Relocation services for pets

[lucy_chronicles]

Yours truly is moving to Singapore or Hong Kong this spring. Can anyone recommend a shipping or relocation service to use for my two pug dogs? I will have to leave them behind for a few months to get settled then send for them or worst case, have a friend fly over w/ them. I realize they will have to be in quarantine for a few weeks and there is

Comments

[catyak]

In general you just need to find an airline that will ship pets from your preferred starting airport to your chosen destination airport. Some airlines won't ship animals at certain times of year because they spend time on the tarmac before being loaded onto the aircraft and it can be too hot or cold. Direct flights are preferred, considering the extra time it takes for a connecting flight especially across the Pacific. You normally don't need to travel on the same flight.

You'll need to get the animals checked by a vet for general fitness to fly, plus administering any treatments required by the destination country, then waste more money getting USDA to stamp all the paperwork (I have recent experience of doing this for US-UK, four cats a couple of weeks ago). Check out the entry requirements carefully - sometimes you can reduce/remove the need for quarantine by administering vaccinations far enough in advance (again, based on knowledge of UK requirements).

D

[lunakitsch]

They don't always have to spend time in quarentine. My friend shipped her cats to Bahrain and was able to avoid quarentine here by getting all sorts of vet stuff done in the States. Also, some airlines require pets to be microchiped, so you may want to get that as well.

I know Luftansa has a very good reputation as a pet carrier airline. You might see if you can use them.

[indigo_jones]

You might want to check out www.pettravel.com for the appropriate forms and such that you'll need for wherever you travel. Usually, some sort of rabbies vaccination and microchipping are required, wherever you go. The microchip also needs to be one that can be read easily by the destination officials. US microchips aren't necessarily accepted/read in other countries. (Our poor cat now has two chips because of this.)

Check out the consulate websites of the country you're moving to in order to find all of the requirements. Quarantine isn't necessarily going to be required depending on where you're moving and where you're moving from. You will probably need to have all shots and such administered at least 25 days before departure, and then the airline itself may require a document signed by the vet within 3-5 days of travel. The website I mentioned is good at supplying the documents needed for your specific country.

Direct flights, or as few connecting flights as possible, is particularly recommended. Good luck!

Thanks!

[lucy_chronicles]

Insights and links appreciated.

[intrepid_eddie]

I would highly recommend using a pet travel service. There is a LOT of paperwork involved (not to mention vet checks, vaccines, etc) and this is something you don't want to mess up because you didn't know what you were doing.

We have taken our pug with us to Australia and from there on to England. If you're going to the UK, I can highly recommend Air Pets Oceanic (www.airpets.com). Yes, it will cost you to use their service, but the peace of mind is sooooo worth it. (And they'll let you know what type of crate you'll need.)