“Just borrow a dog for a few hours,” a Toronto friend once told me. I was trying to figure out ways to become more local – to connect more deeply – during the three-or-so months that we spent in the South of France each year.

I could see myself gliding through Antibes’ streets with little Fifi on a rhinestone-studded leash. I’d extract cordial ‘bonjours’ from real French folks on their morning errands and enjoy chit-chats with neighbouring diners at sidewalk cafés.

Borrowing a dog may have been the practical solution. But a few years ago, when I realized it was possible to welcome a dog into our family and to maintain my family’s longstanding tradition of summering in the Côte d’Azur, I offered to take on the related bureaucracy. In a moment of weakness, my husband Philippe acquiesced. At long last, Lolo, our pet-obsessed, tween-aged daughter, began researching puppies.

Ferrying Fido from Canada to France

Our miniature poodle Yoko arrived on Bastille Day. Ten-and-a-half months later at the tippy end of May, I found myself hunched over the kitchen counter in Toronto, in the wee hours in an attempt to complete Yoko’s paperwork for our upcoming flight to France. Reams of instructions and governmental forms littered the cool marble.  A blazing internet screen led me deeper and deeper into the abyss of official regulations.

The critical, 10-day window before our French arrival loomed. During this period, our vet needed to pronounce Yoko A-OK health-wise. She needed to sign off on a sheaf of bilingual, governmental documentation completed to perfection. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (bizarrely) also needed to add its stamp. To throw in a tad of French humour: We couldn’t be certain that our 10-day window would end when we expected it to end. We were heading to France. The country’s air traffic controllers were on strike.

Facing the forms

The paperwork had to be ship-shape for our abbreviated 10-day span. A phrase from one set of instructions wallowed in my bleary brain: “If the above-mentioned health requirements are not complied with, the officials in charge of checks can have the animal sent back to the country of origin… have it put into quarantine or have it put down.”

Put down.  Blimey.

How could a smart, spirited, apricot miniature poodle puppy cause so many headaches? As the clock on my laptop spun forward, I unearthed silly error upon silly error in our vet’s preliminary attempt at the bilingual, European Union document entitled Non-Commercial movement of five or less dogs, cats or ferrets.

The next morning I rang the CFIA with questions as pernickety as the bureau’s requirements.  Actually I rang three times.

Yes, the authoritative-but-friendly man said, the vet had to do all strikeouts with a ruler and to initial each one. Yes, it was true that we might cross out 2/3 of the document (or put another way, that we might have to understand three times the regulatory minutiae before realizing that most of it didn’t apply). Ditto for the French translation that (more than) doubled the length of the English document. On the initial attempt at Yoko’s form, there were no lines, ruled or otherwise. Yes, the man said, the block printing had to be in black ink – but not the signature. The signature had to be in blue. Yoko’s form was all in blue.

I had one last question: Did the attachments (the vet’s rabies and health certificates, both considered intrinsic parts of the bilingual form) need to be completed in French as well as English? The CFIA official was unsure.  He advised that I check with the French consulate.

I charged Philippe, our family’s native French speaker, with this job. The local French consulate told Philippe to call French Customs in Washington, D.C. An automated message at French Customs advised callers to visit their website. The site was useless. My husband rang the French Embassy in Ottawa. The receptionist jamais – never, not ever – had received this question about a French translation. Attendez, she told Philippe, and off she went to discuss the matter.

When the receptionist returned, she was très desolée for keeping Philippe so long, but it was a very deep question. When we arrived in France, she said, we simply must tell French Customs that the French Embassy in Ottawa couldn’t find the right form. They would have to deal with English. This ingenuity from the French Embassy was a breathtaking insight into how the French deal with their own, legendary bureaucracy.

A few days into the do-or-die 10-day window, we were set. Philippe offered to drive to the governmental inspectors with our precious paperwork, properly completed in its black-penned, blue-signed, struck-out-with-a-ruler-and-initialed, semi-bilingual ecstasy. Inside the compact bureau, an officer reviewed Yoko’s paperwork.

“This is the most comprehensive application I have ever seen,” he said. Of course he still had a couple criticisms, mostly relating to having too much information, but once Philippe paid the requisite fee, he was sailing out the door.

The rest of Yoko’s initial immigration story went off a little too smoothly for my liking. The French air traffic controllers showed up for work. Yoko managed to hold it together. The burly French customs agent gave us perfunctory glances, stamped our passports, and waved us through.

Vous voulez voir les papiers du chien? I asked, waving a manila envelope in front of the customs official. Surely he wanted to see Yoko’s perfect papers.

Non. French shrug.

