SINGAPORE – The photos show Jackie lounging next to the iconic canals of Venice, posing for a picture outside the legendary Colosseum, and even gazing at the famous derriere of Michaelangelo’s David in the Accademia Gallery Museum in Florence.

That is what tourists typically would do in those destinations, except that Jackie is not a normal tourist – she is a two-year-old West Highland terrier from Singapore.

Meanwhile, Freckles the Australian shepherd has rolled in the fields of Austria, hiked across the mountains of Norway, and camped in the wilderness against the majestic backdrop of the Dolomite Mountains in Italy.

Far from living a dog’s life, these lucky Singaporean pups going globetrotting with their owners leave picture-perfect moments for both the ‘gram and in the hearts and memories of their families, despite the numerous hurdles involved in bringing them in and out of destination countries.

Although official data for pets entering and leaving Singapore are not available at the time of reporting, veterinary clinics and a pet transporter told The Straits Times that they are seeing a surge in interest from owners who wish to take their furry companions overseas.

Attributing the increasing number of those taking their pets on holidays to social media trends, the transporter saw a surge in interested owners requesting for its services after Covid-19 measures were lifted. It received as many as five requests a week during that time, compared to between five and 10 requests a year before the pandemic.

Jackie’s owners, Mr Ang Choon Boon, a Finance Manager, and Ms Praveena, a Compliance Executive, both 33, told ST that they had always planned to take her on their holidays.

“We didn’t really feel good about leaving Jackie behind and wanted to experience exploring a new country together with her,” they said in an interview done via Instagram.

They have owned Jackie since November 2021, and do not intend to travel without her.

“She is very attached to us, and we don’t ever want her to have the feeling that we ‘abandoned’ her,” they said.

Their first trip overseas with Jackie was to Italy in March 2023.

“I think she definitely enjoyed the many walks, meeting, greeting and being adored by so many people,” they said, lauding the country’s pet-friendly culture as an “amazing experience”.

“We never had any trouble being seated indoors in trattorias, osterias or even fine-dining restaurants. We even managed to go on a gondola ride in Venice together!”

During the trip, Jackie’s daily walks lasted much longer than usual, with her owners taking her cues and adjusting their activity levels accordingly.

Four-year-old Freckles’ maiden trip aboard was to Norway in June 2022 with her owners, Ms Shirlene Ang and her husband.

Ms Ang, 33, a realtor, told ST that Freckles enjoys hiking and outdoor activities in Singapore, traversing through trails in Clementi Forest and Bukit Brown.

“We always planned to travel with her as we are avid travellers – even before we got her – and we treat her as our kid,” she said.

Ms Ang got Freckles in 2019 and has travelled to neighbouring countries without her pet. She said the shorter duration of those trips was not worth the hassle of having to transport the dog along.

Covid-19 threw a spanner in their plans to take Freckles on a long vacation, but she “jumped at the first chance” once travelling was allowed, and planned a trip to Norway.

“It definitely felt surreal the first time – she loves the mountains and nature, something we cannot get in Singapore. And to share the joy with her is something that words cannot describe fully.”

Ms Ang said she would like to keep travelling with Freckles as long as she is healthy, as the pet is fond of hiking and camping on vacations, which can be physically taxing.

“We love the outdoors and that is why we decided to get a breed that is energetic and up for an adventure,” she said. “It is not easy travelling with a dog. Almost the entire trip is planned around her, and a lot of research needs to be done... But it is worth it to us.”

The road to that picture-perfect holiday with a beloved pet is not easy, though. Up to 90 per cent of owners interested in taking their pets on vacations drop the idea after learning about the process, said a transporter, who declined to be named.

Taking a pet overseas on a holiday of less than two months entails formally exporting it from its home country while importing it into the destination country. The return trip carries similar requirements.

These requirements include relevant licences, documentation, vaccinations, vet-endorsed health check-ups and certifications, all of which have to be approved by authorities from each country, with the processes and validity periods of each document potentially differing both ways.

It can get tricky, as each country has its own specific categorisations, restrictions and medical requirements, which may differ from Singapore’s.

A detailed breakdown of Singapore’s process and requirements can be found on the Animal and Veterinary Service’s site.

In Singapore, if all export documentation is completed and submitted in advance, the check-in and departures of both pet and owner can proceed normally, with the exportation documents verified at the check-in counter. This was the case for both Freckles’ and Jackie’s owners.

However, this may not be true for the destination country, or the import process back into Singapore.

Destinations popular for such vacations are often chosen because pets exported from Singapore do not need to be quarantined, meaning owners can begin their trip immediately. These include destinations like Austria, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. However, the same animals are subject to Singapore’s animal import rules on the return leg.

Also, whether or not a pet is allowed in a plane cabin or checked in as excess baggage in the cargo hold depends on both the airline and the destination country, each with their own restrictions depending on the pet’s size, breed and weight.

