September 2020 · Mike Reaver

One mission. Multiple borders. An unforgettable journey.

When COVID-19 brought international travel to a standstill in 2020, sourcing European working dogs became more complicated than anyone could have imagined.

Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium were where our dogs were normally sourced, and entry restrictions made it nearly impossible for outside buyers to travel freely. Our dogs still needed to be selected, evaluated and secured for our customers and upcoming training programs.

Mike Reaver decided that instead of giving up, he would find a way to get there. What followed became one of the most unusual procurement trips in Adlerhorst history.

01 Europe closes its doors

The countries we bought from were not letting third party foreign buyers in. Croatia and Serbia were among the few allowing certain travelers to enter with a negative COVID test and a hotel reservation. Mike decided to fly into Croatia and see if he could make the trip happen.

02 Los Angeles to Istanbul to Zagreb

Turkey had no COVID entry restrictions at the time, which made Istanbul a practical transit point. Mike landed in Zagreb late Monday evening, took a taxi to a nearby hotel, got some sleep and got ready for the next leg. The objective was simple: get to the vendors and keep the selection process moving.

03 The original plan: the Mura River

Mike took the train to a small Croatian border town near the Mura River. The plan was to reach Hungary and continue toward Budapest, where a Slovakian vendor and friend would pick him up. Hungary had fenced much of its southern border, but the Mura formed a natural boundary in the area Mike was looking at.

He packed a 50 pound rucksack with five days of clothes, a laptop, toiletries and gym gear. He had even practiced building a poncho raft. Once he studied the ground, it was a lot harder than it looked on Google Maps.

Mike’s own map notes from the night he scouted the Drava and Mura rivers.

04 Stopped by border patrol

Walking back toward his hotel on a rural road, Mike was stopped by Croatian border patrol. They checked his passport and went through his backpack. The encounter stayed friendly, and the officers ended up giving him a ride back to his hotel.

The original plan was done. Mike had a choice to make: head home, or rethink the whole route.

Where the first plan ended, and the long walk back to the hotel.

On the ground near the Mura.

05 Back to the drawing board: Slovenia

That night Mike looked at his options. Slovenia became the alternative, and a bicycle looked like the most practical way through the countryside. The next morning he found a bike shop, bought a mountain bike, a spare tube and a pump, left the heavy rucksack behind and kept going.

The flat farmland was easy riding at first. Closer to the foothills the roads turned into rough tracks, and some stretches meant getting off and pushing. The whole way he kept his friends and vendors in Europe updated. The objective never changed: reach the dogs.

The ride: out of Čakovec, across Slovenia and up to the Austrian border.

06 Help from friends

Mike’s contacts in Europe had been following his progress and set up a plan to get him across the next stretch, built around a meeting point and a deadline. After a brutal ride through the Slovenian countryside, he made it to the spot.

07 Austria, Dennis and the road to Slovakia

In Austria Mike met up with Dennis, a well known IPO helper and dog vendor who had been working the region through all the changing restrictions. They shared a room, regrouped and headed for the Austrian and Czech border the next morning. Later Mike linked up with another contact, Latci, who got him to Košice, Slovakia. After days of changing plans, he was finally where the dogs were.

The Adlerhorst difference

For decades we have traveled throughout Europe to find, evaluate and select exceptional working dogs. 2020 tested that commitment in ways nobody saw coming. Behind every shipment is a story, behind every dog is a selection process, and behind every trip are people willing to go the extra mile.

When the world shut down, we kept moving.