Phileas Dog’s ruff guide . . . to the world!
LEAVING their dog in kennels while travelling abroad often makes owners feel guilty.
But one was so anxious at the thought of being parted from her pet that she decided to take the dog on her frequent journeys overseas.
As a result, May Wong’s four-yearold cockapoo Miss Darcy has travelled the globe – visiting 11 countries and 23 destinations including New York, Berlin, Stockholm, Milan and Paris.
Other foreign destinations were Dusseldorf, Nice, Bruges, Amsterdam, County Mayo and Malta, helping her cover nearly 25,000 miles since 2011. Some have nicknamed her Phileas Dog, after Phileas Fogg from Around The World In Eighty Days.
Darcy has her own pet passport, which includes her photo and details such as her date of birth, breed, sex and microchip number. Now the pair have been joined on their trips by Miss Wong’s new dog, George.
The dogs have travelled on planes, trains, cars and ferries across the world and stay in dog-friendly hotels with their 55-year-old owner, an interior designer from London.
Among the landmarks they have visited are the Eiffel Tower, Central Park and the site of the Berlin Wall.
Darcy, who took 12 trips with her owner last year alone, has become a seasoned traveller. Miss Wong said: ‘She’s familiar with being in trains, waiting around in stations, boarding procedures for ferries and planes.
‘I am lucky that she is a very good traveller. My dogs are my best friends, my family, and I enjoy exploring places with them.’
Research from pet insurer Petplan has found that 65 per cent of owners experience separation anxiety from their pets when holidaying. Miss Wong said she often felt distressed at having to leave her dogs with friends or kennels and so decided to take them with her when she could.
She added: ‘I am most concerned about their comfort level and have restricted our vacations to places where it is safe for them to go to.’