We drove to Greece to meet dogs and cats travelling to the UK by air and road. We split the trip between plane and van as so many animals were on the move. Many of our passengers were beloved family pets; others were strays and rescues going to new homes in the UK. First, let’s meet the pets travelling by road.
Our specially designed vans are quite modular, so we can reorganise and resize bedrooms depending on the number, size and type of pets travelling with us. Here are couriers Shane and Glenn showing off their assembly skills.
Paco and Lila
Boxer Paco and his soulmate Lila belong to Angeliki, who’s relocated from Thessaloniki to London. We collected these super hounds from her parents and they stayed at a partnership kennels for a couple of nights. Our good friend Akis, who operates a pet transport service, scooped them up from the kennels and brought them to Glyfada to get on board our van.
Lovely Lila
Cuddles for Paco with courier Glenn
Percy
Percy the Pug is the pride and joy of Pavlos, who’s swapping Athens for London and making sure Percy goes too.
Pavlos gives Percy a goodbye hug
Cutie, Bellaniki and Bluey
Eileen’s three cats are a pair of tortie girls, Cutie and Bellaniki, plus a ginger boy who goes by the name of Bluey. The family has swapped Greece for East Yorkshire, so can expect quite a change in climate!
The three cats keeping a close eye on events going on around them
Kastoras
Affectionate Labrador Kastoras travelled with us for a reunion with Alexis in London.
Kastoras was delivered to us by friends who’ve been looking after him
Kastoras shows off his fine profile
Womble, Thugola and Tigger
This fine feline trio travelled with us for a reunion with owner Christine in Dorset.
Gorgeous calico Womble prefers a room to herself
Delightful mum-and-daughter duo Thugola and Tigger were happy to share the view from their top-bunk bedroom
Lilo
A simply stunning kitten, Lilo arrived with owner Dafni and partner to join our trip. His final destination is Edinburgh.
Lilo’s arrival in Glyfada, set off by a wonderfully blue sky
Sweet pea Lilo
With all the pets on board, it was time for a quick group photo before couriers Glenn and Shane got going. As usual, it was a very friendly atmosphere as all the owners and carers chatted about their charges as they prepared wave them off.
When couriers Glenn and Shane went to check in for the ferry from Patras, they were told they couldn’t have an open space on the deck for the van. (We always ask for deck space to ensure plenty of fresh air for our passengers.) So they quickly changed tack and made for the port of Igoumenitsa. Where they boarded the very same ferry, and were given the space on the deck they’d been told they couldn’t have!
Mougli
As they drove through France towards the UK, couriers Glenn and Shane stopped off in the Nice area to collect frequent passenger Mougli, heading back to the UK. This poor fellow had the nasty experience of being attacked by a wild boar in his own back garden! Fortunately he’s fully recovered now and back to his usual self.
It’s always a pleasure to welcome darling Mougli back on board
Batman
Akis kindly donated a travel box for Batman so he could join the group of pets flying to the UK. That freed up some space in our van, and meant this gorgeous fellow reached his very excited family in Cambridgeshire a little bit sooner.
Batman has been in good hands since his family left for the UK
A tender goodbye for Batman
Bella
Sweet dog Bella has been in the care of Maria. She travelled with us to rejoin Aliki in Bristol.
Bella had just had a haircut and was looking very glamorous
Chloe
Chloe from Starlight Barking made the trip to the UK to her new home with Fiona in Northamptonshire.
Chloe, looking rather timid here, is a delightful little girl
Pablo
Pablo travelled with us from the organisation Underdog on Lesvos to his new home in the UK. He has the classic look of a Lesvos dog — black and white, and sausage shaped. Quite the cutie!
Pablo ready for his flight
Grizzly
Grizzly travelled with us from Nine Lives Greece to his new home with David in Nottinghamshire.
Sonia and her colleague from Nine Lives arriving with Grizzly
The darling boy was a bit grumpy at having been plucked from his comfy sofa and plonked in a travel box!
Akis, Sonia and her colleague chatting and deciding Grizzly would be happier travelling by air, so we transferred him from our van to the flight.
Coco
Irresistible Coco is a holiday romance from Lesvos, adopted by Melissa.
Coco ready for her flight
Aris
Gorgeous Aris arrived with his owners to check for his flight to the UK.
Aris arrives at Athens airport
A proper send-off from Aris’s owners for all the pets flying to Paris Charles de Gaulle with couriers J and L
Arrival at Paris CDG
Couriers J and L and their charges touched down in Paris where courier Richard was waiting to drive them the rest of the way to the UK.
We transferred the dogs, and Grizzly (who was still quite grumpy!) to the van
Everyone was soon settled into their bedrooms, ready for the off
Coco stayed with courier J for a few nights until Melissa got back to the UK. She proved to be the perfect houseguest
When Melissa and her partner came to collect Coco, house dog Bonnie wanted in on the action too! Bonnie is also a rescue dog from Greece who knows what it means to find a loving home.
Coco has clearly landed on her paws. Melissa wrote to say: “Coco is amazing, super sweet, very lovely and well behaved.” Very wisely, she continues: “We have a dog trainer coming on Monday for some tips about obedience and relationship with our cats.”
Coco looks all set for a happy life filled with cuddles
My goodness – lots of travelers this time around going anywhere and everywhere to new homes with known family OR brand new homes! Makes my heart happy!
Hugs, Pam
It was an incredibly packed trip! The logistics were complicated but luckily it all worked out 😀
It would be really tricky to choose the cutest passenger on this trip! I think the cats will be in charge though.
That’s an impossible task! Aren’t they always? 😀
Safe journey
Thanks
That was a long trip until here, Annie, but it sure was worth all the pictures and reading 😀 We had fun seeing the three kitties watching you…never a purrivate moment huh…MOL 😀 Extra Pawkisses for a Happy Week ahead and safe travels too to all of you 🙂 <3
Yes, you always have a sense of being watched 😀
Aww great work as always guys! Little Percy looks like a seasoned pro in that photo, so nonchalant! And it’s lovely Batman was able to get home back to his family a little quicker after a comfy trip to the UK. Little Pablo is such a cutie! And I hope Coco has a happy, healthy new life and settles in well to the lovely new family home
Caz xx
Isn’t it great seeing them reach their destination, especially when they’ve been rescued and are about to embark on a life of spoiling 😀
The road trip must take a bit of organising.
So many trips back from Greece end up being heavily oversubscribed so we have to arrange a side trip by air. Complicated indeed.
I’ve made the trip so many times from Greece with you that I feel I wouldn’t even need a GPS along the way. I loved all the passengers but this time Pablo stole my heart. I think it was his resigned composure and look of total trust.
Safe travels to all! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you feel such an old hand by now Sheila! We’ve luckily learned a lot along the way too and complicated trips like this are now par for the course 😀
Beautiful passengers, as always!
Poor Mougli, being attacked by a wild boar in his own back yard! He is lucky to be alive.
Thanks Lavinia. Little Mougli was indeed lucky but is a plucky little fellow.