If you like what we do, or think we could improve in any way then please feel free to leave a comment on the Feedback Page, or perhaps you would prefer to leave a review on our Facebook Page.
Your views will help us to improve our service and to help re-home and transport more cats and dogs!
So please email us, indicating if you are happy with your comments to appear on the site.
What You Think!
Heather Sims: Alex from Pro-Setter used Chris to transport a dog to the UK and was very happy with the service. An excellent recommendation!
Chris moved my dog from Spain to the UK in March 2012. He provided an excellent service, all arrangements were professionally organised and he updated me throughout his journey.
My dog was well looked after and wasn’t at all stressed on arrival.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use him again and would recommend him to anyone moving dogs or cats from Spain to the UK or UK to Spain.
Excellent job thank you Chris.
Verity Thorpe from Bewdley, Worcestershire UK.
Hi Chris
Many thanks for today with dropping off Eric. You did a brilliant job Eric was relaxed and happy on arrival good luck with all your other drops
Angela Smith
Just to say thanks again to you both for meeting and dropping off Guantes this morning. He’s been a gem travelling back up and so far things going fine with our other two.
Cath Jeans
I had 3 dogs travel with Chris from Murcia to the UK on 9 April together with 7 other dogs, 6 from the Bullas galgo/podenco rescue. Chris was on time at the meeting point, got everything organised and all the dogs loaded up. I was particularly anxious because my big dog is a real nervous chap. Chris left around 12.15-12.30 and, throughout the journey, kept us informed all along the way through his website and Twitter. He had regular stops when he walked all of the dogs and gave them water and so on. Despite a huge tailback near Barcelona (where the van lost about 2 hours of travel time) and dropping off my little puppy in France in the early hours of the morning, Chris reached Calais early. The dogs sailed through passport control and were on the 9.20 shuttle to Folkestone. They thus arrived in the UK 9am UK time. All the drop offs went well and there were lots of happy dogs. I really cannot praise the service more highly and am delighted with the whole process. A 150% recommendation to Chris and his team!!
Heather Simms
We would just like to share with you our experience of adopting a beautiful galgo boy Caramelo from Madrid, Spain who we fell in love with.
The BIG issue was how on earth do we get our boy here to us in the UK.
Chris Marshall was introduced to us sometime ago. From the moment Chris agreed to transport our baby to us was so exciting, simple and straight forward, once the ball was rolling it happened quickly & smoothly. Chris’s professionalism and his love for animals was second to non, keeping in constant contact with us at all times as well as looking after the pets along with his co driver Mick.
It was a great honour and a pleasure meeting them both, not to mention the hospitality we had from Chris’s parents in there home while we awaited Chris and our baby to arrive.
This to us made it a fantastic journey with a remarkable ending but new begining.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use Chris Marshall again in the future.
Remember Dont buy adopt the rewards are endless..
A Big Thank You To Chris & Mick
Love From The Wilsons & CARAMELO
Buddy has settled in already. He is absolutely adorable. Thank you so much!
In about a year I plan to adopt another dog, and will do this through you again as the service was fantastic and I am so pleased with Buddy!
Shannan Edwards
A huge thank you to Chris and Mick for safely transporting our puppy from Spain to the UK. Even despite Zach’s size (Rottweiler) he arrived not at all distressed, but happy, calm and well looked after. Chris, from the first point of contact to the end of Zach’s journey, gave a friendly, personal and professional service, where no query or concern I had was any problem. Even when I nearly jumped into the back of the van with excitement to see my baby, it didn’t seem to be an issue. I was taken a back by the sheer interest in each dog Chris and Mick showed, when they began to describe each dogs character. A true love of their job.
During the journey, we received regular updates on both the pups well being and the journeys progress.
We have already arranged for my mums puppy to be transported by Chris in 2 weeks time and have no hesitations in recommending him further.
Thank you so much guys for the wonderful job you do and for caring for the animals as you do.
