[NAGDU] Travel in Europe

Jameyanne Fuller jameyanne at gmail.com
Tue Feb 14 19:19:48 UTC 2017


Dear Peter,
I have traveled to Italy twice with Mopsy. The first time I studied abroad
for six weeks in 2012 in Torino (Turin if you like the Americanized names
for cities). The second time I lived and worked for a year in Assisi from
October 2014 to June 2015. During both trips I traveled around Italy
extensively, though I never made it outside of Italy. The only paperwork I
was told to have for Mopsy was the international certificate filled out by
my vet and stamped by the regional USDA office. Despite all kinds of
discrimination I faced in Italy with Mopsy, I was never asked to see her
medical paperwork, not even when I arrived and went through customs at the
airport. That's not to say don't get the paperwork, because you never know,
but that was the least of my concerns. 
I had a lot of trouble in rural Italy especially, because people were not
used to seeing a guide dog or even a blind person traveling independently.
There was a lot of anger directed at me. But I didn't have many problems in
a lot of the more touristy international areas. Wherever you go, make sure
you learn how to say guide dog or service dog in the local language. In
Italian, it's "cane guida" for guide dog and "cane di servizio" for service
dog. 
I also made a harness sign in Italian for Mopsy which sometimes worked but
was always an added benefit when trying to convince people she was a service
dog and yes she can come into this grocery store or onto this bus or what
have you. It just said do not pet me I am working in Italian.
Hope that's helpful. Happy to answer more questions about traveling in Italy
with a pup.
Jameyanne

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Peter Wolf via
NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 1:44 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Peter Wolf <pwolf1 at wolfskills.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] Travel in Europe

Hi everyone,

As time draws closer to a first trip to Europe with service animals, I want
to tighten up on my intelligence gathering.  Last year I made a first
inquiry.  Cheryl and others were kind to input.  The biggest pointer was to
talk to call embassies.  They were all dismal, with circular searches, and
no one who actually knew anything except to point to "importing" dogs or
"traveling with pets".  So I want to tap into your collective experience as
handlers.  

Metukah will be more clearly obvious, because of my cane and/or her harness
handle.  My wife also uses a service dog (mobility) from an injury.  It's
hard to believe they are both six now.we promised ourselves a year after
bonding puppyhood and training, before we'd set off outside ADA land in the
U.S.  Since the beginning, we've traveled on about every kind of conveyance
(bus, local and cross country train, shuttle, and regular flights all over
the country.  

We know that once the international health  certificate is handled by our
vet, we're clear for that, except UK, which requires administering tapeworm
drugs within 5 days of landing in UK.  Fine.  Then for all of the EU, if we
understand it, there is just one common rule for service dogs with their
international medical certificate ("the passport").   You know I've been
active in the discusssion about certifications in the US.  But here's my
question:  Who knows among you guys, if or what "certification" might be
asked for in the EU?  This is a two-pronger:  I have a guide.  My wife has a
"Service" dog.  

Fire away!  Thanks so much.
Peter
_______________________________________________
NAGDU mailing list
NAGDU at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jameyanne%40gmail.com





More information about the NAGDU mailing list