to remove from your bid list those coun- tries with restric- tions on importing animals that you find too onerous. Next, the minute you are assigned somewhere, begin learning as much as you can about the process of taking your pet with you. Step 1: Visit the OBC. The OBC is part of the Foreign Service Institute’s Transition Center and is open to all U.S. government employees, con- tractors, and family members assigned to or returning from U.S. embassies and consulates overseas. More details on the OBC and its offerings can be found at www.bit.ly/StateOBC. The OBC has post-specific information on traveling with pets and even offers a class on the subject. Resource Specialist Maureen Johnston, who wrote “Traveling with Our Pets” in the May 2012 FSJ can help you pull all the pieces together. Also check AFSA’s pet resources at www. afsa.org/pets. Step 2: Contact your post’s CLO and GSO Travel and Transportation offices for the most up-to-date, specific information. Step 3: Don’t delay. Get started on the process of preparing your pet for travel now. Some countries have health requirements that can take months to fulfill. Rabies titer tests, for example, which are required in many posts, can take up to eight weeks to complete. Step 4: Decide how you’ll travel with your pet and make reservations. Pets can go in the cabin with you, if they are small enough to fit under the seat and if you reserve early enough that the airline allows it (some airlines have restric- tions on the number of pets they allow in the cabin at the same time). Pets can also go as excess baggage, though this option is not as easy as it once was, and can be difficult if you The Blomes’ 85-lb Labrador Retriever, Charlie, and his oversized travel kennel. AFSA/DEBRABLOME