Sara and Zach
Thank you Chris and Mick for providing such a great professional service in bringing over some pointers on behalf of the Pointer Rescue Service in the UK. It was great to get all the clear information upfront on the planned journey and to excellent to receive the updates and immediate response to current travel times. All this lead to making the dogs journey the best they could possibly had. I could also see that you cared about the girls you were transporting, and that is a huge bonus. They really did arrive settled and as unstressed as they could be after such a journey. A huge thank you and I completely recommend you to anyone considering using your service.
Nick Gilding
Our first meeting was mutual attraction and the grand plan was hatched to get Whiskey to the UK.
I will not forget his fresh little face when you opened the van doors. On the road for two days, you would not have thought two hours! Once I got him home he met our 3 year old retriever, there was a little posturing, a little marking of territory, a couple of spats but now they are inseparable. In fact in only one week Sam has become very protective of Whiskey. The foul English weather came as a bit of a shock to the little fella but this is not a bad thing. I think any thoughts of him running off back to Spain have been dispelled. The warmth of of our homestead, the gourmet regular feeds, his new best friend and our love and affection seem to agree with him.
The little chap is fine and he has already established a routine with us and our other dogs. He recently walked 9 miles and never put a paw wrong! These ‘strays’ are certainly plucky and resourceful and somehow give an extra dimension to the ownership experience. It is amazing! Their capacity to show their affection and happiness is all the more enhanced by their sometimes unhappy backgrounds.
My wife and I can’t thank you enough for the part you played. I have spread the word far and wide about your service as I am hugeley impressed with your operation.
Michael Ryan
Two times you brought a dog from Spain to me and both were in excellent condition and happy on arrival.
It is wonderful you keep everyone updated during your trip: that way we all know how it is going and if there is a delay due to traffic or other things.
The way you do these transports gave me a very secure feeling.
I have suggested your company to a lot of people already and will continue to do so.
Anke Zeldenrust
I have just heard from my rehomer that she has Chloe and Spike safe and sound at her home. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking both of you for a fantastic and well organised set up.
Both I and Lesley in the UK were very very impressed with how you works things, from my very first email to you, to the dogs being dropped off in the UK.
You should both be very proud of yourselves.
Tina Allum
Chris transported my galgo Eli from Spain to the UK in March 2013. Despite our heavy snowfall that weekend, he managed to get her safely to my home. All the arrangements were professionally organised and Chris kept me up to date with all the travel arrangements. It was obvious Eli had been well cared for en-route, she arrived totally stress free well wrapped and cosy in her coat, she was happy and soon settled.
Chris had been personally recommended to me by two friends who had also adopted galgos into the UK, I would certainly have no hesitation in recommending Chris and look forward to booking again in the future when I am ready to adopt another galgo!
Susan Dawson, West Yorkshire, UK
Just to say a great thank you for bringing my two dear girls from Spain to me here in France recently. They were in fine form when they arrived and did not appear at all stressed. Your tracking system is brilliant and made it so easy to meet up in a strange place. I am happy to recommend your service to anyone wishing to transport their pets and will certainly use you in the future when I return to UK.
Cheers
Dawn Courtney-Coles
I was thoroughly pleased with Archie’s transport by yourself and also Delyse from Buddies Rescue Buddies.
I was kept informed from the time of his collection, the web page for tracking is fantastic and he was absolutely fine when he arrived and came out of his shell within 3/4 of an hour.
I would have no hesitation in recommending you in the future.
Regards
Jacqueline McMillan
ALStrays went above and beyond the call of duty and helped myself and a rescue out of a sticky situation by transporting a foster from England to Scotland when the original transport fell through! Chris brought my own new Spanish dog over to the UK and I could tell he had been well cared for as he kept trying to get back in the van! Great, efficient service and would really recommend.
Laura Stone
A big thank you to Chris & his team for bringing Apolo home to us from Spain.
Apolo arrived well rested & happy. Your tracking system and great communication at every stage of the journey kept us well informed.
I have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone wishing to have their pet transported in comfort.
Will be using your service again in June.
Many thanks for taking great care of Apolo.
