My name is Elena, I’m 23 years old, and I’m preparing to make the huge step of moving from Michigan to Europe.

There's just one more important someone that needs to make the journey with me: my 4 year-old rabbit, Pūkas.

Pūkas is not "just a rabbit" to me. He has been my best friend for the past four years and a part of my family. When I decided that I was going to move to Europe, there was never the question of leaving him behind.

Unfortunately, I discovered that bringing a rabbit across the Atlantic is incredibly difficult. Unlike cats and dogs, rabbits have almost no commercial options for flying internationally in-cabin.

The option I have finally found is a specialized pet charter out of New Jersey that allows rabbits to travel in the cabin. But it unfortunately costs a minimum of approximately $4,000 (just for Pūkas' transatlantic journey).

I’m hoping to raise enough to cover his flight and the additional costs of getting him safely from Michigan to the departure airport and through the necessary travel preparations. Every donation, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to making this possible.

And if you aren’t able to donate, sharing this fundraiser means just as much. The more people who see Pukas' story, the better chance we have of getting him safely to our new home in Europe.