So you want to pull up stakes and move to Playa del Carmen… it’s understandable. I got that undeniable urge a little over 2 years ago and was compelled by forces greater than I to make Mexico my home… at least for a while. I sold my house, gave most everything I owned to charity, packed up my car and my loyal sidekick Winston, and we made a run for the border.
Obviously, for those of us who own dogs, it’s not even a question on “if” we are going to bring them, it’s only question of “how.” They are family and more…. my pitbull Winston had been with me through everything and there was no way I was parting with him, even if I had to sneak him across the border.
Fortunately, there is no need for any such shenanigans. It’s a relatively easy and straight forward process to get dogs into the country and if you plan ahead just a little bit, it’s a breeze.
Bringing your dog to Mexico!
So….. there it is. Easy peasy. And in some cases, it makes the traveling process a lot easier. With me, I got waved through every single checkpoint except the very first one about 18 miles south of Nuevo Laredo. That was just to check my paperwork and that was it – they didn’t search my car or ask for anything else.
Making friends at a military checkpoint
The coolest thing that happened with my boy on our trip down was getting stopped at a military checkpoint somewhere in the mountains north of Tampico (I think – I’m a little hazy on the exact details of where but it was a remote area…). Two military personnel were asking me questions and although I understood almost no Spanish at the time, I knew the word for dog was “perro” so I knew they were asking about Winston.
We couldn’t communicate and I tried showing them the papers I had for Winston but they ended up going to get an officer. He approached the car and I’m not kidding in the least when I say he looked EXACTLY like a young Fidel Castro. Seriously… the beard, the hat, the machine gun and the stern look. Everything.
I tried showing my papers but in broken English he informed me that they soldiers weren’t asking for papers – they just wanted to know what kind of dog he was. Now, Winston is really large for a pitbull at abut 95 pounds and apparently they had never seen a pit that big. So I ended up sitting there and chatting and laughing with these guys and having Winston show off a few tricks and then after about 15 min, they sent me on my way with a big “welcome to Mexico” and wishes for a safe journey.
All in all, it was a very rewarding journey traveling through Mexico with my dog. Take my advice from the video on how to prep and then enjoy your trip. Fido will love it here… warm weather, ocean and plenty of other dogs to make friends with. Playa is a very dog friendly city so both of you will love it….
Check out Winston making friends in Playa del Carmen