Ann Keightley.
Cant thank you enough for your transportation of Simba, she is happy and settling into her new home.
The GPS tracking idea is great, I have been glued to it all morning!
Sarah Jordan
ALStrays delivered my new boy Casper from Spain to Hampshire in England last week.
Chris organised everything brilliantly and helped me to fill in all the relevant paperwork correctly, which was no mean feat!
Casper arrived looking well and happy too. All the remaining dogs in the van were happy and comfortable too.
I would happily recommend ALStrays for anyone wishing to transport a beloved pet and will use them again in the future.
They also took back to Spain some items I had purchased for the rescue group which have already been delivered!
Many thanks for your care and attention
Viveca Marmur
One more time a huge THANK YOU for transporting Pixie to Spain and for changing your route to drop her off in Vic!
She is doing well, snuggling and purring:-)
The service was excellent and I will recommend you to anybody I know/hear that needs to transport their pet.
All the best!
Monika
Thank you for getting my baby to me safely from Spain, would highly recommend your service, following the GPS tracker was fab and
it was great to keep an eye on where you were.Timing was spot on with updates on twitter telling us who had been dropped off and where you were next heading.
ALStrays =highly recommended.
Thank you
Shirleigh and Ocean (a.k.a Blue Girl)
Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia recently organised a transport of 15 dogs from Bosnia to Germany and the UK.
We were unable to find an affordable animal transporter able to cover Bosnia, however Chris was very willing to take on the task.
When there were difficulties with some of the microchips and the paperwork at the Bosnia end, Chris was very resourceful and took control of the situation. We are grateful that he also accepted to use his own credit card for some expenses which we hadn’t envisaged! The trip with his 2 additional drivers back to the UK went very smoothly, covering the almost 2000km in just over 24 hours! As this was our first time bringing so many Bosnian rescue dogs into the UK on a single journey — possibly the first time this has ever been done – we did have concerns that there may be difficulties with paperwork at the UK border. However Chris’s experience with his frequent EU trips came to the fore and there were no problems. The dogs arrived safe and well at their new homes throughout the UK, with Chris transporting them as far as Dundee. Others have new homes in Germany, Netherlands and in Norway.
In what was a mammoth exercise, we are very grateful to Chris and his team for their care and attention throughout the trip.
Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia
Raising awareness and funds to stop animal suffering in Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Hi Chris and Sandra, just to say thank you so much for transporting my pup to the UK at short notice.
Despite being a tiny chap he arrived fit, well and not at all stressed.
You were so helpful in sorting out paperwork and arrangements and were more than accommodating in drop off time and location. Communication was excellent at all times. I would not hesitate to use you again or recommend you
Please feel free to publish this review
Kind Regards
Heidi
A huge thank you to Chris and his co driver Lee.
I adopted Harley from 112carlotta, in July’13 Chris transported him from South Spain to Worcestershire in two days with non stop driving to ensure the animals are never left alone.
I am 100% happy with the service and know Harley was safe and cared for, when he was dropped off all the dogs in the van had wagging tails…..happy dogs!!
Would definately use Alstrays again and recommend the service, excellent communication and very well organised.
Laura and Harlequin
Chris brought my little Reilly to us in July 2013 and I can only say it was the best decision to go with him. Everything was so organised, right from the beginning and planning until the drop off. Chris made it very easy and self explanatory as to what is required for Reilly to enter the UK. Nothing was left unexplained.
The organisation of the transport is First Class, owner can even follow the dogs on their phones or laptops to see where they are on their journey, I used it all the time 🙂
Chris arrived even earlier than he had originally planned, again, everything because of the brilliant planning and his experience in transporting animals.
If I ever have to get an animal from or to another country, my first call will be to Chris and ask him when he has a space free.
Again, many thanks for your help with everything Chris, I really appreciate it and Reilly to. If you should need me to speak to one of your clients to help with their decision then just give them my number 🙂
Mandy Cash
Yesterday our dream come true……
Our lovely new dog Chico came to us from Spain.
