The most-asked question I face nowadays is how my two aussies, Eliott and Ellise, made it from Budapest to New York.
Well… in short? Through a brutal bureaucratic nightmare.
For anyone in the same boat, planning to relocate their pups to the US, I highly recommend starting that early. You’ll need the time.
First off, unfortunately, when we moved Eliott and Ellise weren’t yet certified assistance dogs, just trainees, so they could only travel as pets – meaning no cabin access, just cargo. I was terrified about that part, but more on that later.
So, step one was choosing the company I’d trust to get them over. Technically, I could have flown on the same plane and checked them in myself, but getting into the US with pets is such a regulatory minefield that I didn’t want to risk it, and to be honest with my ADHD filling out official forms is my lifelong arch-nemesis. I’ve literally never filled one out correctly on the first try, especially no form that requires ALL CAPS or has a deadline.
An American company quoted me nearly $10,000 – yes, you read that right – and then disappeared for days. I kept searching, and thank goodness, I found a Hungarian company that specializes in pet relocation, and got the whole thing done for around $3,400 including the broker fee. Still pricey, I know. But these two dogs are my everything, and like I said, no risks.
The only real difference in the services was that the American company offered full door-to-door service, pick-up from my Hungarian home, and deliver to my American address. With the Hungarian team, my dad had to drive the dogs to the airport in Budapest, and I had to pick them up at JFK myself. Honestly? Two 40-minute drives do not justify an extra $6,000. So the choice was easy.
I haven’t regretted it for a single second. The Hungarian team was so kind, responsive, and professional, I truly can’t recommend them enough, no ad or sponsorship here, just real love and gratitude.
Once we picked the travel date, we had to figure out which route would be least stressful, since there’s no direct flight from Budapest to NYC. That was another layer of stress as I kept picturing them getting lost during a layover. Every landing and takeoff felt like an added risk.
Kriszta, our amazing dog nanny, went above and beyond. She helped more than she had to. Even though I measured the dogs carefully (there are very specific rules on how to measure them in every direction), she still came over to fit them in their travel crates and verify they are appropriate. And thank goodness she did – turned out that Eliott needed a crate one size bigger from the one we planned initially. The larger size was needed so he could comfortably stand and turn around. They didn’t have that size in stock, but we still had time to order it.
You can buy these crates from the company, or rent them. They’re massive, and cannot be folded or collapsed. At the time, I was staying in someone else’s small New York apartment and to be honest, they’re not the prettiest pieces of decor. So I decided not to buy them. Not planning to fly the pups around the world again anytime soon anyway.
During the prep period, you also have to visit your vet, make sure the dog passport, vaccinations, and deworming are all up-to-date. You’ll need a certificate from your own vet declaring the dog is healthy for travel, and two days before takeoff, the dogs have to visit the official government veterinarian for the final sign-off.
Through Kriszta, we also connected with the customs broker in the US, the person who receives the dogs at JFK and navigates the insane amount of paperwork there. Every detail matters, ownership, reason for US stay, address, microchip… Poor Kriszta was dragging around a huge folder and two giant crates.
During the flight, I was glued to the Skyscanner tracker. Whenever Kriszta had a signal, she sent photos and videos of the babies. She even filmed them being unloaded from the cargo hold while she was still on the plane in Paris. Super thoughtful, but it honestly broke my heart to see them like that, boxed up like someone’s luggage. I always say it’s better to know, but man, it’s brutal seeing your babies so helpless.
Another hard moment? After landing at JFK, Kriszta had to wait in a massive customs line. The dogs were alone in their crates for an other 2,5 hours before she could get to them. I was freaking out in the parking lot. She kept reassuring me via WhatsApp that they were in a special holding area, together, being watched by a staff member. But honestly, she was close to losing it too. She tried to explain she had live animals waiting, but no one cared.
Eventually, she sent the first video of the pups wagging their tails and greeting her with joy in their crates. We were already at the airport by then. I will never forget the moment I first saw them, safe and sound on the American land. They were already together in the bigger crate, crying and barking and shaking with excitement when they saw me. They were so happy, I couldn’t even tell which paw belonged to whom.
Ellise was a bit smelly, poor baby. She had an accident in her crate during the long trip, probably scared, but Kriszta handled that like a pro too. She’d lined the crates with absorbent pads, plus each pup had a vetbed, which I highly recommend to anyone! They’re warm, soft, and super absorbent, so if a dog pees, the top layer stays dry. These were originally designed for human hospitals. Total game-changer.
Eliott was an angel the whole time, but once he saw me, he absolutely lost it, barking nonstop until we got to the pet release area. Everyone was staring, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was that we were finally done. Time to go home, eat, walk, bathe, and rest.
I’m insanely proud of them, not just for behaving well, but for enduring the whole ordeal so bravely. I swear I turned gray under my red hair dye that week. Huge shoutout to anyone who had to deal with me that day, by the way…
Since then, my two little aussies have become Brooklyn legends, running wild in the parks, chasing squirrels, making friends. Elliott’s a little calmer now, and Ellise’s become quite the social butterfly.
Still, I’ll be glad to finally have our own place and not just be crashing someone else’s.
It’s exhausting to worry all day about what mischief they might be up to.
So my babies seemed absolutely fine after the big journey, but I noticed a few days later that Ellise developed an eye infection, and she’s now scared of loud noises coming from trucks and bigger cars. She surprised me with an extreme meltdown in the New York metro, we couldn’t make it and had to go back home. She never had any problems with public transportation back home. I blame her air travel on this, but we’re working on it and hopefully we’ll get through it.
But they’re here with me, we’re together, and I’ll never let them out of my sight ever again.
A few tips from me, if you’re thinking of doing something similar:
Before travel:
- Take your dog on public transportation, subway, train, bus.
- Make sure they’re well-trained with their crate.
- Play plane and airport sounds in the background to desensitize them.
- Get a vetbed before travel, and get them used to it in the crate before the long journey.
- If your pup chews plastic bowls, try to train them out of it (that’s what they get water in during the flight—little attachable bowls).
- Give the dog nanny some of your dog’s regular food, pre-portioned. Be ready for delays, cancellations, and anything unexpected.
During travel:
- Do NOT give your dog sedatives. If they’re drowsy, they might be denied entrance and it will make it harder to tell if something’s wrong with them. At the U.S. border police are super strict and if a dog is not alert and is unresponsive or looks ill, they won’t let it in.
- Vetbed, vetbed, vetbed.
- Take care of yourself, too. Find something to help you manage the stress.
- Give the dog nanny your pup’s favorite treats for transfer joy moments. CBD, chamomile, lemon balm, anything calming or placeboing 🙂 but not real meds.
After travel:
- Check them over. Watch how they move, eat, drink. Are they happy? Alert?
- Let them stretch those legs after all that lying down (some airports have tiny dog parks for this).
- Bath time (you’ll probably need it).
- Extra love, cuddles, and a heartfelt promise: never again, babies.
Follow the pups on Instagram here: @kissmyaussie_