on the road with Animalcouriers

When Nicola and her family decided to move from South Africa to Dorset in England, they didn’t realise how difficult (and expensive) it would be to bring their pet rabbit Crouton to the UK along with their dog and cat. It was going to cost over £2,500 and involve complicated paperwork. So they wrote and asked us about alternative ways to send Crouton to the UK via mainland Europe.

A route was organised via Amsterdam with the help of Duncan Harmse at Petwings SA and Linda at VCK Logistics in Amsterdam. But the challenges weren’t yet over. When Crouton was handed to the KLM handlers at Johannesburg airport, her plastic travel box was rejected! (Rabbits have a reputation for chewing their way out of plastic boxes.) So Duncan and Nicola had to make a dash for a wooden box lined with wire mesh, prepare it and have Crouton handed in in time for the flight.

Fortunately they made it, and Crouton landed safely in Amsterdam. Animalcouriers drove to the Netherlands to collect her — she was blissfully unaware of all the fuss that had gone before. Following a pleasantly uneventful journey to the UK, Crouton was driven down to Dorset by Courier Nigel, where Nicola and her family were over the moon to have her back.

Nicola wrote to say:

“Well, you ALL did it……………Crouton arrived safe and sound in Dorset and you honestly would think she had just been in the car around the block — she is so chilled and calm. The courier explained exactly what had happened with Crouton once she entered the UK and how she had spent the night in his conservatory in a rabbit run stretching, relaxing, eating and hopping around, and was apparently the most ‘chilled’ rabbit he has ever dealt with.

Crouton is now getting her first taste of some lush green English grass and is out in the garden in her new run (although sheltering often in her travel crate as to be perfectly honest it’s bloody freezing here)! To think we left a South African winter of 27 degrees and have come to an English summer of 15 degrees (I have barely taken my coat off)!

Anyway, I cannot thank you all enough for all the hard work and effort you each put in to bringing our precious pets back to the UK. Tonight we will celebrate the entire family being back together again with some much needed Champagne!”

Courier Martin collecting Crouton in Amsterdam

Well travelled Crouton with some of her favourite snacks — lettuce leaves and carrots

Crouton overjoyed to be reunited with Nicola’s daughter Hannah

Looks like Crouton has a lovely garden to romp in