Bringing Your Dog to France

When I first wrote about dog-friendly Parisian parks for Parislogue.com,  little did I realize that years later,  I'd be walking our very dear Hercules, a five-year-old Shi-Tzu, in the Luxembourg Gardens.  But, here we are.  And if you've had any apprehension about bringing your pet to Paris,  do not despair!

France is a dog/cat friendly nation, but dogs, in particular seem to get a warm welcome, especially if they're cute, well-groomed, and well-behaved in cafes.  Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that France is a rabies-free country so that the paperwork, should, in theory be minimal to return to the US.

Just be sure that your dog is up-to-date on his rabies shots, have your vet complete the international health certificate that can be found online.  We made a trip to Miami to have the USDA provide us with a certification form for France,  but when we arrived at CDG airport,  along with our dog (who accompanied us in the cabin of our Air France tourist class seat),   absolutely no paperwork was requested by French customs.  Of course, this doesn't mean that every time will be the same.  Always have your medical paperwork and documents handy- just in case.

Air France/Delta accepts service dogs in the cabin.  They are obliged to remain on the floor, always attached.  In our case, because Hercules weighs just under 12 pounds,  we were able to find a comfortable traveling bag for him which is useful as well for traveling in France, i.e. taking trains or local buses.

I also have a wicker shopping/picnic basket that is just the right size for taking Hercules on buses or crossing parts of the gardens where dogs may not be allowed to walk.  Luxembourg Gardens has one specific area allowed for our four-legged friends.  They even have their own drinking fountain.