Inge Michiels. Managing Director & Founder, Jetpetglobal
Moving is already a huge hassle, and for pet parents, it can be even more challenging.How will your furry friend make it to your final destination? Who will take care of your beloved pet’s comfort and safety? How long will it take to get your pet to your new home? —a series of such questions pop into your head when you are a pet parent and relocating to a new place. Some countries have stricter pet import rules than others and not all airlines allow pets. Also, unexpected delays, costly fees, and the paperwork for pet relocation make it feel like a nightmare. These challenges often make people think: why isn’t there a better way?
A passionate pet lover, Mrs. Inge Michiels found herself in a similar situation when she had to move back to Bahrain. She set a date, applied for her children’s visas, booked flights and the movers but when she tried to do the same for her dog, things became complicated. It was not only a complex process but in this case, it was also illegal. The professional pet movers were not able to assist and the more she tried to find a way the more hopeless it became. Fortunately, she found a legal indirect way and after her consistent efforts, she was finally able to bring her pet back home after 6 months. This made Inge realize that Bahrain was missing something vital for pet owners; it was missing a service that no kennel or clearing agent can offer, something only a trusted friend and animal lover would do. She vowed to never forget the stress and anxiety she had to experience during this process, rather use that as a driving force to come up with a solution. As a result, JetpetGlobal, a world-known brand, a pet relocation, and transportation company came into legal existence in 2017.
Delivering Prompt, Reliable & Trusted Pet Relocation Services
JetpetGlobal is a global pet relocation and transportation company headquartered in Bahrain. Being well connected and well versed with the pet relocation requirements and the legal formalities is an integral part of the entire process, JetpetGlobal offers flexible, safe, secure, fair, and comfortable pet relocation services. “Pets can’t ask for directions along the way so we need to make sure the whole trip is perfectly planned and communicated before travel. Also, we care, we understand, our teams are all empathic pet owners and pet lovers, most of our team are expats too, so we know the emotional and budgetary aspect of moving countries and keep that in mind when working for our customers,” asserts Inge. In addition to pet relocation, the company also provides bespoke crates and pet sitting services.
Fostering a Positive Work Culture
The JetpetGlobal team is very proud of its 5-star rating, which is a true testament to the culture here, and shows the company not only has a passion for pets but also strives to improve the quality of employees’ lives at work.
“For me personally it’s the Disney moments, I still get an absolute kick out of seeing people being reunited with their fur babies. As for our culture, my staff refers to our team as the JPG family, it does not mean we have no private life but it means we have each other’s back when things go wrong or get busy. We all have our designated tasks but will not drop the ball when a task does not fit our job description, when things become very busy in high season we all share the workload,” states Inge.
Making Things Right for the Pets
Bahraini companies have different legal fundaments allowing for different business activities and when it comes to relocating pets, it is still dealing with old laws ruling a rather new service. Thus, to combat several, mostly legal, issues in Bahrain, Inge started Cargio WLL. “There are no correctly applicable Customs or Animal Wealth Directorate rules. Even for JetpetGlobal LLC, the sister company based in Dubai, where Pet relocation is an existing and valid business activity, we face issues with the overruling federal Emirati laws and are ruled by old, not very correctly applicable regulations. It works, but it does not really, and I am very focused on making things correct for the pets, the owners but definitely also for the law,” affirms Inge.
The ardent entrepreneur has been advocating for years for a change for the better and she hopes that the several ministries they deal with on daily basis will finally understand that pets are not just commodities but family and need to be treated as such. “Spain only recently legally recognized animals as sentient beings instead of a commodity, a development I can only applaud! There are a few more challenges I hope to firmly address for the long run but the ministry challenges are very high on the agenda,” she adds.
Leading By Example
While many find success in financial gain or a stellar reputation, for Inge, success is seeing a wriggling overjoyed dog, happy customers, a challenging shipment arrive safely, having reliable suppliers, strong alliances, a carefree team lunch, or a heartfelt little thank you note.
The avid business leader does not believe in a defined hierarchy. She attributes the continued success of the company to the dedication and hard work of its competent team. “My people are smart and knowledgeable in different fields and add to our success in their own capacity, but I do know when to be a part of the team, be the mentor, listener, leader, or owner,” opines Inge. According to Inge, staying informed is also important to thrive in the competitive market. Thus, she focuses on nurturing a sense of belief and ownership for learning among its employees. She always motivates and encourages her team to bring out and express their views and skills and helps them to reach their maximum potential.
Envisioning a Future of Persistent Growth
Inge is a tenacious personality who knows how to thrive in the industry. While she has been working on some projects for years, trying new angles, adding new ideas, and gaining new knowledge, there are a few bigger projects that she hopes to work on in the next coming years. Inge and the whole team of JetpetGlobal are proud of what they are doing. So, as long as they are helping people and making things right for the pets and pet parents, Inge will stay motivated and will continue her incredible work with passion and perseverance.
