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Dr. Gerry Pahl is a professional veterinarian with over 25 years of experience and is also the Managing Director of one of Hong Kong's leading veterinary clinic chains. Raised on a farm in rural Victoria, Australia and surrounded by animals and family pets from a young age, his love of animals naturally influenced his career choice. Dr. Pahl graduated from the University of Sydney in 1986 and has since worked as a veterinary surgeon in Australia and the United Kingdom, and has lived and worked in Hong Kong since 1997. After more than a decade of providing Hong Kong pet relocation companies with professional veterinary services as an integral part of pet relocation, the time came for Dr. Pahl’s own family pet to temporarily relocate to Australia. Naturally, he handled the relocation of his pet Dalmatian “Speckles” personally and with minimal impact on his family’s beloved pet. Very soon friends and acquaintances of friends began to use his services for pet relocation to and from Hong Kong. Buoyed by the wonderful feedback, Dr. Pahl began PetExportVet in 2010 and has been offering pet relocation services ever since. He actively participates in vet panels at International IPATA conferences as well as contributes as a member of the Snub-nosed dog Taskforce. Gerry has served on IPATA’S Board of Directors and is actively involved in ongoing professional development and education. Dr. Gerry has a unique perspective on the pet industry, particularly in the Asian region, and feels his experience and knowledge make a great contribution to IPATA’s future goals. |
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What started out as a school holiday job in 1995, helping out at her mom's pet transportation business in Durban, turned into the discovery of a lifelong passion and dedication toward growth and development within the pet relocation industry. It was here Hazel began learning how to deal with clients, working out quotes and truly discovering the foundations of the building blocks of pet relocation and all it encompasses. Armed with a wealth of knowledge passed down through generations, as well as her strong corporate background established while living in London for nine years, the creation of PETport and its vision to ensure pets and owners are reunited through the course of their relocation, was born. Hazel has a deeply ingrained commitment to growth and development. She strongly believes in the goals and vision that started her on this journey and continues to share with and educate her staff members on excellence in delivery and certified experience within the industry, thereby guaranteeing the best experience to both humans and pets alike. As her slogan says... “It’s Not Just Business, It’s Personal!” She has always been involved in pet rescue and has been a "failed foster mom" to many a needy animal, always welcoming a new soul into her home. This passion and care are also shown in her company PETport. Their constant work with assisting various rescue centers to place pets in their new forever homes throughout South Africa is one of the ways Hazel gives back to the community whilst setting PETport apart. PETport has branches in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and many strongholds within the African Continent; PETport continues to be a provider of excellence in pet relocation through-out Africa and the globe. |
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Born in Germany and raised as an Army Brat, Karoline has traveled all over the world and to most of the 50 United States. As a child she wanted to be a veterinarian and would bring home every manner of rescued or stray animal. She was raised treating dogs and cats as part of the family and they always traveled to her next destination with her. As she grew, she realized she couldn’t stand seeing an injured or suffering animal, so the idea of vet school diminished. After High School in Northern Japan, she vowed to live in a warm climate and attended college in Arizona for her Bachelor’s degree, then moved to Florida after graduation. She spent the next 15 years building a career in the real estate industry, advancing her education and continuing to travel for work. She never lost her passion for animals and has always owned rescued cats and dogs. In 2001, she discovered doggie daycare for her pooch Peanut and fell in love with the industry. After that, she had her goal. She saved money and made a plan. In 2008, she married a wonderful man who supported and encouraged her dreams and they moved to Texas to be close to family and raise children. She met Past IPATA President Dr. Dale Hodgson in 2009 while looking to either buy or start a pet boarding facility that would fulfill her dream of working with animals. They soon became fast friends and she purchased the boarding and pet transportation business from him. He had opened the boarding facility in 1980 and started shipping pets in 2003, so he became her mentor and taught her so much about running a boarding facility and transporting pets. She joined IPATA in May of 2009 when she purchased Airpets America and found herself traveling to Dublin in September. So many people welcomed her with open arms and helped her understand the true value of IPATA. She was in awe of the organization and the amazing people involved then, and each year she is astounded by the growth and progress that she sees. She has a passion for knowledge and a good head for business and feels the experience and education acquired over her past years in the industry will help further the goals of IPATA . |
