GUIDE TO: Bringing your dog to the USA

[mikey and lizzie 0]

Hi guys,

I recently brought my dog with me to the US. I had a 24 hour flight and I flew on United Airlines. This guide is to help everyone else who may be wondering how to bring their dog to the US without the hassle of quarantine (NOTE: Hawaii will quarantine your dog regardless of how well you prepare) or a chance of your dog flying back. This may also apply to cats. I hope this helps!

Step 1: Making Sure It's What You Want

Decide whether you really want to bring your dog to the US. Prepare to spend a lot of money. Bringing a dog is not like bringing a check-in baggage. You have to think about whether or not you can take care of your dog once you get there and whether or not you are ready to go through whatever extra processes you have to go through. Keep in mind that your dog's readiness to fly is also important to consider. Some dogs go through separation anxiety and it might be turned away at the airport if it is deemed to be aggressive.

Step 2: Choosing The Right Airline Company

Choose the right airline for you. It is the next step because different airlines have different policies on flying a pet as well as different pricing. I chose United Airlines for their Petsafe program not knowing that it will be more expensive than the rest. So, I spent about 700$ to fly my 10lb dog with me. United Airlines also does not ship pets as checked baggage any longer. In some countries, you might have to contact the local office to get your pet booked.

I sent the pdf Petsafe booking form at petsafe@united.com and I was informed to contact the local office. They gave me the wrong number so be sure to double check for yourself if you are calling the right one. If you booked a flight using a travel agent, you can tell them to inform the airline you chose that you will be bringing a pet with you. They might also provide you with a list of numbers to contact. If you are in the Philippines, Rapid Cargo is the cargo company that works with United Airlines. They will send you a form once you contact them, and they will correspond with the local UA office in the country. The UA local office is very unreliable. Sometimes they won't even pick up the phone. I called to book my pet 1 week in advance and they said that everything should be set once I sent in the form I got from rapid cargo but I never heard anything from them about pricing or confirmation until I raged and called them 3-4 times 2-3 days before my flight. I called them every single day before that. They told me that they needed confirmation from Petsafe since they never got that pdf form that I sent 1 week in advance! So a tip, e-mail petsafe@united.com the pdf form you can get on their website. Then call the local office and ask for someone's email address so you can forward them the e-mail that you sent to petsafe. Be firm with them or they will just sit on their butts and do nothing.

I believe that Delta still ships pets as checked baggage and is a lot cheaper than United Airlines. You can search for that information online to check. Philippine Airlines charges 200%-300%excess baggage rate + extra 100% for additional 10kgs. I suggest not only to look at which airline will fly your pet cheaply but also try to research their quality of service when it comes to handling pets. We don't want our pooches to get treated horribly at our expense!

Step 3: Prepare Your Dog For Flying

Contact the airline company and ask for information on what they require from you if you are taking your dog. You might have to call their local office to check. You can also go on their websites for information. United Airlines and Delta airlines have forms you have to fill up to book your pet. The website will also provide you with information on whether or not they will accept the kind of dog you have. Some airlines do not take short nosed breeds for health reasons. You might also want to check the kennel size that is appropriate for the airline you chose.

United Airlines has a guide on their website on the acceptable shipping kennel sizes. Other websites also offer the same information as well as the type of acceptable kennels. The dog must be able to move freely inside the kennel. For my 10lb dog, I bought a 27x20x19 kennel. You will also need to buy food bowls you can attach inside the kennel. You can even watch videos on youtube on how to prepare your dog for a flight.

The biggest thing you have to do to prepare is to get your pet accustomed to the kennel and being by itself. You don't want your dog barking the entire time it's inside the crate especially once you are at the airport as it might get turned away. Do this at least 1 month in advance. My dog learned pretty quickly. I placed snacks in there and fed her there. You might want to include a t-shirt you slept in inside the kennel so your dog can smell you even when you are away and feel comforted by it. That's what I did. I also brought a calming collar for my dog.

Step 4: Country Requirements

You need to get health certificates, vaccination card and perhaps an exit/export permit from your country. It depends on your country. For the Philippines those are the things we need to ship a pet out of the country. The US requires to see Health Certificates and Vaccination cards proving that your dog is free of rabies and swineworm infection. Take note that the Certificate is only valid for 10 days and that is why this is step 4. While you are getting your dog accustomed to its kennel, you can work on getting the vaccination card from your vet and then get the health certificate at most 5 days before your flight to make room for changes. Don't do it too early because the count starts from the date that is stamped on your health certificate. So if your flight leaves on the 10th of the month don't get the certificate on the 1st day of the month.

Step 5: Final Step

Once you have confirmed that your pet has been booked, the kennel well prepared and the certificates, export permits, vaccination cards have been acquired, then you are ready to take your pet to the US. Bring your dog to the cargo bay or the airport, whichever one applies, pay the fee and say goodbye.

OH! Walk your dog for at least an hour beforehand. Get rid of all its excess energy before the flight so that they just lay down and sleep in the kennel and make less of a fuss when you leave.

I hope that this guide helps everyone interested in bringing their dogs with them to the US! Bon Voyage!

[mikey and lizzie 0]

Hi AL & JM.. Thanks again for the replies.. I already contacted the people at AIRSPEED and was unable to speak to the person u were referring, however I spoke to Nancy and she sent me requirements that were needed for pet travel. One more thing, do I need any documents to show at the immigration in the United States when my dog gets there or when I'm going to pick him up from there?

[HELP me please 17]

Hi AL & JM.. Thanks again for the replies.. I already contacted the people at AIRSPEED and was unable to speak to the person u were referring, however I spoke to Nancy and she sent me requirements that were needed for pet travel. One more thing, do I need any documents to show at the immigration in the United States when my dog gets there or when I'm going to pick him up from there?

No, you will not need any extra documents to show them. The documents that you need to give Airspeed such as vaccination card, health certificate and vet certificate, will accompany your dog. Either they will forward it to Delta and they will handle it themselves or they will attach it to the kennel. When you get to your destination to claim your dog, they would have already cleared it with customs. If they have not, they will give you a copy of everything they have of your dog (i.e copies of all the required documents you have already submitted) and they will tell you to go to customs in person to get it stamped.

[rociellen 1]

good day , just wanted to ask more, about your experience,. just wondering also how can i obtain the export permit?...

[SennaBrigante 92]

Very useful! I researched this too when I thought I would be bringing one of my dogs to the US but decided against it.

I had someone recommend South Korean Air for dog transport.