Traveling Mexico and Central America with our dog....
 

We will be leaving Oregon sometime in January on our 640 KTM's and our dog will be traveling with us! We certainly know the drawbacks of traveling with a pet as far as places to stay (we hope to be camping most of the time) keeping our dog out of harms way with other dogs etc. We cannot do this trip otherwise. We would really love to hear from anyone who has experienced traveling through those countries with their dog. We would also like to hear about good routes along the way and what areas to avoid.

An immediate drawback is that many places to stay will be unavailable to you.
There are very few pet friendly hotels. You might want to search for a website that has a listing of pet friendly places to stay. Of course you will need the pet's papers at every border crossing. The real danger is to your pet that will likely encounter many things that are totally unknown to it like
reptiles and insects that are not found in your normal backyard where you live.
Climate is going to be of primary concern because of the way your pet will exposed to the elements. Yes, "dognappings" still happen in Latin America.

Reply to Mike
 

Thanks for your feedback. Like I said in my post, I am very aware of the negatives traveling with a pet for sure. I am hoping to hear from those who have traveled through with a dog and can help me with what to expect along the way. I also would like to find out some great routes that will be fun, interesting and the most safe.

Hi Naildoc,

A good person to talk to would be Lorraine Chittock. She used to be on this board. Traveled to South America from the US with her two dogs. I believe she is currently in Chile. I stayed with her at her temporary home when riding in Costa Rica a few years back. She used to have a blog with stories of traveling across Mexico and Central America with her dogs. I can't seem to locate it on google. I found this podcast:

PetLifeRadio-Lorraine Chittock

haven't listened to it but perhaps something of use to you.

As far as travel routes, others with pets may have ideas. Lorraine didn't have troubles crossing borders, and her sweet dogs were having fun romping on the beach in Costa Rica when I met them.

Best,
John Downs

Reply to John
 

Hi John,
Thank you so much for that information. This gives me hope!! I have been in contact with a couple who traveled in a van through Central and South America with their dog and had a great experience. The more information I can gather from those who have done it, the better I will feel about going.