Plan Z: crossing to Turkey on Thursday night

Animalcouriers met with Kyrenia Animal Rescue (KAR) and the dogs’ families at the KAR office to discuss options for transporting the dogs to the UK

The one we’re favouring is for the dogs and their owners to leave North Cyprus with us on Thursday night on the overnight ferry from Famagusta to the Turkish port of Mersin.

Eren from Petical Vets in Mersin has come back a day early from a conference in Istanbul and is preparing paperwork and making arrangements with the Turkish government vet. So when we arrive on Friday everything should be in place to enable the dogs to enter Turkey in transit for the EU.

There so many elements to consider:

• The ferry booking
• Insurance for everyone
• New export papers to leave North Cyprus
• Turkish declarations which will be notarised by a Turkish solicitor
• Passports and car papers
• Enlisting an agent in Mersin (we have not forgotten our 15 hour experience there last year!)

Not forgetting the dogs themselves!

Lynn and Bob, the owners of Purdey and Cookie, are selling their house which is due to complete on Friday, so can’t join in this plan. Instead, their dogs are going to fly to the UK next Wednesday. Courier R will meet Purdey and Cookie at Heathrow airport, and they’ll home board with Animalcouriers until Lynn and Bob reach the UK.

So we will cross on Thursday night with just five dogs (and their owners): Brandy, Reo, Roxy, Jasper and Tink.

Evening meeting to go over the plans: our North Cyprus agent Mustafa, courier M and Margaret from KAR