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As a playground, step by step she learned how to take care of her guests and make them feel at home. One day she discovered that this was her passion. It was time to get prepared, so after years of hard study, she became a young and committed Customs Broker. In 2004, along with her mother and her brother Hiram, Cargo Rechy was founded - a company focused on animal transportation. Later, she had the honor of serving as a vice president of the Customs Brokers Federation of Mexico and then chairing at its altruist foundation, CAAAREM which represents over eight hundred colleagues to Mexican and International authorities. During that challenging period training, law amendments, and revisions of domestic codes were made. As a result of this collective effort, customs brokers' work-frames were optimized. In 2008 she attended her first IPATA conference, held in New York. There she had the honor of meeting some of its founding members and experts on animal transportation and was comforted to find she was in a place where the company not only had the same challenges but also the same passion for pet shipping. She has been able to work together in global solutions, by sharing expertise that allows us to achieve both personal and professional growth while making dear friends in this extraordinary profession. In the future she sees herself working and I’m preparing the next generation of shippers, with the same enthusiasm as the little girl who was surrounded by her beloved pets. |
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Dr. Landers knew from the young age of three that he had a passion for animals. His dream of working with animals was set in motion when he declared he was going to be a zoologist. This dream was a short-lived, only lasting one year, as he decided at the ripe old age of four to become a veterinarian. The rest is history, as David’s childhood was filled with many dogs, cats, reptiles, fish, sheep, goats, and pigs. As a teenager, he worked for veterinary clinics in his small town with the plan to move back one day and set up his own shingle. This didn’t happen, however, and he found himself moving to Fort Worth, Texas where he worked in a seven-doctor practice, seeing all manner of animals from dogs and cats to monkeys, miniature pigs, and camels! From the time he graduated from vet school he had an aptitude for doing international health certificates. Little did he know that there was an entire industry of moving pets around the world. Once he discovered the international pet shipping business, he was hooked. Dr. Landers purchased his first clinic in July 2006 and then merged that clinic with his current one to create AirVets Pet Relocation in 2009. Dr. David Landers is a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. His practice has a special interest in international import/export medicine, humanitarian medicine, feline medicine, and exotic animal medicine which includes a large number of species such as birds, small mammals, reptiles, primates, large cats, and occasionally hoofstock such as zebra and camels. Dr. Landers currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his stunning, talented wife, Jenn (guess who edited this bio) and son Ethan. He serves in the state military, the Texas State Guard, and spends his spare time as the consulting veterinarian for Sea Life Aquariums in Grapevine, Texas as well as Air Canada. In addition to his veterinary practice, Dr. Landers owns AirVets Pet Relocation, a Dallas, Texas-based company near DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport that specializes in international relocation of pets and other animals. |
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IPATA Regional Directors |
