... is what A+M News stands for, today.
 ALICE IN GREECE |  ME IN GREECE | Normally this is Alignment and Mobility News (different from my also-severely-neglected BLOG, where I think aloud about how or why to do a particular body-related thing). But: Alice is with me in Greece! She's with me on the plane! She's with me on the ferry boat! She's with me at the ruins, and by the sea, and in my room! So here's a report on how this can be done, in case you have a similarly pig-headed determination and NEED to do something like this. |
Puppy Alice! Alice is my Emotional Support Animal. When I first heard of such a thing, I felt overwhelming relief that I could have her on the plane with me. My incapacitating anxiety at the thought of leaving for 2 months without her convinced me and my therapist that I needed to do this. Plus, there is no way I am putting Alice in the cargo hold of an airplane. Some of them die, some of them don't die but merely shit and vomit all over themselves in their panic and trauma. So I have a diagnosis, Anxiety Disorder something-or-other, which actually would get the better of me without all the tools I utilize like TRE and Restorative Exercise, and moving my body a lot, and also the responsibility, companionship, and joy of Alice.
You can find what the therapist's letter needs to say HERE. You let the airline know at the time you book your ticket. If you are taking your dog to Europe, here are 2 important points to consider:
1) Any airline taking off from the U.S. is obliged to honour the ESA letter but if you change planes in Europe, I have heard that the next flight may not allow it. I took Delta Airlines, and changed planes in New York then flew directly to Athens. (Since then, I have heard that some European airlines do allow it, but I don't know specifics. Do you have any information? Please comment!)
2) There are all kinds of regulations about taking your dog to another country. In Greece, European Union rules apply. You must have a certain kind of microchip. Rabies shot has to be AFTER the microchip is put in. Examination by a USDA certified vet, within 10 days before the trip and at least 21 days after the Rabies shot, and then all the paperwork gone over by the USDA. ETCETERA. These rules are spelled out HERE. It seems overwhelming at first, but if you map it out and take it step by step (several months in advance), it is doable.
You can find what the therapist's letter needs to say HERE. You let the airline know at the time you book your ticket. If you are taking your dog to Europe, here are 2 important points to consider:
1) Any airline taking off from the U.S. is obliged to honour the ESA letter but if you change planes in Europe, I have heard that the next flight may not allow it. I took Delta Airlines, and changed planes in New York then flew directly to Athens. (Since then, I have heard that some European airlines do allow it, but I don't know specifics. Do you have any information? Please comment!)
2) There are all kinds of regulations about taking your dog to another country. In Greece, European Union rules apply. You must have a certain kind of microchip. Rabies shot has to be AFTER the microchip is put in. Examination by a USDA certified vet, within 10 days before the trip and at least 21 days after the Rabies shot, and then all the paperwork gone over by the USDA. ETCETERA. These rules are spelled out HERE. It seems overwhelming at first, but if you map it out and take it step by step (several months in advance), it is doable.
Alice amazed me by not peeing for a full 20 hours, but didn't seem to suffer (though I worried). At JFK they have a "Pet Relief Area," which I was counting on, but it is so badly designed that I saw 3 other dogs besides Alice go in and not one of them thought it was a place for "relief." (I hovered, hoping that the remains from one dog "going" would encourage Alice to do the same.) A tiny metal cell with a 15 inch strip of soaking wet (from rinsing) plastic turf, regularly sprayed with floral deodorizing chemicals. Not a dog-intelligent plan.
She stoically sat at my feet, and the airline was fairly understanding about getting me a seat with leg room. The first flight was pretty tight, but the next one was better. We did a lot of trotting up and down the aisle, and people didn't seem to mind at all. (I do have some worry for people who are allergic, but don't know what to do about that!)
She stoically sat at my feet, and the airline was fairly understanding about getting me a seat with leg room. The first flight was pretty tight, but the next one was better. We did a lot of trotting up and down the aisle, and people didn't seem to mind at all. (I do have some worry for people who are allergic, but don't know what to do about that!)
 I was anxious about getting my papers for her examined on arrival, and if they would have the right microchip detector, and Greek bureaucracy, but the customs inspector was a lovely young woman whose reply to my nervous question, "Where do I show the papers for my dog?" was a nice grin and: "You .. don't!" Ah, what a sweet welcome to hospitable Greece! |  |
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11/5/2016: Update after getting back home
I adore Alice more than ever! She was consistently an amazing companion for me and everyone we encountered. Everything went smoothly on the trip back, and she broke her record for bladder control: 23 hours this time!
JFK's Pet Relief Area was again a non-starter (see below, middle pic).
JFK's Pet Relief Area was again a non-starter (see below, middle pic).
 Stoicism in the plane. |  "What are we doing in here?" |  Ecstatic to see Erich! |
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