Upon our arrival in São Paulo, the first things on the list were to find a supermarket and a pet…read morestore (ideally both within walking distance from our Jardins Paulista apartment). Our host suggested Mercearia do Animal - the neighborhood pet shop he used to frequent when he had a dog. Located just a 10 minute walk from our place, we found Mercearia do Animal to be a petite but well-stocked shop carrying items for dogs, cats, and even birds and fish. While I didn't find an spacious and extensive supply of dog food options, we did find Royal Canin and Hills Science Diet. Among dog food, we also picked up a new dog bed (also, not a ton of options, but they do carry a few different kinds), a set of bowls and a few doggy bones. This store also has a pharmacy section behind the counter where you can find Frontline and a medley of other items for you animal's health. The best part was after paying, the really sweet guy helping us carried everything home for us. He joined us while we walked back and carried the 15-lbs food bag along with the other items we picked up for Hank. Super awesome customer service and a perfect little store that carries all the essentials. Tip: they also have a dog bathing room where you can drop off your pup and they'll give him/her back smelling like new!

I didn't bring my dog here for a traditional vet visit, but rather I came to get paperwork for an…read moreupcoming flight (where he'd be traveling with me). As with every paperwork experience I've had in Brazil, I expected to go through a lengthy process to offer proof of vaccinations and endless tests on Mr. Hanky Bobby. Instead, I got the opposite experience. We sat down with Dr. Camila Pontes Lino who went over all the necessary documents necessary for Hank to travel into the US. After I showed her his records from vet visits in the US, she amazingly started filling out tons of documents on our behalf. Within an hour, I was out of there with everything I needed to get Hank on a plane. She was super thorough and pretty funny too. I wish Hank were staying longer, she'd definitely become his vet. No English spoken, ps.