Bringing a dog to the US

[Narikta 7]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know where the best place is to get information about moving your pet with you to the US (cost, quanrantine, etc)?

K

[1.618 17]

Start your research here:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#Pets

Hope it helps!

Edited April 9, 2012 by 1.618

[Oksana & Max 94]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know where the best place is to get information about moving your pet with you to the US (cost, quanrantine, etc)?

K

Also check the airline requirements. Each airline have their own requirements.

[Sveta & Ron 23]

also I was directed to the fda it is their department here in texas anyway

[lynJer 7]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know where the best place is to get information about moving your pet with you to the US (cost, quanrantine, etc)?

K

Not sure what sort of dog it is but I brought over my cat and in the first instance I asked the vet....

He gave me the instructions to do it....

Then I called qantas and virgin for the quotes....there is a bit involved and to tell you the truth I did not have the time to do it...so there are companies that do all this for you...but they charge....check out jetpets in sydney...around 800 bucks on top of the grand for the flight ova....

In the end my cat was a purebred burman, so I called the burman secretary/president who did it all for nothing....so....if you have a purebred...go to the secretary of that dog club....for your state and do it that way...

you will need a crate, and once you get to usa you can take the dog on the plane to travel in the cabin with you .... give me a email if you need anything else....oh and DO NOT TRAVEL VIA HAWAII....animals going thru there COST MORE...and there are extra rules involved.....

[belinda63 3,038]

wow, maybe since my cats were military dependents, and it was in 1995, I don't remember having to go through a whole lot. Taking them to Germany just required a health certificate and current rabies vaccination, I don't think we had to do anything to bring them back.

Certainly check with the airlines but shipping them in the hold (not carry on) was only about $120 each (1995 dollars).

[StraightShooter 62]

I will say this much... be sure that you have an excellent, heavy duty crate for your dog!

When I brought my white German Shepherd dog back to the States from Australia several decades ago, the crate which I'd bought for him didn't hold up when he was in the hold. He ate his way out, then when the cargo door opened in Sydney, he jumped over the head of a worker and ran out a side gate. The worker said it looked like a polar bear had jumped over his head!

The dog cruised the neighborhoods for an hour or so, then walked right back to the plane as I was boarding. I got lucky and the airline not only built him a super-crate, they also shipped him the rest of the way for free.

Edited April 10, 2012 by StraightShooter

[rade2rising 205]

I wonder if you need a visa for the dog as well?

[Narikta 7]

Thank you everyone! You've all been a huge help Chip is a little Pomeranian x Chihuahua (he's not pampered or nasty, I promise), so a crate should be easy. Now to organise the rest.

Thanks again!

[lynJer 7]

Thank you everyone! You've all been a huge help Chip is a little Pomeranian x Chihuahua (he's not pampered or nasty, I promise), so a crate should be easy. Now to organise the rest.

Thanks again!

You will be told which crate to purchase....the airlines have strict guidelines on this....

One very important thing to note....when you arrive in LAX. it will take at least 3 HOURS before you can pick up your pet from the cargo area in Lax...WHICH is NOT anywhere near the terminal....so, you will need to get a cab (about 25 bucks) to drive you to the area and the pick up process takes about 30 to 45 minutes cos no one there wants to work fast.

so, do not organise a flight quickly out of lax to a further destination - suggest you consider a late night flight or a flight the next day - just in case puppy cant be released for what ever reason.

also....

rabbies neeedles are NOT NEEDED TO arrive in USA/LAX AP....instead you can go to the vets that are situated quite closely to the cargo pick up and get a walk in rabbies shot for about 80 bucks...I heard they were 300 bucks in australia and lucky for me they had ran out in oz before I left....rabbies is a required shot for some states in the usa...so therefore, if you FLY OVER these states...you will need to obtain a rabbies shot for your puppy....

I gave away my crate in lax ...it had cost me 80 bucks....its a special one that has a water container and the required type needed for the airlines....

there are many pet hotels around lax and they are cheap....12 bucks a night for a window room...and just an extra 6 bucks for a wash....

[KLS2010 30]

I had no clue how to go about bringing my 2 dogs, 3 cats and 2 guinea pigs to the US.....so I hired a company to do it for me.

This is the company I used. They were absolutely fantastic to deal with- very helpful and knowledgable about the process and happy to answer all the questions I had.

I brought my animals over 2yrs ago....but from memory, they didnt require any vaccinations - they are only recommended (including rabies). They had to be given an exam and a certificate of health to declare them fit to fly.

The price I paid included the cost of purchasing the crates, all of which I still have. They have water containers fitted that can be filled from the outside.

They also picked up my animals from my house and took them to the airport. All of my animals arrived in excellent condition and they had had a big trip ( Sydney - Singapore- London Heathrow - Houston) - in fact I think they handled the trip better than me.

Good luck with it

[B_and_G 2]

Hi, I"m planning to bring my cat over with me to the US. Is it better if he flies with me in-cabin or as checked baggage? It's at least a 12 hour flight so I don't want to be worrying about him for that long. Can you recommend or have good experiences with any airline in particular?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hi, I"m planning to bring my cat over with me to the US. Is it better if he flies with me in-cabin or as checked baggage? It's at least a 12 hour flight so I don't want to be worrying about him for that long. Can you recommend or have good experiences with any airline in particular?

You will need to find out if the airline you are flying allows checked. I know for Australia that it doesn't matter what airline it is, Australia's requirement is the animals MUST be cargo/checked. So check with your airline first.