He was transported by Chris Marshall from ALStrays and this went great.
The contact upfront was easy via Facebook and mail. The personal touch was very special.
Through the GPS track, we could (and did) follow every move and Chico arrives in Holland as a happy, cheerful dog.
Thank you so much Chris for your care and your excellent service!
Met Vriendelijke Groet
We would like to thank Chris and Sandra for taking excellent care of Tibby for us, we left her with them the end of August and they sorted out all her paperwork, injections and operation and then transported Tibby to us in her new home in the Uk we are so grateful to them for all they have done. Thank you
Suzanne Mason
We have used Chris twice now to transport our adopted rescue dogs from Spain to Cumbria and the service was first class both dogs arrived in excellent condition and we had regular updates on their travel.
I would certainly recommend anyone to use ALStrays to transport their pets, Chris is a lovely man and you can tell he cares for the dogs and cats as if they were his own.
Thank you again Angela Fitzsimons, Cassie and Amber
Thank you so much for looking after all our (7) dogs during the transit period from Alicante region to Aberdeen, Scotland.
To see you and your co-driver one day (in Spain) and meet you the next night, one hour after I got settled in to my house, and decant the dogs was amazing, the dogs were so happy, no issues at all, no howling (that I heard lol..)
I could not think of a more professional, informative and caring transport company to consider again for future trips (and there will be a few).
Thank you once again, on time, dogs happy, what more do you want? Any prospective clients, please feel free to email me at vic@gbhtechnical.com
Vic Gilchrest
Thank you Chris for transporting our little boy, Ann and I are so pleased that Clare put us in contact with you we could not have had such two great “LAD’s” taking him to his “HOME IN THE SUN”.
Nice photo of him in SPAIN.
Just had J/S on Skype and seen Tigga being very spoilt, he seems to have settled in ok, J/S’s Daisy/Do and him touched nose’s when he arrived and she will get to meet him fully in a few days.
Many Many thanks for your caring way you had with him it put Ann’s and my mind at rest.
Ann & John
Cannot thank you enough for your incredibly efficient and caring transport of our little Rufus, aka Vincent.
There were some points from being lucky enough to book the last place on the November transport with you that hiccups in the adoption process occurred. Being totally inexperienced in adopting from abroad I was reassured by your calm and well organised efficiency and your going that extra mile(literally) to ensure a smooth import into the UK.
No wonder the officials at Calais were impressed with the level of expertise – better than some military operations !
Very best wishes and thank you
Chris, George, and Rufus Rowland
Thank you so much for all your help. I would once again like to say a huge thank you for the service you provide and what a remarkable thing you do in helping animals attain a better life and are given a chance.
My little cat has settled in so well and the rescue centre in Spain are thrilled to hear that their charitable work sees happy outcomes. Without you all these poor animals would never have a chance so a huge, massive thank you once again for everything. One day we will cross paths again as I will rescue a dog and i will pass on the facts to friends that bringing an animal over from Spain is much easier than ever anticipated.
Thanks again.
All the best Lucy.
We would like to say a big thank you for safely transporting Olive to her new home. She settled in straight away and the family are over the moon with her.
They found her on the street in Denia when on holiday when she was just a few weeks old and nearly missed their flight looking for safety for her as they needed to return to England. They asked if they could have her and so we arranged the whole thing through the Association.
I had good reports from both Maggie and Lucy, which is great news for future work together.
Your website link is on our website and we will be in touch when we need your services again.
Until then, keep up the good work!
Sara and all at Aldea.
Chris, many thanks for bringing Luciano all the way to Scotland and looking after him so well.
Like you he is a lovely boy and is making himself at home already.
Hope you had a good journey back to Stoke.
All the best
Elizabeth
I have nothing but praise for the fantastic service provided by Chris, both on a personal level and on behalf of my charity, Mama Cat Trust.
Chris recently transported a partially sighted kitten that I rescued in Spain and she arrived on top form and having thoroughly enjoyed the adventure-not at all flustered and full of beans!
