TRAVELLING WITH YOUR PET
Travelling with your pet can be a mutually stressful time. Whether it be by car, plane or train there are steps you can take to make this as smooth as possible. Pets can travel with their owners safely and happily with a bit of research.
Purchase an appropriate sized pet carrier for your friend. You want to ensure they are secure and safe while they are travelling.
- Make sure all screws on the carrier are tight, and don’t lock the door in case of an emergency
- Provide your pet with a familiar toy or blanket so they are comforted during travel
- A container of water should be secured inside the carrier
- If travelling by plane, try and travel at off-peak hours, and take non-stop flights
- Sedate your pet only on the advice of your veterinarian. Sedation may lead to serious complications, such as inhibiting your pet’s ability to regulate body temperature or by making it more susceptible to breathing problems
PLANNING TO TAKE YOUR PET OUT OF THE COUNTRY?
Moving your pet to another country is a complicated and heavily regulated process. All countries have different requirements that need to be met by you before your pet is allowed to enter that country. Your pet must also meet the requirements of any country that you travel through (stop-over) en route to your final destination. Depending on the countries you travel to/through and your pet’s history of vaccinations, it may take as long as 6-8 months to prepare your pet for entry into some countries. So please start your preparations now. Even if your plans change, it is better to have started the process than to find you have left things too late for your pet to join you.
Regulations are very specific, and the Officials are unforgiving if not all requirements are met, down to each detail. Officials do not hesitate to refuse a pet entry into a country if the paper work is not filled out in completion, signatures appropriate and timeline specifications between treatments and departures adhered to. There are even requirements about how the certificates are printed from your computer (double sided, legal or letter size), blue ink, BLOCK letters and dates recorded according to ISO standards. You must read all information in strict detail. It could cost you thousands of dollars to have your pet shipped back to Canada, and to co-ordinate their care from out of the country. Some pets may be quarantined for 6 months, or even destroyed, as a last resort, if they are unable to enter the country.
Don’t Make this Mistake!
Many people make the mistake of only reading a single source of information, i.e.; only the internet, only contacting the consulate, or only considering their country of destination instead of including the countries the plane stops en route. Many of these information sources may only provide you with partial or incomplete information. You must contact all information sources for the complete requirements.
Who to contact:
Call the consulate of the country of your destination AND the countries you propose to pass through. Ask for paperwork and requirements. See the CFIA website for paperwork requirements. You can also call your local CFIA office at 905-937-7434,they are located at 350 Ontario Street, St. Catharines.
Read all the information. Then select your country of destination, and countries you will travel through. Read carefully! You can print these documents but many will require legal size paper, double sided printing (this may not be indicated in the online information!).
You will need CFIA Veterinarian to sign off on your final paperwork when completed, so you will need to schedule an appointment with them prior to departure. This office is also very informed as to the requirements that you need to meet. They are happy to help walk you through the process and ensure you have everything completed as necessary. We strongly advise that you contact them early in the process for assistance!
Go online to the International Air Transport Association for requirements for shipping pets by air.
How can we help?
As licensed veterinarians (we are not “Government”, “Official” or “Competent Authority” veterinarians, these are the CFIA Veterinarians), we can facilitate the required health examinations, vaccinations, microchipping, serological testing (Rabies titres), and treatment for external parasites. We provide the initial signature, but then you must contact the CFIA office for one of their veterinarians to review your paperwork and provide the final signature. Please be aware there is a fee for the CFIA service.
What We Need to Help You:
- date of departure
- country of destination
- countries travelling en route to your destination
- microchip information (if already done), microchip number, manufacturer and who implanted the chip
- last three years of vaccination history if not done by our hospital (certificates with signatures need to be included)
- any paperwork provided by the CFIA, consulate and internet as it pertains to your planned travel
All of the above information must be dropped off at Upper Canada Animal Hospital a MINIMUM of ONE WEEK before your first appointment with the Doctor. The Doctor will review your information in advance and prepare the appropriate treatments and documentation for your appointment. Further appointments may be necessary at a later date.
Best wishes for a safe trip!
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