About
The Full Story
Our founder Rita is a veterinary surgeon and experienced sailor who saw a big gap in reliable, vet‑led advice for pets travelling on yachts. The Sailing Pets was created to give pet‑loving sailors clear, practical resources so their animals can travel safely and comfortably at sea.
Mission
The Sailing Pets is a vet‑led platform for sailors who love animals. We provide reliable, scientifically accurate information on pet health, welfare and sea travel, tailored to real boats, real routes and real pets. We maintain up‑to‑date records of veterinary clinics and emergency services worldwide, so guardians can quickly find help wherever they are. Our community space helps sailors connect and share experience, while tools like Paw Alert make it easier to flag missing pets and coordinate searches. When official rules get complex, we explain the requirements in plain language and signpost trusted local pet‑travel services. Our mission is to give you the confidence and peace of mind you need to travel with your pet by sea.
Vision
Our vision is a global community where anyone travelling with pets by boat – or simply dreaming of it – can access evidence‑based guidance, practical tools and supportive peers in one place. We aim to become the go‑to resource for sailing with pets, combining clear education, online advice and interactive tools such as Paw Alert and our vet and marina directories. As the project grows, we will expand to cover more regions and routes, always focused on improving animal welfare and making life at sea easier and safer for both pets and people.
The Founder
Rita Assuncao, MSc, MRCVS
Hello, I'm Rita, a passionate veterinary surgeon and avid sailor, currently circumnavigating the globe on a 35‑foot monohull sailboat, SY Swizzle, with my three rescued pets – Fifa (the first rescue from Fiji), Binks (rescued in St Maarten) and Mazu (the youngest feline recue from Malaysia). During my travels I repeatedly saw how hard it is for pet‑owners and sailors to find trustworthy information about travelling safely with animals. The Sailing Pets is my lifelong dream in action: a way to bring clear, evidence‑based pet care information to people in every corner of the world, not only on land but also at sea.
