The first thing I did after I decided to move to Germany is to take my dogs with me. Each country has it’s own rules regarding transportation of animals to the EU so I recommend you should contact a local Vet that has experience with it. The procedure from Israel is not an easy one but manageable – just make sure to prepare in advance
Here are some of my tips that will make your dog life better:
1.
3rd party dog insurance is a must here, for the case the dog causes damage to another person or animal. In case an accident happens and your dog is not insured – it can be crazy expensive, I did mine through
check24.de and it costs around 80 euro for 2 dogs for a year.
2. Dog registration– you must register your dog with the Tax office (you will need to have a tax number for that). the price is 120 for the first dog for a year and 180 for every other dog per year. The payment is usually taken every 3 months out of your account. Another thing is setting a vet appointment and registering your dog chip number in the German system.
3. The vet – Not all Vets speak English, ask your dog owner friends or doggy Facebook groups for recommendations. In general you need to give your dog de-worming pills every 3 months (you just go to the vet and buy the pills), and once a year take the dog to get his Rabies shot together with the core Vaccine given at the same time.
Vet costs are surprisingly not high, Just remember that you pay a few euros every time you bring the dog to the vet.
There is also pet medical insurance available – you can learn more about that online
4. Doggy passport – There is such a thing! It costs 10 euros and your dog will be a super cool dog that can travel the world with you. Ask your vet for that (They will ask you for the past vaccination dates – make sure your local vet gives you that)
5. Shopping for your dog: You can get dog food and treats at any supermarket, but the specialty shops are zooplus.de, fressnapf.de and amazon, they all deliver and it’s super comfortable.
Another insider trick is that you can buy dog beds, toys and other products at TK maxx in front of the TV tower (after you finish your German class)
My dogs really love Berlin and I really love having them here. There are so many parks, rivers, lakes and forests all around that make their life great. Add to that relatively low costs and Enjoy the time with your best friend/s.
