UAE: Relocating Dutch expat to take her 5 rescue dogs, 17 cats with her
RAK-based Trudy Brusselman says the rescues are all the family she and her husband have
Ras Al Khaimah: At a time when abandoned pets routinely make headlines, a Dutch expat in Ras Al Khaimah has shared her decision to relocate to another country with her husband and their “family” of five dogs and 17 cats.
“Yes, the five dogs and 17 cats are indeed our family and they are all we have,” the 60-year-old Trudy Brusselman told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.
“They have been with us for years now and we cannot imagine leaving without them,” said Trudy, hoping it inspires other owners too to take their pets along when they move homes or relocate within the country.
Trudy, who runs maintenance and interior decoration businesses in Dubai, said she was relocating to Thailand with her husband Perry Spruit, also a businessman, after 20 years in the UAE.
“Our home in Thailand will be ready by November and we plan to make the shift by the end of the year. We want to spend our retirement years there,” she said.
Trudy’s plan to move with her pets came to light on social media, where she recently sought advice from flight companions on where she could get travel boxes for cats and dogs at reasonable prices.
A long-time flight buddy herself, she said she had accompanied nearly 30 pets over the years to different European destinations, including Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dusseldorf and Munich.
“This time round, I was not looking for any flight companions, just information about cheaper transportation crates since I needed 22 of them,” she shared.
The response was overwhelming.
“I was especially touched by a rescue centre in Fujairah that offered to donate two crates for my family. It was a big thing coming from a rescue centre, which could do with help itself. It really warmed my heart but of course, I will not accept the crates for free,” she shared.
Trudy opined that the rules around international travel with pets requires an urgent review as the process can be very expensive.
“It can cost close to $700 per pet, minus the paperwork,” she claimed.
“Moreover, only five pets per person are allowed on the airline that I plan to take. So that means, my husband and I have to make a few trips between us to relocate our entire animal family,” she said.
According to Trudy, who doesn’t have any children, her animals are all the family she and her husband have. All rescues, the pet ‘children’ have been duly christened, whether it is Yazoo the Saluki, Leo, the King Charles Spaniel, Indy, Snoopy and Lola (the mixed breed dogs); or the 17 cats: Kalu, Smurf, Order, Zorra, Donald, Bubbles, Diva, Lucky, Bowie, Madonna, Lekkie, Zoe, Puck, Jacky, Mamma, Kiki and Sultana.
“Over the years, we have brought home many rescues. Some of them, we have rehomed while some have stayed back with us. The current lot has been with us for so long, we can’t imagine parting with them,” she said.
Every morning, she said she takes the dogs to the beach in Ras Al Khaimah, where they run and play.
“They love the outdoors, and I can’t wait for them to see their new home in Thailand, where we will all be living 800 metres from the beach with the mountains in our backyard. Like our pets, we too love being in the lap of Nature,” she added.
Trudy said she had the passports of all the 22 pets ready for their travel to Thailand.
Most of the formalities, including approvals from the concerned authorities, have also been obtained.
“Getting crates for all of them remains. I currently have three big crates for the dogs and six crates for the cats. I am looking for the rest, even if they are used ones,” she added.