There were a few problems with her and how Chris managed to sort them all out was a small miracle!
I have already recommended him to others and look forward to him transporting lucky cats for me again!
My beautiful babies went with Chris Marshall yesterday to Spain. What a lovely man. So calm, so gentle, and so doggy!
Mrs. Meg who is terrified of her own shadow just sat there whilst Chris scanned her prior to leaving.
And as for their tracking system – well, what can I say. AMAZING or what !!!! Every inch of the way… Just THE most professional organisation I think I have ever dealt with – and those of you who know me as Mary Dogs will KNOW that my dogs are more important to me than anything in this world.
Updates via Tweets, which I can follow, and I Know my dogs are in the safest hands.
Thanks Chris. I think you should have wings on your shoulders!!!
That’s what Jules and I thought when you entered the room. We both said what a peaceful, calm and caring feeling you had towards all the mutts. Can’t thank you enough.
Mary Thomas
We are all just happy and thrilled about your job! thanks again!
Criar un Niño Vegano
I spoke to Els and she was very content, you knew the names and which cat
was for her, you were very friendly and the cats were very quiet.So a big compliment!
Marjan Medema
Chris was originally referred to me by someone on the Arboleas Forum, and I honestly thought
“this guy can’t be THAT good”. I was right. 110% better. I chose Chris because of what
appeared to be his total professionalism, the fact that I could track my dogs journey, and
aslo that he is a man of few words…… can appear quite “offish” actually – except that he
is certainly NOT Like this – it’s a case of dogs first and people after! An attitude I LOVE –
‘cos that was the reason my husband divorced me over our recuse kennels, ‘cos I put the dogs
first!! Always. And more than anything he has a wonderfully dry sense of humour.Chris took my dogs, Bear (GSD, old and battered/rescue) and Meg (Border Collie/ex puppy farm
breeding bitch) to Urcal, Almeria on 29th January. Probably THE most devastating day of my
life, thinking all sorts of terrible things now, having been told by others of various people who
travelled back and forth, and one company who even offered to let the dogs travel on the front
seat in the cab. Can you believe ???? Enough said.Having a Degree in Dog Psychology, had rescue kennels for 25 years where I used to take the
police dogs that didn’t make the grade and rehabilitate them, I thought there was nothing left
to know about rescue, transportation, etc. but I was sorely wrong. This lovely man KNOWS dogs
loves dogs, and does ALL he can for the plight of the dogs in Spain.Cesar Milan, step down – Chris Marshall is “The Dog Whisperer” – believe me.
Having told Chris how shy and frightened of her own shadow Meg was and she wouldn’t travel
well, Chris walked in, got on the floor and scanned her, duly put them both on slip leads
and off they trotted into this beautiful clean non-doggy smelling van with all home comforts
for the dogs. Bear was on a special diet having had the poohs as a result of the worming treatment
a few days befoe and that was kept in a cool box and given to him as stated.Off they went at 2 pm Wednesday afternoon – and were in Urcal at 8pm Thursday night. With updates
on the website all the way along the journey. Amazing. Safe,well,happy dogs. Pleased to see my husband.
And they have settled in really well.The tracking system is amazing – and so interesting that I stayed up all night watching it !
Absolutely amazing company, lovely man, total and absolute efficiency and professionalism. AND the work
that he does in rescue is phenomenal. I would recommend Chris to everyone.Chris, thank you. What else can I say. Fantastic Job.
Mary Watson, Little Dawley, Telford and Urcal, Almeria.
I lived in Spain for over 7 years in that time I was involved with cat rescue, I have 20 cats ( 2 are feral ) most of them taken in for some reason or other and not up for rehoming. I am now in England for a year or two and wanted my cats with me.
Last weekend I travelled from Spain to England with Chris Marshall and co driver Matt we had a couple of pick up/ drop offs along the way.
