Pet Travel Blog

Just when I thought I had heard most everything!  I have been an airline reservation agent, a travel agent, a corporate travel manager and now a travel agency owner and thought there was no longer a question that would really amaze me.  However…..I got one the other day.  A woman called to see how much it would cost to ship her cat from San Diego to Kansas City.  I advise her of the estimated amount.  She paused and asked me “Do you know if the U.S. Postal Service will let you send a cat in the mail?”  I literally was speechless for about 10 seconds…thinking did she just ask me what I THINK she asked me?  I quietly said “No.”  What do you think PETA would have to say about that?

It was reported by the government recently that “Money lost in Internet crimes hit a new high last year, topping about $240 million”.  It also stated that one of the biggest scams on the Internet is fraud that involves pets.  You do have to be careful!  Any pet shipper and/or pet travel agent in the United States can tell you of stories from clients and colleagues where people were completely ripped off by using an on-line company to purchase a pet.  A big part of this scam is the actual shipping of the pet to you the buyer.  Scammers have been known to use the names of established pet shipping companies.  They tell the buyer that their purchased pet is being delivered by one of these companies…when in fact it is a total lie.  As pet shippers we are very aware of these scams and do all we can to sort them out and get them off the internet.  If you need to use a pet shipper or pet travel agent here are things you need to look for:
 

1-Are they a member & in good standing with IPATA-International Pet and Animal Transportation Association?
www.ipata.com
2-Does the company offer references of past clients whom you can contact independently if requested?
3-Does the company that works with the animals have a USDA handler’s license?
4-Can the company answer specifically all questions regarding the transportation of your pet from origination to destination?
5-How long have they been in business and can they document this information for you?
 

Be careful and do your homework!  There are WONDERFUL companies that ship animals all over the world…just make sure you know who they are!
 

www.puppytravel.com

Pet owners here in the U.S. need to take the importance of rabies vaccinations for our pets very seriously. The United States is not considered a ‘rabies free country’ and because of this importing a pet from the United States can be difficult. This must be for a reason.

Most other countries have very strict rabies vaccine policies for pets entering or importing to their countries. If your pet is traveling into any island country - New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the islands of Hawaii-the requirements to avoid long term quarantine are extensive. Your must complete rabies FAVN titer test with an ‘accredited USDA vet’ at an ‘approved lab’ many months in advance of entry. These results must meet a specific criteria stating that your pet is adequately vaccinated against rabies. Some countries may require a 30 day waiting period after the first rabies vaccine before entry is allowed. Other countries recognize the 3 year vaccine that we use here in the United States-but not all countries do. The documentation to verify that the rabies is valid and proof provided is strict and enforced. In reverse, to enter or reenter the United States-except Hawaii-all you really need for your pet is a valid health certificate. I sometimes wonder if any customs officials even look at these documents for validity and verification before letting pets enter the U. S. You rarely hear of a dog or cat that has rabies but I guess that there are bats and rodents that still carry rabies in our country. I personally wish we had a better method for containing rabies and also for what we allow to come into our country. The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah has prides itself on the ‘animal lifts’ and extensive efforts in bringing homeless pets from countries in the Middle East to the U.S. While it is wonderful that they want to save so many pets lives around the world, what new challenges that we do not even know about disease wise are they introducing by the ability to so easily bring pets into our country? With our country as sophisticated as it is, is this really a good thing to introduce to our pets that already exist here? I am not a vet and do not have that kind of a background, but is seems to me that if most other nations have strict regulations about rabies and diseases before allowing pets to enter their counties, why don’t we?

Pet Travel Advice for Dummies: Never ever let your pet’s rabies vaccine expire!

In my pet travel agency I get many inquires from pet owners who have to travel internationally on professional assignments that last six months to two years. It is always hard for them to decide to take or leave their pets behind. There are many things that you need to consider when taking a pet with you under this type of situation. First of all how difficult is it going to be to get your pet to qualify as a live animal import to the country you will to be assigned to? Some countries are much easier than others. Second, you will need to find out how much money it is going to cost to GET your pet there. Sometimes you can actually travel with them and sometimes you have to have them arrive as a piece of manifested cargo. Many times the employer will pay for you and your family’s travel but not your pet, so you need to find out what costs are involved. This also includes whether or not you need an export – importer to help you on arrival to clear local customs and immigration. Third you will want to research out where you are planning to live and what the pet policy at that particular place is. It is not uncommon for clients to jump through all the hoops to get their pet somewhere and then find out AFTER they have signed a binding rental agreement for housing that pets are not allowed. Very disappointing!
Fourth, you may want to tentatively find out the cost to return your pet when your employment commitment has ended. It is my rule of thumb as a pet travel agent that you are looking at about one-third more in cost if you are returning to the United States. That of course can vary considerably. The one easy thing-all that is required for a pet to enter the United States typically is a recent health certificate from a licensed veterinarian and proof of rabies for dogs. This information can be found at:
http://www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_us/2bringyourpet.htm

My opinion on whether or not to take your pet/s is: If the costs are not extreme and the requirements not too complex, I say take your pet. I have had so many clients tell me how happy they were that they decided to commit the additional expense and take their pets with them. Many of us consider our pets’ part of the family. Think how difficult it is to leave family members and be so far away from home. Pets bridge that gap so well. I recently had a client that moved her entire family to Sydney Australia. Australia is one of the MORE DIFFICULT destinations to import a pet. She sent me an email after her dog had finally cleared the mandatory quarantine of 30 days for Australia and told me how much better her children had adjusted to their new home because the dog was there with them. She had no doubts that it was really worth the extra expense and effort.