Here is the letter which accompanies Phileas in his trip:

Hello,

My name is Phileas, as you can see, I am a fluffy dog, but I am not a common fluffy dog, I indeed decided to make a world tour and to visit all 193 countries which constitute our world. I left Toulouse (France) in September 2007 and since then I travel from hands to hands, from country to country according to my meetings. My owner created a Web site (www.phileasdog.net ) to follow my adventure. Today, I rely upon your willingness to help me in carrying on my trip. For this, please follow these instructions:

• Take a photo of me with you, your friends and your family to give evidence of our meeting
• Take a photo of me with a typical and recognizable element of your country (monument, place, gastronomic dish, traditional costume, panels) as proof of my coming to your country
• Take other photos of my stay in you place if you want....
• Send all these photos to my owner by e-mail to xxxxxx or by classic mail to xxxxx, with a small word describing who you are, which is your nationality, where you live, when and how you received me...
• Mark your country in the enclosed list of countries and indicate the date of my coming

Now, I need your help to continue my journey: you have to find me a new foster family in a country that I have not visited yet (consult the list of countries to see in which countries I did not go yet). Look among your relatives, your friends, your acquaintances, your working colleagues or others (use you imagination) for a person who will be brought to travel in a foreign country in the coming days. Some advises for the choice of this person:

• This person must be reliable, you must be sure that he will appreciate the idea of this project, that he will take herself in the game and that he will not forget me in a wall cupboard or in an airport.
• If you hesitate between several persons, choose rather the one will go in the most improbable, the smallest, the least populated country (between the United States and Vatican for example, choose Vatican)
• Take a person who has easily access to Internet or to postal services
• Finally, privilege one person who will have enough relations and acquaintances in the countries that I have not visited yet to favour the pursuit of my journey

Once the person was chosen, deliver me in person to my new host with this letter and the list of countries. Don't send me by mail, I could get lost. Inform my owner of the transfer so that he can follow my trip. Do not waste time, at the rate of 10 days by country, my journey will last more than 5 years! If you find nobody in the remaining countries or if I visited all the countries of the list, contact my owner or send me back I to the address given here above.Thank you for your reception and your hospitality. I hope you will continue to follow my adventures on www.phileasdog.net.
Friendly,

           

                 Phileas