FLYING WITH (LARGE) DOGS - CHECKLIST & INFO SWAP

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

Hi everyone, this website is fab and thank you to everyone for their input, because without it, we woulld all be quite a bit closer to being cluless on this whole process.

So, anyway, my fiancee and I are currently in the US together (I flew over on the VWP on June 28th and I'm returning home on Sept 22nd) and whilst I'm here we sent off the I-129F petition and we've just had back our NOA1! Yay! I know we're just at the beginning but we've been talking about marriage, getting enagaged and the whole process of obtaining the K1 visa for at least 8 months now, so we're just so relieved that we're finally on our way now.

My main question however, is about travelling with dogs - particuarly large dogs. I have a labrador, called Honey, and as she is our pride and joy we have to bring her over with us. We're making loose plans for the wedding for the end of June next year but I'm hoping as soon as I have my visa in hand, I'll travel over to the US to get settled before the wedding. So hopefully, fingers crossed, all going well we should be travelling from the UK to the US April-ish time?? So it wont be too hot. We want to fly from Birmingham to Newark as travelling to London will be far too stressful with a dog that is very nervous and anxious anyway. Kennelling overnight is not an option either.

The reason I've made a new topic is because I looked on here and couldn't seem to find the info I really need. I have contacted my vet about moving Honey to the States and they dont seem to know anything. So I contacted a different vet, she told me the same, only to get in touch with DEFRA and get back to them with what the requirements are for Honey to enter the States. I have contacted DEFRA and the Kennel Club, and have had no such luck. They don't return phone calls or emails, so I just have to take matters into my own hands and find out what requirements she needs, elsewhere.

I would love to hear from someone the steps I need to take in order to get her ready for flying.

Info Ive managed to gather so far includes-

She has to have a rabbies vaccination and a blood test to prove the shot is effective.

I've also heard she needs to be microchipped - we aldready did this when she was a puppy.

Fit to fly certificate - within 10 days of flying.

Ok, so to me, this info leaves lots of gaps:

Can anyone tell me whether they recommend going with a pet travel company or organising it all myself?

How shall I book the flight? Well in advance? By phone or online? - I've heard she needs to be booked on the flight also...

Should I think about buying a container now to get her acustomed to it well in advance?

Is dog food permitted during travel?

How much water is permitted to drink during travel?

What other documentation do I need for her travel?

We are flying from Birmingham to Newark - does anyone have any experiences of travelling with pets within these two airports?

How far in advance do I need to get her rabies vaccine done?

Has anyone experienced travelling with their pets and Continental Airlines?

Are there any other steps I can take to be really prepared?

Overall, I'd love to start this thread to help people prepare for travelling with their pet (particuarly large dogs). Its stressful enough, this huge transisiton into a new life for us. But its a whole other issue, transporting our beloved pet too. So I was hoping everyone can pull together and help each other out.

Thanks to all of you!!

xx

Heres our baby:

hope the pic shows up

Edited July 20, 2009 by RUSSandRACHEL

[English Muffin 59]

We have this sticky at the top of the page http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=123420

I haven't read it myself so I'm not sure how useful it will be to you but I thought I'd point it out.

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

Oh I just thought Id shre this with anyone whos interested. My fiance works for Petco here and he found this for us:

http://www.petco.com/product/6140/Lixit-Do...at=OnSiteSearch

Its a water bottle for dogs! I dont think you can get that kind of thing in the UK.

Also, I happened to come across this:

http://www.vetgb.com/vetgb_shop_3.php?cate...;product_id=all

A DAP Hormone that mothers naturally release to their puppies to reassure them to eliminate stress. I thought this was a great idea to spray on the crate!

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

We have this sticky at the top of the page http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=123420

I haven't read it myself so I'm not sure how useful it will be to you but I thought I'd point it out.

Thank you English Muffin, thats a really helpful topic, but I still couldnt find what I wanted to know on there, so I though it best to start a new topic just for dogs where people can share info. Thank you though!!

[MissStacey 1]

She's Beautiful!!

I found this link on the Continental website:

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/conte...ls/default.aspx

[MissStacey 1]

As far as her being in a crate or kennel- if it something she is not used to, I would try to get her adjusted to that. As far as food and water- I would assume the food and water may be knocked around in flight and just make a mess in the kennel.

You may also want to talk to your vet about giving her something before she gets on the plane- to relax her.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

make sure you are sitting down when you price shipping her. It is very expensive

[Rebster 0]

As far as her being in a crate or kennel- if it something she is not used to, I would try to get her adjusted to that. As far as food and water- I would assume the food and water may be knocked around in flight and just make a mess in the kennel.

You may also want to talk to your vet about giving her something before she gets on the plane- to relax her.

Actually you should NOT sedate your animal. Most carriers will not transport an animal that has been sedated.

As for paperwork, if you have completed the PETS Scheme you will be more than prepared. You'll have to have the worming/tick treatment done just prior to departure but everything else will be already completed. The USDA is the authority over animal transport here and they are not nearly as strict as DEFRA. Rabies jab and certification of health is all they require. (Microchipping is not required by USDA, that is a DEFRA requirement)

When we brought our dogs & cat to the US there was a USDA rep there to verify everything was in order but it was a simple process. The only thing they asked about was if their food contained meat (I guess that's a no-no) but as it was dry kibble they let us through without any issue.

