Hi! My name is Tonka. I am an 8 year-old German Shepherd. I’m approximately 34 inches tall and 46 inches long. I weigh around 42 kg (90 lbs.). Apparently that’s very big because I’m a girl. I am not fat — I’m just big.

I was very excited when Mom & Dad told me we were moving from Canada to Costa Rica. I didn’t know where that was, but surely it meant a car ride.. and I love those! Mom said I had to wait because there were a lot of “arrangements” she had to make before I went to Costa Rica.

First Mom phoned a bunch of airlines to see who would accept me. Not all airlines accept pets. If the dog is really small, they can ride in the cabin of the plane with their human…cool!

If they weigh less than 45 kg (100 lbs.) in their crate, they can travel with the baggage. If they’re big (not fat) like me, they have to fly what they call “commercial cargo” and have what they call a customs broker. Mom says you can find brokers online or through the airline.

Mom and Dad worried because I’d never been in an airplane or a carrier before. Mom called a “pet transport” company – World Wide Animal Travel – that does nothing but relocate pets all over the world. They took care of all my flight arrangements, made sure that I was fed, watered and walked. I even got to stay overnight in Calgary before we left and I got to stay in a “pet hotel” in Houston!

I felt special with everyone fussing over me. I had 3 travel coordinators and a customs broker… just for me! It even cost Mom less money than the airlines wanted to charge.

The next thing Mom had to do was get all my documents in order. This is very important because if something was forgotten I might have to be quarantined in Costa Rica. I didn’t know what that was, but it didn’t sound good.

Mom contacted the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). She printed off an “International Health Certificate for DOGS and Cats” (IHC) from their website. She found out that all my regular booster shots (parvo, distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza) have to be current (within the past year).

My rabies shot is the most important one. It had to be over 30 days old but less than a year.

Within ten days of flying, Mom took me to the vet (at least I finally got a car ride) for a checkup just to make sure I was healthy enough to travel — I passed! The vet filled out my IHC & Mom rushed off to the city to get it stamped by the CFIA office.

There was a big mistake! The vet filled out the form in black ink and CFIA said it had to be blue ink… sheesh! Mom was not happy about the extra trip to the city, but she got it fixed.

Mom & Dad ordered me a pet carrier for the trip… that thing is HUGE! They put it in the living room so I could get used to it. It’s okay — big enough for me to stand up & turn around. I’m not sure I like being locked into it, but it seems like I don’t have a choice. It’s “airline approved”.

We said good-bye to our home in Canada on September 26, 2011 (Dad’s 61st birthday). I finally got a long car ride to Calgary. Mom & Dad dropped me off with my travel coordinator, and then they went to the hotel. I went to the airport in the morning and got to go on my first plane ride to Houston. I stayed in a pet hotel and flew to Costa Rica the next day.

It seemed like forever till they picked me up at the cargo terminal, but it was less than two hours. I was so happy to see them! I got to go on another car ride to our new home in Costa Rica.

I like it here. I can run free in a fenced yard. I get to chase squirrels and iguanas. I swim in the pool whenever I get too hot and take a nap whenever I want.

If any other Canadian dogs are thinking of retiring, Costa Rica is the place to be!

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Written by VIP Member Peggy Stewart. Peggy Stewart and her husband Rick, both retirees, along with their German Shepherd Tonka, made the move from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada to live full-time in Costa Rica in September 2011.

Peggy has a long history as a trade Union leader and social activist, also working in group homes with troubled teens. Rick worked for almost 40 years as a forest officer with the Alberta government. After first exploring Costa Rica as a retirement destination in early 2009, they made three more trips to Costa Rica before settling in the Atenas area. They currently reside in Santa Eulalia.

The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) ranks Atenas as one of “The Best Places to Retire Abroad.” For more information about homes and land for sale in the area please contact our Recommended Realtors in Atenas Dennis Easters and Gerardo Gonzalez-Porras using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.