About Pawtal: Dog Travel Planning for Australia

Dog Travel Planning For Australia

I’m Katherine, a dog owner who has always loved exploring new places.

Travelling with my two Golden Retrievers has shown me two very different sides of dog travel.

Murray made me dream of one day travelling Australia with a dog by my side. Murphy has taught me how much the dog beside you can change the plan.

The Story Behind Pawtal

Why Pawtal Exists

I have always loved exploring new places, and Murray was the dog who made me dream of one day travelling Australia with a dog by my side.

Our beach walks, café stops, country drives and weekends away showed me how much I loved discovering somewhere new with my dog beside me. That dream was what first prompted me to start Pawtal.

Then Murphy came into my life and showed me another side of travelling with a dog.

His car anxiety and motion sickness made me realise that finding somewhere dog-friendly is only part of it. The drive, the conditions, the pace of the day and how your dog is coping can matter just as much as where you are going.

I still have that dream of travelling Australia with a dog by my side. What has changed is how I think about getting there.

I now use what I learn from Murphy, together with years of researching dog travel across Australia, to help other owners work towards their own travel dreams with the dog they actually have, whether that means a weekend away, a camping trip, a long road trip or travelling Australia themselves.

Katherine with Murphy, her Golden Retriever — Katherine with Murphy, who continues to change the way I think about travelling with the dog beside you.

Two Dogs. Two Very Different Lessons.

Murray showed me what it could feel like to explore with a dog who loved coming along. Murphy is teaching me what happens when travel does not come so easily.

Both have changed the way I think about travelling with dogs.

Murray

Murray was the dog who made me want to see more.

He loved coming with me. Car trips were easy for him, and exploring somewhere new together became one of the things I loved most about having him in my life.

Our trips were often simple, but they planted the dream I still have today of travelling Australia with a dog beside me.

Murray showed me the joy of going somewhere together.

Losing him to cancer at just six made those memories even more precious, and the dream he inspired is still at the heart of why I do this.

Read Murray’s story

Murphy

Murphy has taught me something Murray never needed to.

He finds car travel difficult. Anxiety and motion sickness mean that even a fairly simple outing can require much more thought before we leave.

Living with that has changed the questions I ask.

I no longer think only about where we could go. I think about the journey there, what the day will ask of him, where he can settle and recover, and whether the plan makes sense for him at all.

Murphy is teaching me what it really means to plan around the dog beside you.

We are still working through his travel challenges. I am still learning too, and what I learn continues to influence the guides, tools and resources I create.

Follow Murphy’s journey

Murphy wearing his original Dog Harness by Dog Friendly Co. — Murphy, whose car anxiety and motion sickness continue to change the way I think about dog travel.

Turning Experience Into Something Useful

What That Has Led Me to Create

Over the years, I have researched and written extensively about travelling with dogs in Australia, from road trips, camping and accommodation to car travel, anxiety, heat, safety, travel rules and preparing dogs for the journey.

I have also created planning tools, checklists, calculators and guides to help make some of those decisions easier to work through.

My work is shaped by my own experiences with Murray and Murphy, but I do not assume that what works for my dogs will work for yours.

Where something involves health, behaviour, laws, access rules or information that can change, I use trusted sources and point readers back to the appropriate professional or authority when needed.

My aim is to make dog travel information easier to understand and help you ask better questions about the dog travelling beside you.

I am still learning too, and I expect what I create here will keep evolving with that.

I am not a veterinarian, trainer or behaviourist. If your dog is showing signs of illness, severe anxiety, injury, vomiting, collapse, pain or ongoing distress, speak with your veterinarian or an appropriate qualified professional.

Continue Your Own Journey

A Place to Keep Planning

I wanted somewhere dog owners could come back to as their plans, questions and their dog’s needs changed.

The free Pawtal Family Member Hub brings together the tools, checklists, guides and resources I have created in one place.

Whether your dream is a weekend away, a camping trip, a longer road trip or one day travelling Australia with your dog, I hope it helps you keep working towards it with the dog you have beside you.

Join the Pawtal Family

Free to join.

mission

Help Australian dog owners plan around their dog so adventures feel calmer, safer, and more enjoyable.

vision

Make dog-first travel the standard across Australia, so more dogs can safely enjoy adventures that genuinely suit them.