Anna Veselovska – Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 according to the Ukrainian Business Award!
Anna Veselovskaya and PetsGoTravel: the story that created a new industry
In 2025, the Ukrainian Business Award recognized Anna Veselovska as the “Entrepreneur of the Year in the Field of International Pet Transportation.” This is recognition of a person who did not just open a business, but created a new niche and built a culture around it that did not exist before.
PetsGoTravel was born out of a personal need. When Anna first planned a trip with her dog between Ukraine and the USA, she was faced with a confusing set of rules, constantly changing requirements, and the lack of a single source of truthful information. Each airline had its own nuances, each country had its own restrictions, and each airport employee interpreted the same rules in his own way. It all looked like chaos that she had to sort out on her own.
During the pandemic, the US banned the import of animals from 112 countries, including Ukraine. For Anna, this became a challenge she could not avoid: leaving her dog behind was impossible. She found a way to obtain an official permit, went through all the bureaucracy, and realized that the problem was not in the complexity of the rules, but in the lack of people who could guide the pet owner through each step. It was then that the idea came to create a service that would help others.
At first, Anna helped acquaintances, then friends of acquaintances, and then people from other countries who heard about her experience. There was almost no information in the public domain at that time, and she began to systematically gather knowledge: she studied veterinary and legal requirements, coordinated routes with airlines, cooperated with foreign services, and analyzed real cases.
This is how PetsGoTravel was born – a company that in January 2024 became a full-fledged service for accompanying animals on international passenger flights. Its concept was unique from the beginning: not cargo transportation, but a passenger format with full legal, logistical and veterinary support.
In less than two years, PetsGoTravel has carried out over a thousand successful animal escorts in more than sixty countries around the world. The geography of work covers the USA, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the CIS countries. Every day, the company receives dozens of new requests, and a significant part of clients contact in critical situations when a quick response and in-depth expertise are required.
PetsGoTravel’s financial growth has been one of the most impressive in its field. Starting with five thousand dollars a month, the company grew to one hundred and thirty thousand in a few months. In the second year, a stable annual turnover of about three hundred thousand dollars was formed. This result was possible thanks to the systematization of processes, brand recognition and a unique support methodology that Anna created from scratch.
PetsGoTravel employs more than ten specialists in different time zones. The company has built a culture of openness and team interaction, where each employee has the opportunity to influence processes and make decisions at crucial moments. This model allows us to provide customer support 24/7 — regardless of whether the flight departs at three in the morning or if force majeure occurs on the day of the flight.
One recent case study was illustrative: on the day of the trip, customers upgraded their tickets to business class, which caused the system to cancel the dog’s seat. Although the problem was on the airline’s side, the PetsGoTravel manager immediately got involved, contacted the airport and call center, checked the regulations, and got the booking reinstated. The dog was successfully added to the flight — and this was another confirmation that the team cares more about results than formalities.
PetsGoTravel has created something that was not on the market: a complete knowledge base on transporting animals to dozens of countries around the world, including algorithms, legal requirements, clinic addresses, current airline rules, and practical instructions. This is not a theoretical methodology — it is a system formed on the basis of daily work, hundreds of situations, and real flights.
The company is currently working on an intelligent application that will allow pet owners to receive instant answers to questions about traveling to any country. It will be updated in real time, adapting to changes in regulations and accumulated practical experience. In fact, it will become the world’s first interactive encyclopedia of traveling with pets.
The company has been supporting the volunteer organization URSA for two years, directing resources to the protection of homeless animals. This is not PR or a formality, but a consistent part of the PetsGoTravel values.
The global pet travel market is growing rapidly, and PetsGoTravel has become one of the players that really shape its standards. Anna is also working on an international initiative that should change the rules for transporting large dogs. Her goal is to create a new Companion Dog category that will allow large, socialized dogs to travel in a separate seat in the cabin of an airplane. Similar examples already exist in Italy, and this direction has the potential to change the entire industry.
Anna Veselovskaya receives the title of “Entrepreneur of the Year in the Field of International Pet Transportation 2025” as a person who turned personal experience into an innovative international company, developed a system that did not exist in the world, and gave a new level of security and trust to pet owners around the world. Her business demonstrates exceptional sustainability, global impact and impeccable reputation. PetsGoTravel today is a service that has changed the rules of the game and set a new bar in the field of international travel with pets.