I was stunned. Non, il faut regarder les papiers! I cried, pleading in my transatlantic grogginess. You have to look at these papers! I worked so hard on them!

We’ve repeated the same routine for several years now. Repetition has made the paperwork easier, but it remains as nit-picking as ever. Minute changes crop up in the regulated pen colours, for instance, creating an effective way for the government to ensure that I’ve reread the instructions every year. The CFIA official still finds the annual problem or two and extracts his governmental fee.  Meanwhile, no French customs officer has even laid a finger on my paperwork or chatted with me about my adorable pooch.

Once back in Antibes, though, Yoko has introduced my family and me to loads of locals, many of whom grasp their own leads. On one evening walk in the sultry Côte d’Azur, Yoko received a marriage proposal (a request to breed her). Our poodle, though, has fallen for another guy, a fluffy, white bichon frisé. His name is Gucci.

My Toronto friend was right. Borrowing a dog definitely would’ve been easier. But bureaucracy and all, I’d still not change a thing.

Find details of how to take your pet from Canada to France here on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.  http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/exports/live-animals/health-certificates/pets/eng/1321265624789/1321281361100

Jemma Hélène is a writer, find out more at frenchlessonsblog.com

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These days, taking your dog on holiday with you is fairly simple. Plenty of B&B, gites and even hotels are dog friendly. But what if you want to take your dog on a ski holiday in France? It’s not that common but it’s perfectly doable – we tried it!

Taking your dog on a skiing holiday in France

We drove to Saint Gervais in Savoie. It was straightforward and took a little over 8 hours from Calais (including stops). The last hour up the Autoroute Blanche is guaranteed to build the excitement. Saint Gervais is an easily accessible but pretty mountain village in the Chamonix Valley. It’s a short distance from Mont Blanc.

2017 was an exceptionally mild spring and usually you can expect quite a lot more snow. The upside to that was that driving was easy and although we packed snow slippers for the tyres, they weren’t needed. It also meant the resort was pretty quiet and we had many of the slopes to ourselves.

Do not forget, you must take your dog to the vets and get their passports indorsed before you return to the UK. There are strict rules about this and about timing and if you don’t comply, they will not let you travel. On our return, two families were being refused passage at Calais for non-compliance. Shouting at the customs officials or pleading with fellow travellers really won’t help one little bit.

Accommodation 

Bearing in mind how many people take their dogs to France, there is still not that much dog friendly accommodation available. Peak Retreats and Lagrange were brilliant and didn’t bat an eyelid at my outsized request. You’re allowed two dogs per apartment and the floors are tiled so its very easy to keep it clean. As you need to leave your accommodation as you found it (and they will check before you leave), I would recommend taking an old sheet to throw over any furniture just in case.

We’re a large and rowdy family with two enormous dogs (one of whom is still very young). We coped well in our accommodation and if your dog is a sensible size an apartment is fine. We certainly weren’t the only ones with dogs in our block. If, like us however, you have giant breeds, a chalet or at least a ground floor apartment, will make your life easier. Our early morning canine “ablutions” were a little complicated.

Eating out in Saint Gervais

As you’d expect there are lots of restaurants and bars in Saint Gervais or further up the mountain if you want to eat out. They serve hearty and traditional fodder including the local Reblochon cheese, tartiflette, raclette and fondue. But it can get expensive. If you’re on a budget, bring the staples with you – tea, coffee, pasta, porridge etc. or stock up in Super U at the bottom of the mountain. We even brought our dog food with us. We raw feed ours and brought enough meat frozen in a box to last most of the week.

One very charismatic restaurant is Le Galeta tucked away down the back streets (Impasse des Lupins). It’s full of charm, with slabs of meat and giant prawns cooking on the open wood fire and original wooden skis and alpine tools on the walls. It’s not cheap but if you want to warm up and indulge somewhere cosy after a day on the mountains, it’s perfect.

However, our top recommendation has to be l’Affiche (Avenue du Mont Paccard) where we sat outside, enjoyed great service, great food and great value for money. I’m always amazed how accepted dogs are in France, even when they don’t fit in a handbag, and ours were welcomed (and admired) in all the bars we visited.

Walking and skiing with your dog

If you are a serious skier who plans to ski all day, I wouldn’t recommend you take your dog with you because they’ll be left for long periods of time in a strange place. Equally, for the serious hikers and walkers, a little later in the season is better, when the snow has gone and they’ve opened up all the walking routes.

And if you’re out to relax and put your feet up…well skiing with dogs is probably not for you. Having skied all morning, we rushed back down to resort pretty quickly each day to let the dogs out and have lunch in the apartment, before going out for some canine exercise.