Pet owners heading for short vacations with their pets are typically required to be on the same flight as their companions to the destination country.

This is opposed to pets travelling as manifest cargo, where the pets have to be booked on their own ticket, and may separately arrive before or after the owner. According to the pet transporter, this option applies more for those travelling long-term or emigrating.

Additionally, finding pet-friendly accommodation and services in the destination country present more hoops these owners have to jump through.

And the pets have to be medically checked before they travel.

Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group said its clinics have prepared pets for such trips, but these are not common.

The preparation process includes an evaluation of a pet’s medical condition, flagging any concerns relevant to the trip to owners. They also advise owners on whether a pet may require anxiety medication.

Dr Brian Loon, principal veterinarian of Amber Vet and Amber Cat Vet, strongly advises owners to engage the services of a pet export agent to assist with the process, as the requirements vary from country to country and can change at any time.

“Owners who wish to oversee the process themselves need to do their own research, approach the AVS and relevant embassy, and be very clear on all the requirements as well as the timeline. As a veterinarian, we perform the required health checks, certificates, tests, vaccinations and treatments under the direction of the pet export agent or pet owner,” he said.

The stress of travelling, especially if the pet has to be kept in the cargo hold, is a concern, said the Mount Pleasant spokesman, adding that the entire process may not be suitable for pets that may have pre-existing conditions, require medications or are nervous. Many airlines have implemented tighter restrictions on allowing pets to be in the same cabin as the owner.

A spokesman for veterinary clinic Vet Central told ST that while such trips may be enjoyable for pet owners, it may be less so for animals due to the stresses involved. Animals thrive on routine, and some may be stressed by the change in environment, said the spokesman.

Also, while pets go through pre-trip medical checks, there is still a risk of pets carrying undetected infectious diseases or pathogens to another place, added the Vet Central spokesman.

Ms Ang said she brought Freckles onboard with her for flights out of Singapore and back.

When she and her dog reached Norway, she collected her luggage and took Freckles to border control officials, where they checked Freckles’ microchip and the accompanying certified documents. This took about an hour.

The entire process of preparing a pet’s documents and certification may take as long as seven months, according to the pet transporter.

Professional pet transporters, who specialise in sending animals overseas and back, can make the journey easier. They can take over and keep track of the many applications involved.

Some also help to resolve potential issues with medical appointments, documentation and certification, aided by their established network and communication channels with the relevant authorities.

But these services do not come cheap.

The transporter ST spoke to said that most owners baulk at the costs involved – it charged owners about $4,000 to $5,000 for a small-to-medium sized dog.

Prices vary according to the length of the trip, the size of the dog, as well as the complexity of the case.

Even if owners choose to undertake the tasks on their own, the test would still cost them upwards of $3,000. The sums above do not include airfare.

During the trip, owners have to set aside a budget for their pet as well. During Jackie’s 10-day-long trip, her owners had to fork out extra – for her to join them in their hotel rooms, it cost about €20 (S$29) to €40 per stay. For her to be on board trains travelling between cities, it cost an extra €40 per trip.

They also hired an exporter there for €200, who drove them to appointments he had booked for them, such as a visit to a vet for parasite treatment to complete the AVS Health Certificate (€30) and ASL’s (Italy’s AVS) official vet (€30) to endorse it, with the certificate only being valid for seven days thereafter.

The pet transporter also warned against unforeseen hurdles that owners may face overseas, such as communication barriers, the inaccessibility of recognised veterinary contacts and certifying authorities, and ever-changing export regulations that could turn that dream vacation into a nightmare.

Owners that ST spoke to also attested to that.

Jackie’s owners faced issues due to the language barrier – getting AVS documents, which were in English, signed and endorsed by Italian veterinarians, as well as making an appointment with a vet approved by the relevant authorities to endorse the documents.

Freckles needed to redo a medical test, with her owners having to extend their trip by another three weeks while waiting for the necessary results for the import licence back to Singapore to be fulfilled and approved.

Upon arrival in Singapore, Freckles was taken straight to the Changi Animal and Plant Quarantine Station (CAPQ) by airport officials. Ms Ang had to first complete the immigration process, and then head to CAPQ to get Freckles’ documents certified before picking her up. This process alone can take up to three hours, depending on the availability of airport officials, as well as personnel from the AVS.

In January 2023, the pet transporter decided that it would no longer accept applications for short-term vacations, citing not only its personal stance against putting animals through such an ordeal, but a disproportionate amount of logistics required to arrange such short trips.

Despite the tedious process, Jackie’s owners said the vacation with her was very much worth the effort.

“Coming back to Singapore, we had a mini-culture shock after the two weeks of being able to dine anywhere with her. That level of pet culture was unforgettable, and we will definitely do it again just to relive it!”