Sophia travels from Kinshasa to Washington

From zoo animals to pets, a. hartrodt’s live animal transportation business is thriving. The forwarder recently flew a handsome Boerboel lady from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the USA. Brussels - The airfreight department of international freight forwarder a. hartrodt (Belgium) recently arranged the transport of Ms. Sophia, a fierce looking, but quite docile Boerboel, from Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) to Washington DC (USA) when its owners relocated to the USA. As the dog weighed over 60 kg a special timber holding crate had to be constructed. This was ordered and checked by the a. hartrodt team for live animal transportation in Brussels (Belgium) before being shipped out to the a. hartrodt joint venture Storex Africa Transit in the DR Congo.

The pet dog was picked up at its home and accompanied by the experienced a. hartrodt staff until it was loaded in an aircraft of Brussels Airlines. Water was provided in the holding crate and food attached outside. No medication of the dog was necessary for the journey. Due to the lack of direct flights from Kinshasa Sophia was first transported to Brussels (Belgium) where she was fed and amused by members of the Brussels Airlines live animal team during the very short stop-over until take off for Washington. All handling and documentation was executed under the supervision of a. hartrodt’s specialised live animal division in Brussels and Brussels Airlines’ station manager Dries Cuyckens. As the South African bred, well-cared for and healthy dog had been chipped and had all the necessary vaccinations and identification papers no special documents had to be drafted. There are no restrictions on the import or export of pets (dogs & cats) in the D.R. Congo.

“People like to take their pets wherever life takes them. If they have to relocate to another country they should call us for peace of mind. The a. hartrodt group offers reliable transport solutions for all types of pets and other live animals to and from various destinations worldwide. Our experienced, highly motivated and dedicated staff makes sure that the pet arrives relaxed and content after its journey. We have an impeccable record as approved international pet transportation company. We work according to the international IATA (International Air Transport Association) rules for the transportation of live animals (IATA LAR) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES). The latter is relevant to pets such as turtles and parrots,“ says Steven Storms, managing director, Storex Africa Transit. “Pet transports are a niche market. The handling of life animals requires specific know-how and special people with dedication and passion for their job. As these are not easily transferable a. hartrodt (Belgium) acts as the hartrodt group’s competence centre for all live animal transport related activities”, adds Jens Roemer, Regional Managing Director Belgium, France, Switzerland and DR Congo. “a. hartrodt’s subsidiary at Brussels Airport has focused on the handling of life animals for many years. In recent years we have transported tapirs, maras, leopards, lions, and other exotic animals, but also chicken, live fish, and pets. As travel agents for live animals we have to deal with quite a variety of customers.”