First let me say the trip was not what I thought it would be, expecting noise, smell and a lots of madness along the way I had the headache tablets at the ready instead I got calm, clean and a very professional handling of the animals in their care. Although I do think you have to be a bit mad to do the job
Within 20 minutes of starting on the journey the cats and dogs all settled down, well with the exception of one that was barking a lot. I had resigned myself to a noisy trip as I couldn’t see how we would be able to determine which one it was but Chris thought it would be the puppy that was in a flight box on its own so stopped and moved it into a cage with a couple of other puppies – immediate silence! To say I was impressed is an understatement, but I had read that the dogs travel better when they have company and this certainly proved that point.
The dogs cages were checked and cleaned if needed throughout the trip. Tends to be one cleans the cage while the other walks the dogs the animals were never left alone in the van. They were all fed chicken the cats also had dry food. Most of the animals just seemed to sleep the whole time when I looked in on one of my own cats she was curled up in a ball sound asleep.
If you need to transport your pets anywhere and cant do it yourself use Chris Marshall I have witnessed it for myself although he will not offer you chicken or even a pat on the head and the jokes were rubbish, believe me your beloved pets could not be in safer hands.
Thanks Chris and Matt.
Maria Whitelock
Want to just say a massive thank you for getting Ook over to Spain safely. I was so nervous about him travelling but your updates and pictures made it all better.
You guys do a brilliant service and I would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone.
Ook has settled in great, taken over the apartment after 12hrs and wakening me up at 7am to feed him. So happy to have my we boy here.
Shona Nicol
Cannot thank you enough for providing such GREAT and professional service and your patience in bringing all my 4 baby boys and me from Setúbal, Portugal to Fraserburgh, Scotland, on 13 of October of 2013!
We all arrived in Scotland well, safe and HAPPY!
I would certainly RECOMMEND to everyone AlStrays to transport their pets, because they are absolutely fantastic.
Thank you so much Chris!
Joana Gomes
If anyone ever needs their pet transporting around Europe, I cannot recommend this company highly enough, my dog does the trip twice a year to Marbella and back and always turns up happy and in beautiful condition……..brilliant.
Steve Blundell
Many thanks for your excellent service transporting Nicky and Jake back to us 6th October, they have settled well but like us miss the sunshine of Spain
If I know of anyone wanting to use this kind of service I will certainly put your name forward as you are so very organised and caring of our pets, thank you so much Chris
Kindest regards Sheila & Roy Edwards.
I cannot thank you enough for all your care of our precious girls Linda and Phoebe.
You run a humane and extremely efficient service in every respect.
I most certainly will be recommending your company to all I meet.
Again, thanks for all you have done to get these 2 Podenco Canario girls safely home to Ireland.
Special Biggy Irish Hugs
Adrienne O’Keeffe
Dear Chris
Thank you so very much for delivering our little girl to us.
Great journey down to Looe with her. She cuddled on my lap all the way down sound asleep.
On arrival at home she was super excited and very happy to see Poppy and Billy my two greyhounds.
She has had a good breakfast and now has all the toys out of the box.
She really is super confident and already settled. What a little star.
THANKYOU so much for your help so that we could have her. She will be very loved here..
Very best wishes
Rachel, Trevor, Poppy, Billy and Buttercup
Chris
A huge thank you for delivery Ziggy safe and happy.I know you didn’t sleep so he arrived sooner:)
Again thanks you’re a good professional. Wish you a safe travel back home.
All the best
Célia Santos
Hi Chris,
I just wanted to express my sincere thanks to you for your care and kindness in transporting Chloe from Spain.
You provided an excellent service, the tracking and online updates were so efficient and I particularly appreciated the way you ensured her safety all the way to the house and stayed with us while we introduced her to our other dogs.
She has a waggy tail for me now – it only took a couple of days!
Thanks again
Cathy Kinnear
We first met Chris and ALStrays about 2 years ago, when friends in Spain found a blind kitten and asked us to adopt him.
They arranged the transport from Spain to England, with someone they trusted, Chris and Sandra of ALStrays.
Chris was so helpful; we loved the fact we could follow his route via the ALStrays site, the updates he gave throughout the transport and the fact he was at our house on time with our precious blind kitten.
