My Backpack Went to Paris and Had a Better Vacation Than Me!

What happens when you travel across the globe with a brand-new puppy, only to find yourself stranded without clothes, while your beloved backpack takes a solo two-week tour of France?

In this hilarious and jam-packed episode, host Laura Reeves sits down with our favorite veterinarian, Dr. Marty Greer, for a special “back-to-school” edition of Veterinary Voice. Between moving houses and managing a hectic schedule of 14 flights before the end of the year, Dr. Marty is no stranger to travel chaos. From Sweden to Newark, and JFK to Paris, she has survived it all, and she is here to share her hard-won, practical (and highly entertaining) wisdom for navigating airports, gate changes, luggage nightmares, and international travel with purebred dogs.

Whether you’re heading to the National, Westminster, Crufts, or just bringing a new puppy home, this episode is your ultimate survival guide to turning travel chaos into a smooth, organized adventure.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The Lost Backpack Chronicles: How Dr. Marty’s infamous, frayed blue backpack ended up in Paris while she was stuck in Sweden with nothing but a new puppy, a leash, and a dog bowl.
The “Bag-within-a-Bag” Strategy: The absolute essentials you must keep in your tiny emergency grab-bag (and why you should never let a gate agent check it).
AirTag Secrets: Why hanging trackers on the outside of your bags is a rookie mistake, and how “nesting” them inside your luggage and passport pouch will save your sanity.
Canine Crate Survival Kits: Step-by-step instructions on what to tape to the top of your dog’s travel kennel to ensure their safety and comfort.
Veterinary and Legal Nuances: Navigating the strict, ever-changing USDA accreditation rules, rabies requirements, and APHIS regulations for international and island travel.
Puppy Flight Hacks: Using potty pads on the plane, selecting behaviorist-approved travel medications (and why Benadryl is not the answer), and handling carrier disputes with gate agents.
The 3.3-Pound Math: Hilarious stories of repacking suitcases on the airport floor to hit that exact 49.5-pound limit.

🧳 Ultimate Dog-Travel Tips & Tricks Checklist

1. Master the Airport Gate & Boarding

Arrive early, but not too early: Avoid sitting at the gate so long that you miss unannounced gate changes.
Set boarding alarms: Set a phone alarm for 15 minutes before boarding begins, and another for the scheduled boarding time. Don’t rely on gate PAs, especially when traveling internationally!
Make eye-to-eye contact: Always speak directly with the gate agents to verify flight capacity, check-in requirements, and make sure your paperwork is in order.

2. Safeguard Your Luggage & Essentials

The Mini-Emergency Bag: Always keep your passport, medication, toothbrush, car keys, and a spare change of underwear in a small inner bag that you can quickly yank out if your carry-on is gate-checked.
Bury your AirTags: Don’t hang trackers on the exterior of your luggage where they can be ripped off or stolen. Bury them deep inside zippered interior compartments.
Track your passport: Paranoid about losing your passport overseas? Keep it in a dedicated neck pouch with its very own AirTag.
Take photos of baggage tags: Photograph the paper baggage receipts the airline prints for you so you still have the tracking numbers if you lose the paper slips.
Look “homeless chic”: Ripped seams and ugly luggage might not look glamorous, but thieves are far less likely to target bags that look like they’ve been through a war zone! Avoid checking bendable, multi-handle duffel bags that can get caught in airport machinery.

3. Setup Your Dog’s Crate for Success

If your dog or puppy is traveling in the cargo hold, tape a “survival kit” securely to the top of their kennel:

A Ziploc bag containing a full day’s worth of kibble.
Lightweight, collapsible/flattening travel bowls.
A spare slip leash (vets’ giveaway leashes work perfectly).
Extra physical copies of their rabies certificate, health certificates, and veterinary paperwork.

4. Know the Vet Regulations (Plan Up to a Year in Advance!)

The 6-Month Rule: No puppy can enter the United States until they are at least six months old and have a valid rabies vaccination.
USDA Accreditation: Ensure your veterinarian is USDA-accredited (Level 1 or Level 2) and has their accreditation number on the rabies certificates. Regular state licensing is often not enough for international transport!
Island & Rabies-Free Travel: Hawaii, Japan, England, and New Zealand have incredibly strict quarantine rules. Start your testing and paperwork preparation up to 12 months in advance. Use the official USDA APHIS website to verify current requirements.

5. Puppy Comfort & Travel Snacks

In-Flight Restroom Breaks: Pack puppy potty pads in your carry-on. If your pup is restless, take them into the airplane restroom, lay down a pad, and let them relieve themselves safely.
Behavioral Support: Skip acepromazine and Benadryl (which is not an anti-anxiety medication). Talk to your vet about gabapentin, trazodone, or alprazolam. Always test the dosage at home before travel day! For motion sickness, ask about Cerenia (maropitant).
Snack Like a Professional: Pack highly motivating, smelly dog treats that double as human survival food in a pinch. String cheese, meat sticks, jerky, and even canned Vienna sausages are show-dog favorites!
Check out our convo with airline employee Alicia Morrison Jones for more travel insight!