However, if you just want to enjoy family time (that includes your pooch) and some light skiing, a late skiing break is perfect. With young, inexperienced children, we knew a full day’s skiing was probably over ambitious, as would be 3-hour mountain hikes. As it was, we enjoyed balmy temperatures in resort of 18 degrees, short, snowy walks, and drinks outside with our hounds and kids, as well as some daily skiing. Really the best of both worlds and a great Alpine taster holiday.

The tourist office in Saint Gervais provided us with some walking routes that came with maps and directions. The maps weren’t brilliant but the directions were clear. You can take your dogs in the cable car right up to Mont Arbois and walk back down if you wish. It’s a smallish cable car and a long walk so we decided against it.  And do bear in mind, your level of fitness. What one map described as moderate, involved a long and very steep walk!

Details

We stayed with Peak Retreats and Les Arolles (Lagrange) in Saint Gervais. You can book ski hire, ski passes and insurance with Peak Retreats or buy/ hire them in resort on arrival.

The famous thermal baths of Saint Gervais

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If you’re planning a holiday or long trip and you have a beloved pet – you may well want to take them along for the ride. If you’re hiring a car for your trip, then these helpful tips about pets and hire cars will help you…

Are dogs allowed in hire cars?

We know that your pet is part of your family and you may want them to join you on your travels. The majority of car hire agents will allow pets in their vehicles, as long as you adhere to their terms and conditions, largely related to keeping the car clean and looked after. For the majority of responsible pet owners this is not a problem.

Often the car rental agents that allow pets in their hire cars rarely advertise the fact, so it can be hard to find the information you are after. The best advice is, when making your booking – check with the specific agent’s terms and conditions.

The main concern a car rental agent will have is in relation to the cleanliness of the car when you return it. An additional valeting fee could be applied if the car requires more than a reasonable amount of cleaning after your rental. Be aware that if your dog, or any pet, causes “unreasonable damage” to your hire vehicle then an excess fee will be charged and you will be liable for any costs to repair the car. With that in mind we have compiled some top tips to help look after your vehicle when travelling with a pet.

Top tips for looking after your rental car when travelling with a pet:

Use a seat protector, or a blanket, to stop excess dog hair on the seats.

Take care when getting the dog in and out of the vehicle to avoid damaging the paintwork.

Make sure your dog is carefully strapped in a safe position such as a crate. Smaller pets should also be placed in a suitable transportation box.

Thoroughly vacuum the car after use.

Ensure the car smells fresh for the next user.

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Every year hundreds of visitors to France have their holidays ruined when they lose the dogs they have taken with them to join in the family fun. It causes much angst and distress when a beloved pet goes missing so here are our top tips for actions you can take to try to recover your lost dog in France.

If you are taking your dog to France, you will need a passport and the dog must be chipped so, if someone finds the dog they will be able to take it to a vet and be able to locate you. Make sure that the records for your address are always up to date so that you can be found easily.

Your dog should have a collar with your address, email address and phone number so that if anyone finds your dog they can contact you straight away.

Websites that can help you find a lost dog in France

Post a message and photo on the French Pet Alert Facebook page for the region where your pet went missing. These pages are called Pet Alert – then the department and the department number. For example, if you lose your dog in Oise, Picardy, the Facebook page is Pet Alert Oise 60. You can also search and post on the general Facebook page Pet Alert France where you will find a listing of all the Pet Alert Facebook pages in France under “Likes”.

Contact the local SPA where lost dogs are taken in France. SPA stands for Societe Protectrice des Animaux. There are 56 of these animal shelters in France and each year they take in 40,000 animals. You can find them on the French site Pages Jaunes – type in SPA and then the area you are looking or check on their website: www.spa.asso.fr

There are also independent animal shelters throughout France such as the Phoenix Association in the Dordogne area. Conduct your search on the internet using the words “refuge pour animaux ” and the area in which you lost your dog.

Check with the local vets to see if anyone has posted notices of dogs that have been found, ask them if you can put up a poster with details of your lost dog. You will find vets details on the Pages Jaunes site – type in the word “veterinaire” and the area you are looking.

You could also ask at the local town hall and police station if you can post a photograph and contact details – in smaller villages and towns this may be a very effective way to reach local people.

Place details on the “Chien Perdu” (Lost Dog) website, posting an ad is free and simple – use Google Translate to create a message in French.

Practical Advice for helping you to get your dog back in France

If someone says that they have found your dog, try to get them to send you a photo so you can be sure. Don’t send money to a finder as a reward before you get your dog back, there are some unscrupulous people who may claim to have found your dog, or it could be a simple error but you do need to be sure that the dog they have found is definitely yours.

Read our story about the lost dogs we found in France and how we found their owner.

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