‘We were very worried for her’
On the bus, Athena slept. During stops, she got lots of playtime.
“At the bus stops, everyone took turns playing with her. She was also happy that there was so much attention to her,” Chaika said.
Chaika and her family stayed in a pet-friendly hotel for one night.
“There were no problems there either. We booked a hotel in advance that allows accommodation with pets, gathered our strength and continued our trip,” she said.
ATHENA’S FIRST FLIGHT
Once they arrived at the airport in Germany to fly Air Canada back to N.L., Chaika said the airline employees ensured that Athena had documents and vaccinations and checked to see if the dog was comfortable in the box for transportation.
“In addition to our belongings, we had with us a huge cage for air transportation of dogs. It is more than one metre long and 76 centimetres high. These standards are required by airlines. The dog must be able to stand at full height, lie down and rollover,” Chaika explained.
‘VERY WORRIED’
After Air Canada approved Athena for travel, she was loaded onto the plane.
Chaika said they had a layover in Toronto but didn’t see Athena until they arrived in Deer Lake.
“We were very worried for her, it was her first flight and such a long journey,” she said.
“They only said that it was safe and we would see each other at the final airport.”
SIGH OF RELIEF
With the layover, their air travel day took 19 hours.
But after arriving in Deer Lake and reuniting with her husband and their dog, everything was OK.
“When we saw her, it was all over. We breathed a sigh of relief. She was incredibly happy to see everyone, especially my husband Anton, she hadn’t seen him for almost a year,” Chaika said.
LOVING LIFE
Now, in Corner Brook, Athena is loving life. She’s obsessed with huge piles of snow.
“She especially liked running in the snow where no one had walked before so that the snow was up to her ears. It’s good that there are enough places like this in Newfoundland,” Chaika said.
Athena also loved the ocean – an experience the Chaikas call a dream come true.
“Athena is a very playful and cheerful dog. She likes a lot of attention, a lot of running, and, most importantly, being present wherever we are.
That’s why she liked everything, from the moment she was invited into the trunk of the car until she carefully got to know the ocean and ran with the waves,” Chaika said.
MOVING WITH PETS
While moving with a pet might seem intimidating, the Chaikas said it’s not as scary as it seems.
“Quite often, we hear that people leave or give away their animals, especially large dogs, when they move. We want to tell everyone that if you have pets, do not leave them.
“Moving with them, even across the ocean, is not as scary as it may seem at first glance,” Chaika said.
“They are a page of life for us, and we are a whole life for them.”