We were so impressed with the professionalism, the knowledge and help he gave regarding the necessary paperwork and extra care he took of our kitten Gizmo; that when another cat was brought to our attention with very poor eyesight, we had no hesitation in using ALStrays again.
ALStrays are more than just a transportation firm, they care deeply about all animals and would strongly recommend ALStrays to care for your pet.
Elicia & Kevin Rogers
You did brilliantly!
Curly arrived 4.5 hours ahead of schedule, bright eyed and bushy tailed.
He didn’t seem at all stressed. Being able to track the progress of you all on my computer was also very reasurring, I was glued to it all day!
Thank you again for a great job.
Sue Clatworthy
In May 2016 I returned to Edinburgh from Spain where I lived for 8 years. Whilst living in Spain I rescued sick, injured and abandoned cats all of whom were living on the street.
I had to return to Edinburgh for family reasons, but as there was no-one in Spain willing to re-home or adopt my cats I had a real dilemma as I could not bear to leave them there as they had all been through such a traumatic time already and most likely they would not survive.
If I only had one or two cats this would not have been a problem, however, the fact is I had rescued 41, (yes – 41!!) all of whom were living with me and depended on me for food and water and for survival.
I almost made myself sick with worry wondering how on earth I was going to overcome this situation. I worked in Spain but barely earned enough to cover my own bills plus the cost of cat food and vet care, and I received no help from any charities. Over the years I had spent every single penny of my savings on my cats and their care and I genuinely did not have anything left to pay for their transport overseas to Edinburgh.
I had received several quotes from Pet Transport Companies all asking for an astronomical amount for transporting them which was just out of the question, I would have had to have won the lottery to pay for all of that. I also tried several Spanish and overseas charities and animal organisations and to date have yet to receive a reply from any of them.
I was at a loss as to what to do and my position was becoming desperate, I had to get home within the next few months and my family, also on limited income, were unable to help financially with the large costs quoted above.
Then one day whilst researching the internet, and looking for yet another way of overcoming the major problem of getting all of my cats to Edinburgh, stumbled across ALStrays. I left a message on their website along the lines of: Hi, my name is Laura and I have 41 cats I need to transport from Spain to Edinburgh can you help?
Within half an hour a response came back……..of course we can!!! I was gobsmacked but this had given me the best hope ever.
I can honestly say that from day one, the help and advice I received from Chris Marshall was absolutely brilliant. He took control of the situation and was able to tell me exactly what I had to do and when, and exactly how it was going to work and where and when. He organised everything from the veterinary care my cats had to receive prior to travelling (rabies vaccinations, passports etc), including their transport to and from the vet in Spain (which was great because there was so much red tape and paperwork and even after 8 years in Spain I am ashamed to say my knowledge of Spanish language is rubbish). He organised the route they would take from Spain to Edinburgh including customs clearances, and he gave me the details of whom I would need to contact in order to import my cats into the UK as anything above 5 animals must be reported to the Animal Plant Welfare prior to their arrival and an inspection arranged once they are in the UK.
Best of all was that Chris was going to give up his time to personally drive my cats all the way from Spain to Edinburgh himself so I knew that they would be totally safe and cared for in his large custom made and DEFRA compliant air-conditioned van.
A special mention must also go to Chris’s wife, Sandra Marshall, who also gave up her time to help and ensure that my cats were all rabies vaccinated and ready for transport. Sandra did a lot of work behind the scenes in preparing the 41 passports and she also helped out on the day I had to take all of my cats to the vet to get their vaccinations so I am indebted to her, and also to the veterinary surgeon in Almeria who gave up his Saturday afternoon in order to inoculate them all (sorry for the bedlam Pepe caused to your consultation room when he escaped – but we got there in the end!).
All was finally on track for the move to Edinburgh.
Chris had removed every bit of stress that I had been feeling about the situation and at last I could see light at the end of the tunnel and believed
that this move was actually achievable. I flew home to Edinburgh to prepare for my cats arrival and throughout their journey Chris gave me regular updates so I was even more re-assured that they would all arrive safely and within the expected timescale.
