by April Martinig
Moving with animals can be a real adventure – even at the best of times. Not that long ago, I tried to move to Australia for my first postdoc… What a nightmare! The cost was astronomical. Between quarantine fees, flight costs, and the mountain of paperwork, I quickly realized that moving my pets across the globe wasn’t going to happen. That dream was dashed pretty fast.
Fast forward a bit, and I found myself facing another move, this time to Kelowna (in the Rocky Mountains). Now, you’d think moving within your own country would be easy, right? Wrong. Kelowna, despite its picturesque setting and endless hiking trails, proved to be quite the challenge. For starters, rent prices are close to, if not, the highest in the country. Finding a decent place that fits within a postdoc’s budget is hard enough without adding pets into the equation.
And then there’s the whole pet-friendliness issue. It’s ironic – everywhere you look, people are out walking their dogs, and cats are lounging in windows. Even landlords have pets. But when it comes to renting, the story changes. So many listings are strictly no pets allowed, or, if they do allow them, they only allow one. It’s like a bad joke. You’d think a city full of pet owners would be more open to pets… It took multiple trips to Kelowna to finally find a place that would take both me and my two small pets.
Despite the challenges, having my pets is not negotiable. They provide comfort and companionship, which is invaluable, especially when you’re in a new place trying to navigate a demanding job. So, while moving with animals can be tough and sometimes ridiculously expensive, those little paws and whiskers make it all worthwhile.
Moving with animals can be a real adventure – even at the best of times. Not that long ago, I tried to move to Australia for my first postdoc… What a nightmare! The cost was astronomical. Between quarantine fees, flight costs, and the mountain of paperwork, I quickly realized that moving my pets across the globe wasn’t going to happen. That dream was dashed pretty fast.
Fast forward a bit, and I found myself facing another move, this time to Kelowna (in the Rocky Mountains). Now, you’d think moving within your own country would be easy, right? Wrong. Kelowna, despite its picturesque setting and endless hiking trails, proved to be quite the challenge. For starters, rent prices are close to, if not, the highest in the country. Finding a decent place that fits within a postdoc’s budget is hard enough without adding pets into the equation.
And then there’s the whole pet-friendliness issue. It’s ironic – everywhere you look, people are out walking their dogs, and cats are lounging in windows. Even landlords have pets. But when it comes to renting, the story changes. So many listings are strictly no pets allowed, or, if they do allow them, they only allow one. It’s like a bad joke. You’d think a city full of pet owners would be more open to pets… It took multiple trips to Kelowna to finally find a place that would take both me and my two small pets.
Despite the challenges, having my pets is not negotiable. They provide comfort and companionship, which is invaluable, especially when you’re in a new place trying to navigate a demanding job. So, while moving with animals can be tough and sometimes ridiculously expensive, those little paws and whiskers make it all worthwhile.
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