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Montana has dedicated 13 years to Jetpets and 12 years to IPATA, with a total of 6 international guest speaker appearances, all driven by her passion for animal welfare. She became a member of the IPATA family in 2012, attending her first conference in Las Vegas, USA. Currently, she has served as the Assistant Regional Director under Regional Director Joy Belle Llenado in 2021. Her vision for her role is clear: to improve animal welfare standards across the industry, enhance compliance, and leverage her knowledge and experience to educate industry members on animal safety and customer service. Her journey in the pet transport industry began over 13 years ago at Jetpets as a Pet Travel Consultant, where she learned the foundational aspects of pet transport. As Jetpets grew, so did her responsibilities. She advanced within the organization to roles such as international team leader, national operations manager, and eventually, Australian chief operations officer. Throughout her professional career, she has cultivated strong relationships with a global network of pet shippers, airlines, fellow IPATA members, and various governing bodies, including the Australian Department of Agriculture. As a passionate advocate for animal safety and welfare, she has successfully facilitated multiple CEIV—Live Animals Certifications for Jetpets. Notably, Jetpets was the first pet transport company in Oceania to achieve CEIV certification, a testament to the dedication to everyday practice, ongoing training, hard work, change, and compliance. Through collaboration, networking, education, and a commitment to improving animal welfare standards, she firmly believes significant differences can be made in the lives of all pets under our care.and in the lives of all pets traveling in our care. |
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Residing in Bahrain, Inge’s’ time is split between her passion for pet transport, the sea, and life with her fur family, including two dogs, one cat and a few thousand bees. Inge’s story began in 2012, relocating back from Thailand to Bahrain with her family and then, only dog Belle. What you would hope to be as easy as relocating from Bahrain to Thailand, unfortunately proved to be the exact opposite. Strict rules preventing animal imports into Bahrain from Thailand were only the first hurdle. Seeking help from logistic and relocation professionals, even reaching out to legal advisors, ministers, sheiks, radio, and newspapers in desperation to seek a solution, did nothing to help ease a solid embargo. Eventually, Inge found a safe and legal way for her dog to come home via Dubai instead. Leaving Belle behind simply was not an option. With a foundation for love of animals, over seven years logistics experience, a strong IT background and being an expat herself, it only made sense to create JetPet Global WLL. Inge’s focus is to have others not experience the same as she. Her principles align with Jain's teachings, which emphasize nonviolence and minimizing harm to living beings as much as possible. Today, Jetpet Global is recognized as a reputable pet relocation service provider, serving three major airports in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE and is the first company that comes to mind for driving brachycephalic pets across the desert region. Jetpet Global also oversees the Bahrain Airport AVI facility and trains airport ground handling staff with regards to AVI needs and LAR compliance. A pillar of Inge’s’ work is to provide a personal and caring touch to every animal and their owner in the service they provide. Contributing to this is Inge’s’ interest to visit transit zones, quarantines and destination agents when possible to gain experience and feel how they operate, highlighting the attention to detail and compassion for what she and her team do. She is known for her passion for traveling the world, facilitating pet relocations, prompting her friends to curiously ask her whereabouts instead of making concrete plans. But during her leisure time, you can find Inge unwinding on or near a boat, engaging in a game of basketball, or sweating it out on a paddle court. |
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Angela has always had animals in her life, working in veterinary clinics and emergency hospitals in her free time, but never thought her love of furry creatures could become her dream career. Adopting the strays was just the norm for her and a great learning experience for her children. They learned at an early age, pets are not to be disposed of because of inconvenience. She has had many pets over the years which proved challenging with the Several years prior to the move to Costa Rica and just before her first son was born in 1998, her first pet move was an Akita and Great Dane to Haiti to serve as security for an orphanage which she still supports to this day. In 2002 she formed Guardian Angels de Costa Rica which helped families and their pets adjust to life in Costa Rica. Then in 2005, she joined IPATA when she learned what a great organization it was and has attended all but two international conferences since 2008. Her own Mini-Cooper has traveled to many of these conferences giving kisses and making friends everywhere he went. When she returned to the USA, she changed the company name to World Pet Travel and began to focus solely on pet transportation rather than World Pet Travel now operates in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Belize as well as many ports within the United States. She is grateful every day to be a mother to three successful young adults, 4 dogs, 2 cats, and one Senegal (28yrs old), and proud to be called After 23 years of transporting animals, she sometimes feels like she knows what she is doing only to find out something else had changed, usually unexpectedly, but thankfully she thrives on those challenges. There is never a dull day in pet shipping, and one must be resourceful and ready to flip on a dime with the constant fluctuations to travel plans. IPATA has grown so much since her first conference in Newark. It has only gotten better and better over the years. She is excited and thankful to be a part of such a great organization! |
