Karma’s Story: From Bolivia to Canada & Beyond

This post is dedicated to my dog, travel partner and best friend: Karma. I’ll also share how to rescue a dog abroad and tips on international dog adoption.

I will probably write love stories in future posts. But let’s make this official.

Karma is the greatest love story of my life.

She brought me back. She showed me the path. She was lost when I found her, and I was too.

That’s love. Not perfection. Not comfort. Definitely not simple. But it’s real. And unconditional.
Two beings finding each other at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and deciding to start anyway.

A blank page. Simple. Fragile.

A book that keeps writing itself. Where every sentence is a new morning that begins with a reason to get up.

This is Karma’s story. And also a practical, honest guide on how I rescued a dog from Bolivia and brought her back to Canada in 2020.

Today, in 2026, Karma will turn six years old. She was two months old when we met. And we’ve travelled through 44 countries together.

International Dog Adoption: A How-to Guide for Beginners

We will focus on Bolivia and dog adoption. But it is very similar to other Central or South American countries to import to Canada, the States or Europe, with some variation. And for cats as well. I’ll try to share as much as I know while narrating the most beautiful love story of my life. I’ll give you everything you need to know about the process…
And I’ll try not to cry while doing it.

The Beginning

It was a random day in April 2020. At that time, I had been locked up for over three weeks in a hostel called El Curichal in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia.

One of those days that doesn’t look important until it becomes everything.

A Rescue Dog Story

Karma was brought to the hostel where I was staying by another guest. An American, let’s call him B in this post. He went into the jungle for a retreat of some kind and came back with a sick puppy. She had mange all over her body: a skin condition caused by parasitic mites. Bolivian people rubbed her with car oil to kill the parasites, but it burned her skin. B named her already: Karma. She was skinny. Tired. Hungry. Thirsty. Hurt. Quiet in the way animals get when they’ve learned not to ask for much. She didn’t jump. She didn’t beg. She just… existed.

I didn’t plan on staying there that long.
I didn’t plan on adopting a dog.

Yet, it all happened. And I’ll be forever grateful to you, who brought my little Karma into my life.

Thank you, B.

I ended up helping her get better. It was as if I were meant to do this. It sounds crazy; I know.

But I realized that every meeting that truly matters feels accidental at first.
If you ever find yours, don’t overthink it.
Make it happen.

If you understand French and like this story so far, you might enjoy my book Le Curichal. Check out my Books page; it’s available in paperback and eBook. French original only for now.
It’s a narrative novella inspired by the true events of this period.
If you’d like an English translation one day, tell me in the comments section below.

The Healing

Before officially deciding to adopt her, even before deciding that I would somehow leave Bolivia one day, when borders reopen. There was healing. If there’s one international requirement for dog travel, it’s having a healthy animal (and healthy-looking too). With the mange all over her body, that would not have been possible. We needed to treat this first and bring her back to a healthy life.

Vet visits.
Unknown costs.
Uncertainty.

Bolivia is not Canada. Access to veterinary care exists, and it’s pretty damn cheap. There are no appointments. There are no secretarial services. A vet, certified or not, wearing a doctor’s coat. First she got some vitamin supplement injections and daily baths and cream prescribed. I had to make sure she ate and drank enough. And…

She grew stronger slowly.
Physically and emotionally.

And somewhere in between injections, food bowls, and silent nights, we bonded. I set up a cushion for her in my room near my bed. She would not leave all night, even with the door open. She stayed with me. And that had not happened to me in a long, long time. Having ”someone” that stays. That doesn’t judge. That’s there, consistently.

So there came a point where the idea of leaving without her felt impossible. Not dramatic. Just… unthinkable. So I’ve started my research ”how to bring a dog to Canada” or ”import requirements for dogs”. Basic rules I’ve noticed that are as good for Canada, the US or the EU are:

• Rabies vaccination certificate (after three months old)
• ISO-compliant microchip
• Health certificate
• And of course, looks physically healthy and fit for travel

For the EU and the US (since 2024), it’s trickier as they require a Rabies Titer Test for dog imports from high-risk rabies countries. It might take you a bit more time and cost a bit more money, but it’s all doable. The US also requires a CDC import form, which is actually very easy to fill online. No problems. Always refer to trustworthy governmental websites beforehand.

I’ve listed the requirements for those places. For European countries, you will need to check the specific requirements for the country you intend to arrive in.

• Canada’s requirements
• The US’s requirements
• The EU’s requirements

We Are Doing This Phase

When Karma started to look like a dog again and not just a survivor, reality hit.

If I were serious about her, I had to be serious about everything.

Paperwork. Rules. Borders. Challenges that would come if I wanted to continue travelling around the world. Planes and airlines’ policies…

Love is magic.
Logistics is brutal.

It’s still part of the plan. If you intend to rescue one dog and bring it home, it’s easier. Go through the paperwork once and then only worry about an annual vet’s appointment in your home country. If you plan on travelling to other places with your dog, then these steps will come back. Research phases will come back. That’s also why I’m happy to write about it. To help people in the same situation.

And remind you: it’s all worth it.

The Preparation

The Part Nobody Romanticizes

Let’s be clear: Bolivia, like probably all Central and South American countries, is way less strict on paperwork.