The cost of all of this was extremely reasonable and affordable and I was able to organise a loan through a family relative to cover everything and it won’t take long to repay and for me to be back on my feet financially.
So now I am in Edinburgh living happily with my 41 cats, whom I must say have adapted remarkably well. Even although the weather is pretty rubbish here I actually think they prefer it as it’s not too hot for them.
The Animal Plant Welfare have been to inspect my cats and passports as have the SSPCA – all passed with flying colours and no problems with the paperwork.
The dedication and professionalism given by Chris and Sandra throughout the whole of the above journey has been 100% and I couldn’t have transported my cats here to Edinburgh without them.
Words just cannot express the gratitude I feel for what they have done for me and my cats. They have enabled me to bring them here so that I can continue to care for them.
I thank you Chris and Sandra from the very bottom of my heart.
Laura Inglis
I just wanted to drop you an email to thank you for bringing Eli & Jack home to the UK.
Your attention to detail was second to none and every effort was made to make sure that the cats were comfortable and not on the road longer than necessary. They were relaxed when they arrived and very clean. The communication was brilliant and I watched their entire journey on the tracking. I had peace of mind knowing that all the paperwork had been triple checked. The pre-trip video was reassuring to see there was air-conditioning, lots of water on board and spare pads in case the cats had an accident and I was happy to see the dogs had regular walks. I wouldn’t hesitate to use ALStrays transport for our other rescues and have already recommended you to others.
Keep up the good work and a big thank you on behalf of Jack & El
Lesley Finnih
You were 150‰ amazing, from the very first beginning till the end. Very professional, organised, patient (replying all my doubts and questions), reassuring us and the pets.
My nine years old dog and my fourteen years old cat arrived perfectly after a three days journey, even the dog that had a rough experience (reaction to Worming Tablet) was well, calm and healthy. Thank you so very much to Chris and all the crew for the excellent work. Definitely will recommend to everyone.
Leonar Silva
I would just like to drop you a short note to let you know how truly grateful I am for the pets you have brought from Spain to the UK.
You and all of the team have made something which is a really nerve-wracking process as stress less as possible.
They have all arrived safe, well and happy. You are meticulous on the details to make sure the animals have a smooth journey which is as short and stress-free as possible.
Before using ALStrays we had used other companies and ALStrays are by far the cleanest with the shortest travel time and are the most responsible for the animals. You are all amazing and we are truly grateful for everything.
Lesley Finnih
I just want to say a huge thank you for your hard work in getting Bear home to the UK.
You made the process as seamless as it could be, and I’m absolutely in awe of how you manage the logistics of transporting all these animals home safely and without issue.
Love the use of technology too, I was glued to following the trip all the way home from Portugal- just brilliant!!
Thank you once again for all your hard work and effort, both Bear and I are indebted to you!!
Now for some Bear filled adventures!!!
Hayley Fletcher
I found ALStrays on the internet whilst searching for reasonably priced transport to bring my dog to the UK from Spain.I found a few possibilities but based on my budget this company offered the best price, I also read their reviews and was pleased the comments.I have never done this before and so found the whole situation a bit daunting. However, once I decided to use ALStrays Chris has helped me immensely, with his guidance, all the paperwork, not realising so much was involved.But my greatest satisfaction was the care he took with her, he was so gentle I could not ask for a better transporter, he brought her to my door and placed her in my arms, told us how to hold her, and what to do when she was taken indoors that really touched me, I must say it was an emotional experience.From the moment I spoke to Chris I was re-assured and I knew then that his transport service was the one that I would use.To anyone out there considering bringing a dog/cat to the UK from Europe do consider using this service, he goes to most of the European countries and I can only say for me the service was first class, and I would use it again.Just to let every know that you are given a link so that you can track the whole journey from start to finish – excellent!To Chris and all his team thank you so much for bringing my dog to her new forever home.Joann