The Importance of Following Import Rules and Regulations for Live Animals

By: Bridget Monrad, R.N. | Jun 18, 2015

---

    Recently in the news and on social media there have been a lot of cases of pets being at risk of being put down or being sent back to their country of origin as the proper import policies have not been followed (see Johnny Depp's dogs in Australia as reported by the LA Times).  Just as you need a passport and sometimes a Visa to enter a foreign country, there are special permits, vaccinations, and processes your pets must go through if you desire to bring them into a foreign country. 

   While these rules may appear cumbersome and tedious, they are to protect your pet, the country in which you wish to bring your pet, and native animals.  A main concern is rabies.  While having rabies shots is a basic vaccination for all pets within the United States, some countries take precautions to the next level as they are a rabies free country.  These additional precautions typically consist of blood tests, which have a specific order in which they must be conducted alongside of standard vaccinations.  After receiving vaccinations and getting blood tests done, a certain time period (typically 21 days) must pass before the results of your pet’s test are returned. These results must be obtained before your pet can receive an import permit or be granted entry into the country.  If any of the vaccinations or tests are out of order, this too will delay the shipping of your pet, or they may have to wait in quarantine upon arrival into the destination.  Some animal quarantine facilities require pets to stay up to 120 days if proper protocol is not followed beforehand.  In other cases, a stay at a quarantine is required, with the duration depending on which vaccinations and tests your cat, dog or bird already has completed, and reservations must be made well in advance.

Some of the countries (and states) which have stricter requirements and therefore require more time to plan travel into the country, include but are not limited to:

• Australia
• Bahrain
• Hawaii
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• United Arab Emirates

 

   Unfortunately country requirements for importing your pet are not always easy to find.  Additionally some countries require you to work with a professional pet travel agent, or freight forwarder, in order to bring your pet into the country.  At Happy Tails Travel we are familiar with airline and country requirements and can find the safest, shortest route for your pet to travel by air with care.  We will provide you a detailed timeline outlining what your pet needs and when they must have each vaccination by as well as what paperwork needs to be signed off.  We will even call your pet’s vet and talk them through the process and paperwork if they need assistance! We have the knowledge and expertise to get your pets to their new home, and also have long-standing relationships with other pet professionals throughout the world, to ensure your pet is in good hands at both sides of their journey.

   While we at Happy Tails Travel have the knowledge and resources to ship your pet to just about any country, you, the pet owner also play a vital role.  One of our pet specialist team members will send you a detailed timeline outlining what steps must be completed for your pet to successfully pass customs at their destination, however it is up to you to schedule the vet appointments, submit paper work and communicate with us so that your pet’s travel can stay on track and they can fly as planned on the original reservation date.  Missing any step can severely disrupt your pet’s transportation, and therefore push the travel date back.  In some cases, quarantine facilities must be reserved months in advance and if your pet misses their travel date, then they will also miss their animal quarantine reservation and your pet will have to wait until the next space becomes available.  For this reason it is essential that if you are the shipper of a pet that you check your e-mail for updates from your pet travel specialist at least once per day, call if you have any questions, and let us know when you have set-up important meetings such as vet visits so that we can mark it off the timeline. Happy Tails Travel will also call and provide you reminders when important dates are coming up, so you must be listening for and checking messages to hear any updates from us.  As long as you stay in touch with members at Happy Tails Travel and follow the detailed plan, your pet should breeze through meeting the additional import requirements and arriving safely into their new home and country.