Adapting documents to your needs is possible. The age of the dog can be changed if necessary. They don’t care what you do with those papers afterwards.
I couldn’t really know the true age of Karma, how could I? So we just invented one. They are super happy that you take care of street dogs and bring them out. They have so many there and too little care and resources for them.

What I had to do first:

• Get out of Rurrenabaque
• Get to La Paz for international flights (took six weeks to find one…)
• Buy a cage for the plane to bring her there. Find none. Poor Karma was in a tiny dog bag carrier too for the 45-minute flight. She seems alright afterwards, though. Sometimes you have no other choice! That one hour trip was a price to pay for a beautiful life ahead!
• Make all the paperwork ready in La Paz for the Grand Voyage.

What I had to do then:

• Get official vet records (certificates) and vaccinations
• Make sure she gets the ISO microchip implanted
• Make sure rabies timing aligns with Canadian requirements
• She had these other annual vaccines. Vanguard or equivalent ( (against distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, etc.).
• Find an IATA-approved crate
  (In La Paz. With only two days a week available for searching, as the city was still in lockdown and highly restricted. In markets where nobody knows what IATA means.)

It was exhausting.
It was stressful.
And I found one. Not sure if it was really IATA approved, but it had all the listed requirements.

The cost of this? I mean, in Bolivia, the vaccines were about $5 to $8. No real consultation fee. The health certificate was about $12. Overall, I’d say I definitely spent less than $100 on veterinary fees. I think the cage was $110, so more expensive than all the professional services.

The Transport

Planes, Crates, Airlines, Reality

Not all airlines accept dogs.
Not all routes allow animals.
Not all staff know their own rules.

I researched obsessively:

• Which airlines allow dogs in cargo for future travel
• There was only one airline available at that time, all flying to Miami only
• Weight limits
• Seasonal restrictions
• Temperature regulations
• Costs (and surprise fees)

The crate mattered for long-haul flights.
The paperwork mattered more.
Timing mattered most.

This happened in the middle of the summer of 2020. The temperature in Miami was over the allowed limit by one degree for dog air transport… The veterinarian made a paper saying she could endure excessive heat. We made it. She avoided trauma once more. She is a tough one!

The Omission

Or: How Luck Sometimes Saves You (Again)

At Canadian customs, I made a mistake. Remember this.

So I’m used to saying “no” to everything in the declaration upon arrival. I mean, I never carry 10,000 CAD cash or excessive things. So I accidentally declared no to everything once again. And no to: not bringing any animals or living species.

I got stopped. Of course. False declaration.

Heart pounding.
Hands sweating.
Karma waiting in the cage…

I was honest.
I was calm.
And somehow… lucky.

The agent told me it could be terrible to forge a declaration. I told him I had just adopted her. First time travelling with a dog. I didn’t know…

He let me go with a warning.

Don’t rely on luck. It could have cost me a lot of money.
But know that kindness still exists in unexpected places.

The Arrival

Canada smelled of pine trees.
Cold air.
Space.

Karma’s first encounter with squirrels was unforgettable. 🐿️
Confusion. Excitement. Mild outrage.

She loved it instantly.

The Departure

When One Adventure Opens Another

Two weeks after settling down in a temporary apartment in Montréal, I met my downstairs neighbours.

That meeting turned into a Canadian road trip. You can see a part of this story in my recent post about my first Van Life experience in Wild Rose. We spent the summer crossing from Montréal to Tofino. Enjoying some of the most scenic places in Canada. From glacier lakes, to the Pacific Ocean and salmon rivers, we camped everywhere. That’s where I discovered Van Life. That’s where a big chapter of my life was about to be written, and I didn’t even know it yet!

Then COVID threatened another wave, and once again, we packed our lives into motion. I didn’t want a life where I had to leave Karma in a too-expensive apartment all day because I would have to go to work to pay for it. So I’ve looked into other opportunities.

A new project.
A new border.
I found a volunteering opportunity on Workaway in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, one of the few countries that was reopening its borders. So it was it. I found a very nice host and I’ve signed up for a 2 months volunteering job… Until I figure out what’s gonna be next.

A full guide on how to bring your dog to Costa Rica and travel cheaply there is coming. That’s where I realized travelling with a dog is basically a checklist. Not so hard. 100% worth it.

The Never-Ending Story

Karma and I are much more than just friends.

We’re a team.

Every day brings a new challenge, a new road, and new uncertainty we face together. My life has never felt this full, this grounded, this alive.

Every dog owner understands this.
Every lonely traveller, too.

If you’re hesitating about adopting that animal you met on the road, don’t.

Every document.
Every headache.
Every argument at borders or bus stations.

It is all worth it.

Because every significant story has a dog in it.
Without one, it can be good.
Never great.

One of the best things about rescue dogs is that they are the most loyal, intelligent, and grateful companions. It’s unbelievable. It also made me feel safer in some countries where people are scared of them. Your own private bodyguard and best friend at the same time.

If I have to go shopping or anyway karma would just wait outside like this:

Questions?

If you have questions about importing a dog from or to any country I’ve travelled through, just ask. See my full-destination list, and whether Karma was there or not on my Destinations page.

I’ve been there.
I’ve made mistakes.
I survived them.

To Karma🤍