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Vedran Gazic was born in 1978 in Offenbach Germany and works for Pets by Pro GmbH. He is the father of three beautiful girls (Zahra, Leyla & Carly) and has been married 22 years to his wife Taziri. Their cats Frida and Findus complete the family. His first experience in shipping live animals was as a trainee in the cargo department at Aquarium Glaser, one of the biggest wholesalers of live tropical fish in the world. His interest was immediately captured and less than three years later he graduated and began as a cargo operations agent at Varig Airlines at FRA airport. Here he learned the other side of the pet shipping process - not only AVI, but all kind of cargo accepting all types of live animals and their correct loading, flying with polo horses through Europe became a monthly experience. In 2004, he returned to his roots of live animal shipping as the Cargo Manager of Aquarium Glaser, responsible for the global live tropical fish logistics of the company. In 2012, he become part of the Gradlyn Family opening a Branch office in Munich. In 2024 he began working for Pets by Pro GmbH in Germany. His first IPATA conference was in 2012 in Madrid and as a “freshman” he was super excited at feeling accepted. IPATA become important for my personal work as he was in contact with other members daily. He has over twenty-three years in the AVI air cargo business - more than half of his lifetime - working both as a forwarder and an airliner. He is positively addicted to the industry and can’t imagine doing anything else. |
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Marcos has two children , Lucas and Lorenzo and is the tutor of two dogs, Leia (Shitzu) and Zoom) Cane Corso. He graduated in Foreign Trade in 2001 and his first job was at Varig Brazil Airlines, from 2002 to 2005 where he specialized in the transportation of special cargo; perishable, dangerous, vulnerable, valuable and animal live cargo. He was one of the first Brazilian professionals qualified in the handling of AVI. From 2005-2014 he worked in two large international logistics companies: Nuno Ferreira Cargas Internacionals LTDA and Figwal Tranportes Internacionals LTDA where he developed large projects in the pharmaceutical, equine and AOG (Aircraft on Ground) areas. During this period he also developed AVI transportation as the issuing agent for MM Cargo Logistca Internacional LTDA. In 2014, at the invitation of current parnters Macelo Miranda and Jefferson Lima, he decided to accept the proposal to buy a part of the company and join the partnership of MM Cargo Logitica Internacional LTDA. In 2016, thinking of a marketing strategy they changed the company commercial name to Zoommpet and has since strengthened his commitment to Internationalize the company resulting in good relationahisps with Brazilian and foreigh clients – a constant guideline in the company’s philosophy. Since joining IPATA in 2016, he has attended all conferences (regional and global) and has focused on developing relationahsips with international partners. |
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IPATA Directors at Large |
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In 2010, she transformed a perceived problem in Panama into a business opportunity. When she needed to travel, she found it difficult to find suitable accommodations for her four dogs. As a result, she launched VIP Vacation Kennels, a safe, spacious, cage-free place where fun is the order of the day and pets get a real vacation when parents are away. Five years later, she opened Pets Go Global and quickly became an active member of IPATA. She has found great joy in relocating and reuniting pets—whether they have fur, feathers, or scales—from anywhere in the world, working alongside other IPATA members. She can't imagine doing anything else! Following the success of her two companies, Marla opened VIP Vacation Kitty Kennels in 2019, providing the same vacation experience for feline guests. Marla is a proud of IPATA and her commitment to the organization. She have been active in IPATA, serving as the Country Profile Coordinator for the LAM region for over five years and volunteering with planning for annual conferences; she will support and continue to build on the foundations of our great organization. |
