My husband and I were stationed at NAS Sigonella in Sicily for 3 years, both being members of the United States Navy. During those three years my husband and I adopted a wonderful Cane Corso named Samson, who was already two years old and a very large 102 lbs. We formed a wonderful forever friendship and he was truly a gift into our lives. My husband ended up PCSing a year before me.
Before I knew it, the year of separation from my husband was coming to an end, and I had to figure out how to get my very large boy to the United States. We tried getting him out on a rotator out of the Naval Base, but it ended up being completely booked. My time was running out, so I contacted Bliss. From the very beginning they were cooperative and got me a flight set up from Catania, Sicily to Rome, Italy and from Rome, Italy to Washington Duelles Airport, where my husband would be there to receive him.
They even built him a custom kennel that he would need for his size/breed in order to travel out of Rome. Unfortunately the first scheduled travel day for him ended up being canceled due to unforeseen circumstances in Rome. I started to panic about whether or not I would ever get him home. I called Bliss and they simply moved the flight days for me, just like that. I was so happy. When the day came for the second travel attempt, I drove Samson to the Catania airport and was ready to send him off. I ran into another problem though where Catania would not take him because of his temperament and the size of his kennel. I explained to them that Rome had a larger kennel waiting for him, but they still wouldn’t budge. A crying wreck, I called my representative at Bliss, and she talked me through another scenario. She booked him for a new flight out of Rome, and we decided I would drive Samson to Rome, utilizing the Ferry to get him to mainland Italy. I was still nervous and worried, but Bliss really helped me through it and assured me that we would get Samson Home.
I bought my Ferry ticket and that evening I started my adventure with Samson. I was told to be at the Rome airport the next morning to meet with Bliss agent, who would have his kennel ready for me. The next morning, I arrived with Samson, and sure enough the agent was there with his custom made kennel. We loaded him up, signed the paperwork, and he was off. I eagerly awaited confirmation that Samson was on the flight, and sure enough, 30 min later Samson was loaded on the plane and good to go. I was so happy I cried. I notified my husband that Samson was on his way to him, and I happily awaited confirmation of his arrival in the United States. The rest is history. Samson is now happily living in Maryland with me and my husband, enjoying his massive new yard! We can’t thank Bliss enough. Every time hope seemed lost, Bliss was just a phone call away ready with a new plan. Without them, we wouldn’t have gotten our boy home with us. They are truly a company I will continue to trust and promote to everyone.
