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Know pet
rules before you travel
October 11,
2007
Traveling with pets always requires preparation. Besides providing their
basic needs of food and water, we need to find hotels that allow pets,
or family and friends that will welcome them, make sure they're
up-to-date on shots and bring along a ready supply of essential
medication should they require it.
If you're traveling internationally, it's important to investigate
restrictions and guidelines well before your trip. For many, it can be
the deciding factor of where to travel. The two basic requirements of
international travel with pets involve quarantine and health
certificates.
Health certificates and proof of rabies vaccinations are a given in the
case of any international travel, and many countries also require
mandatory quarantine periods for animals entering their country. The
reason so many countries have quarantine requirements for animals
traveling from the United States is concern about rabies transmission,
because the United States, except for Hawaii, not rabies-free.
In fact, Hawaiian law states that pets are required to complete a
120-day confinement in the state animal quarantine station. However, if
specific pre-and post-arrival requirements are met, animals may qualify
for a quarantine of a lesser time period.
Even when flying within U.S. boundaries, airlines require a health
certificate and proof of rabies vaccinations. When making flight
arrangements you should contact the airline to find out their specific
policies and guidelines. Many airline Web sites provide detailed
information on their pet transportation policies.
You should use the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a resource. The
USDA's Animal and Plant Heath Inspection division sets and enforces
regulations for the transportation of live animals. For international
travel, veterinarians must be accredited by this division to issue
health certificates. To research information at the APHIS site go to
www.aphis.usda.gov/NCIE/exp-pets.html. For additional resources,
www.pettravel.com is an easy to navigate Web site.
In international travel, one of the most common questions is what
countries do and don't require quarantine. Each country has specific
guidelines but a list of countries can be found at the APHIS Web site
and they keep the information updated on a regular basis. Some of the
countries that have specific guidelines include Canada, countries of the
European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and Japan.
Countries and islands that have more difficult entry requirements and
may take a longer time to meet the guidelines include Antigua, the
Bahamas, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In July, 2004, the European Union developed a unique system to ease
travel with a pet within its borders. Pets are issued passports, not
unlike ours, that document pertinent information on your pet's status,
such as health. Pet passport requirements include microchipping.
A friend who recently moved to Australia used the services of a company
that specializes in assisting clients with transporting dogs and cats to
Australia and New Zealand via travel from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
This international pet transportation service helped her and her husband
navigate the strict requirements and meet the pre-entry requirements to
reduce quarantine periods.
Thinking about preparing for international travel with your pet may seem
mind-boggling, but planning and research can ease the stress and help
your pet join the ranks of international jet setters.
- Gloria
Dauphin
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