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Varun Nandwani grew up with a Pomeranian dog, and from a young age, he developed a love for pets. His passion for animals led him to the pet shipping industry in 2009, a field he had previously known little about. In India, knowledge of the pet shipping industry is scarce, so Varun approached his work with curiosity and enthusiasm, eager to learn more about the intricacies of pet shipping. A significant turning point in his career occurred in 2011 when he attended the IPATA Hong Kong conference. This was his first international event and travel experience outside of India, where he connected with remarkable individuals in the pet shipping community. Simon Jackson was among the first to welcome him at the First Time Attendee reception. Varun began his journey in the industry at World Care Pet Transport LLC in 2009, where he worked his way up to Country Manager by 2019. He then joined Pet Air GmbH in Germany and later K.L. Bhrara & Co. Pvt. Ltd in New Delhi, gaining a wealth of knowledge about various aspects of the industry, especially regarding the safe and humane transport of animals globally. At K.L. Bhrara & Co. Pvt. Ltd., he acquired extensive knowledge of the Airfreight Industry's Aviation Business and in-depth customs brokerage insights from his colleague, Gaurav Bhrara. Recently, Varun started as a Team Leader with Move One Incorporation in the UAE. In this role, he aims to make significant contributions by addressing common challenges and collaborating with fellow IPATA members to enhance the customer service experience for clients seeking pet travel services across Move One locations. Now in his 16th year in the pet shipping business, Varun expresses his gratitude to Don Uyeno, Ron Nelson, Ross Scheintaub, Faruk Berberovic, Simon Jackson, Cherie Derouin, and Dr. Gerry Pahl. Their mentoring has played a crucial role in his growth within the industry, and he acknowledges that without their support, he would not be where he is today. |
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In the beginning Sevenoaks Animal Logistics, was his wife Hilary's idea, and Les did not understand how big an industry Pet Relocation was. In fact, he initially tried to talk Hilary out of continuing in the business. Thankfully, Hilary didn't listen, and as her business grew, Hilary was kind enough to start allowing Les to help when she needed an extra hand, or In the beginning, Sevenoaks Animal Logistics was founded on the idea of Les's wife, Hilary. Initially, Les did not understand the significance of the pet relocation industry and even tried to discourage Hilary from pursuing the business. Fortunately, Hilary persisted, and as her business grew, she began to involve Les when she needed extra help or when animals had to be picked up and transported over long distances. After attending the 2013 Conference in Las Vegas as a guest, Les began to gain insight into the industry. By the Dallas Conference in 2017, he fully grasped the scale of the industry and the pivotal role that IPATA plays in the growth of pet relocation, as well as its value to all IPATA members worldwide. Before officially starting his training with Sevenoaks Animal Logistics, Les was deeply involved in the tax preparation business, primarily serving clients who were farmers and ranchers. Simultaneously, he managed his own ranch, where moving animals—whether horses, cattle, or sheep—was a daily task. His experience with animals, both livestock and pets, has been immensely satisfying and is a significant part of his lifestyle. Les's family has a long history of participating in dog shows and field trials. To compete in shows across Canada and the United States, they traveled extensively by both plane and ground transportation throughout North America. When they assure clients that they understand the anxiety of shipping their beloved pets, it stems from over 35 years of experience in transporting their own dogs globally. While training to become a pet shipper, Les also served as the President of the Alberta Equestrian Federation (AEF) for five years and was a member of the Board of Directors of Equestrian Canada. In 2020, he resigned from the AEF Board to focus on the daily responsibilities of running a successful and growing pet relocation business. In recent years, Sevenoaks Animal Logistics has expanded from a team of two to seven dedicated full-time employees. Each team member is either a dog or horse owner, embodying the company slogan, "Moving Your Pets is our Passion," which we live by daily. Over the years, Les has enjoyed attending both Regional and World IPATA Conferences, collaborating with many IPATA members worldwide. He fully understands the importance of belonging to a strong organization like IPATA and takes pride in representing his company as an IPATA member. Les acknowledges that Sevenoaks' growth is closely linked to the excellent reputation that IPATA has established in the industry.animals had to be picked up and driven long distances.
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