One thing I did not have the foresight to see before we got here was how to clean the dang dog. She's so so SO furry, so it has to be done either outside or at the groomer and since we live in an apartment, the first option is out of the picture. I didn't think it would be hard to find a groomer but here I am, tearing my hair out, because I can't find any within walking distance and dogs aren't allowed on the trams.
          I finally found one that was only a 10 minute walk away. Luckily, they had a "contact by email" option so I could write French instead of trying to speak it. I spent close to an hour writing an email to them only to get an immediate automatic response back that the "mailbox had been blocked due to inactivity" which surely means they are no longer in business. Do you know how often it rains in Besançon? Seriously, my dog reeks. I would dip her in the river but she would probably catch 5 parasites and grow an extra ear or something. I don't know the state of cleanliness of the water, but I've never seen any one or thing else besides ducks and fish in there so I think I'll keep her on land.
          Speaking of water the plumber and landlord came (at 7:30 in the morning) today to check it out. If you recall, the initial plumber wouldn't say what was wrong with it except that we needed a new hot water heater. This one is saying it's an electrical problem; the switch telling the hot water heater to turn on is faulty. So now we need an electrician to come out. The landlord is happy since the electric work will be much cheaper than a new heater. Hopefully it will happen soon because we don't have enough hot water for me to shave more than an eighth of my legs a day. My legs look like a wheat field in various stages of growth and harvest. It's hot, I want to wear skirts and capris!

           We have a dog and a cat, so I’ve been learning what is required to bring them. I went to this website and learned basically all I needed, but I’ll sum it up for you. Keep in mind this is for France only, if you’re going to another country, go  here and select the country you are going to.          
           Dogs and cats (and ferrets!) need a few things to make their way to France; they need a microchip, current vaccines, an official health certificate, and an airline approved crate.
           The microchip needs to be a standard ISO 11784 or an annex A ISO standard 11785 which are 15 digit microchips. If your pet already had a 9 digit microchip, you will need to purchase a scanner and bring it with you. Even as little as two years back, 15 digit microchips were not used as much in the US. It wasn’t uncommon to have to purchase your own microchip online and bring it in to your vet to insert it. However, it is becoming more common to use these universal, 15 digit microchips.
          My personal favorite is the Home Again chip, that’s what my office uses (for those of you who don’t know me, I’m a veterinary technician). We’ve never had any issues with reactions at the injection site or migrating microchips. If your vet only has 9 digit chips and you need a 15 digit chip, you can purchase one very cheap at amazon. If your pet already has a 9 digit chip, you can purchase a scanner at amazon as well. It’s possible to re-chip your pet with a 15 digit when it already has a 9 digit. It’s much cheaper than buying the scanner, but there can be complications if a universal scanner is used. The original chip will not be taken out of your pet, but the new chip will be placed in about the same area. Since a universal scanner picks up all frequencies of chips, 9 digit or 15, an error in the reader can occur. This can cause problems at the airport and problems if your pet ever gets lost, so please purchase the scanner versus re-chipping your pet.
          Your pet also needs to be current on vaccines, specifically rabies. Something very important to mention is that the vaccines will not be considered current if your pet was vaccinated before getting microchipped. Vaccines have to be given after  microchipping occurs (or at the same time according to a representative of the USDA I spoke to). Vaccines also have to be given at least 21 days prior to leaving the country. This stinks for me and my dog, Kisa. She was vaccinated in January, which covers her for three years, but she isn’t microchipped so she will have to receive another rabies vaccination before we go. Poor pup!
          There is also an official health certificate that needs to be filled out by a certified veterinarian within 10 days of leaving the country and then signed by a USDA agent. You can find your state’s agent contact information here. I would also print out the copy of the certificate with explanatory notes in case your veterinarian doesn’t feel like looking up what something is or means. That way the explanation is right there (it happens)! Also, it wasn’t listed on the site but I’ve read in forums that the certificate should be filled out in blue ink only. This is allegedly the “official ink color” used for French documentation and could be turned down if in black ink. Don’t worry too much though, because in the same forums everyone agreed that no one at the airports paid much attention to the certificate anyway!
          Lastly, there’s the air port carriers. While there are minimum requirements, each airline can request more so check with your airline before buying.
          Thanks for reading and don't forget to comment if you have any questions or just want to add your two cents!