We didn't fly them (we came over on the Queen Mary) but I had flown my cat to the UK a couple of years earlier. I put food in her crate as well as freezing some water in her dish (so it could melt during the trip and not be spilt during the loading.) I had started to use a transport company but ended up doing it myself through BA Cargo. The company I almost used (AirAnimal) has a great website with lots of information. Also check the airlines websites as they will give you specifics regarding required crate sizes.

Good luck and feel free to PM for more info!

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

Actually you should NOT sedate your animal. Most carriers will not transport an animal that has been sedated.

As for paperwork, if you have completed the PETS Scheme you will be more than prepared. You'll have to have the worming/tick treatment done just prior to departure but everything else will be already completed. The USDA is the authority over animal transport here and they are not nearly as strict as DEFRA. Rabies jab and certification of health is all they require. (Microchipping is not required by USDA, that is a DEFRA requirement)

When we brought our dogs & cat to the US there was a USDA rep there to verify everything was in order but it was a simple process. The only thing they asked about was if their food contained meat (I guess that's a no-no) but as it was dry kibble they let us through without any issue.

We didn't fly them (we came over on the Queen Mary) but I had flown my cat to the UK a couple of years earlier. I put food in her crate as well as freezing some water in her dish (so it could melt during the trip and not be spilt during the loading.) I had started to use a transport company but ended up doing it myself through BA Cargo. The company I almost used (AirAnimal) has a great website with lots of information. Also check the airlines websites as they will give you specifics regarding required crate sizes.

Good luck and feel free to PM for more info!

Thank you so much for your helpful answer. So, in order, what are the steps I need to take next? My vet wants to 'get sorted with the pet passport'. What does that mean? Is that the PETS travel scheme for the UK? Isn't that only for travel back into the UK?

And how far ahead do her rabies vaccinations need to be carried out?

Also, I didnt know about the flea and worming treatment!! How far ahead does that need to be done and soes it have to be verified with paperwork from a vet?

Sorry for all the questions, its just I'm really interested to hear from someone who has been through the same experience! Thanks!!

Rachel

[Rebster 0]

Yes, the pet passport (PETS Scheme) is only if you intend to bring your dog back to the UK (or another EU country.) If you are leaving forever and have no intention of going back, then you do not need to have it completed. However, I would strongly suggest you do. You never know what can happen and how you will feel in a years time.

DEFRA requires you to 1st) microchip your dog, 2nd) get the rabies jab, 3rd) have a titre drawn to check immunity to rabies, 4th) have a physical with worming/tick treatment just prior to departure. Any veterinarian office should be familiar with the process and have no issue completing the paperwork. They have the forms so you don't need to obtain them yourself. All of these steps are to ensure you can bring your dog back into the country without having to put Honey into quarantine.

By contrast, all the USDA needs is proof of rabies jab (they don't care when it was given as long as it is still current) and a certification by a vet that the animal is healthy enough to travel. The carrier will also require the worming/tick treatment just prior to departure.

Have a look at the links above to the two agencies.

Also, make sure you have checked out the airline's policy regarding the crate you use for Honey. They have requirements for size (to prevent the animal being in too small of a crate) and materials (it must be sturdy/stackable.) And I noticed you said you thought that you had to be on the same flight - that is not true. I shipped my cat via BA a few days before I flew over.

It's a lot to sort through but lots of us have done it. So ask away and I'm sure everyone else will chime in with their experiences.

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

Yes, the pet passport (PETS Scheme) is only if you intend to bring your dog back to the UK (or another EU country.) If you are leaving forever and have no intention of going back, then you do not need to have it completed. However, I would strongly suggest you do. You never know what can happen and how you will feel in a years time.

DEFRA requires you to 1st) microchip your dog, 2nd) get the rabies jab, 3rd) have a titre drawn to check immunity to rabies, 4th) have a physical with worming/tick treatment just prior to departure. Any veterinarian office should be familiar with the process and have no issue completing the paperwork. They have the forms so you don't need to obtain them yourself. All of these steps are to ensure you can bring your dog back into the country without having to put Honey into quarantine.

By contrast, all the USDA needs is proof of rabies jab (they don't care when it was given as long as it is still current) and a certification by a vet that the animal is healthy enough to travel. The carrier will also require the worming/tick treatment just prior to departure.

Have a look at the links above to the two agencies.

Also, make sure you have checked out the airline's policy regarding the crate you use for Honey. They have requirements for size (to prevent the animal being in too small of a crate) and materials (it must be sturdy/stackable.) And I noticed you said you thought that you had to be on the same flight - that is not true. I shipped my cat via BA a few days before I flew over.

It's a lot to sort through but lots of us have done it. So ask away and I'm sure everyone else will chime in with their experiences.

Thank you so much for your reply! You have no idea how much your info has helped our situation!!! I have just emailed my vets with all of the information you gave me and I also found out all the requirements actually on the DEFRA website, just to double check. I don't know why I didn't find them before. But thank you so much!

I didnt get the two links you asked me to look at, though. Could you send them again, if you don't mind?

So, I travel home on September 22nd (I'm with my fiance in the US at the moment) and when I get home I'll have an appointment to start the application for the Pet Passport - I'm going with your recommendation of getting one to be on the safe side - and Honey will have her annual booster done at the same time. We also need to get looking into crates too. Oh and I also managed to obtain the cargo phone number at Birmingham Airport for more information! The ball is finally rolling... Just waiting on our NOA2 now...

Today is such a good day... I had my wedding dress delivered this morning (its beautiful!) our gazebo for the ceremony by the beach is provisionally reserved (just in case we need to change the wedding date because of USCIS) and I finally feel like Im getting somewhere with transporting our Honey! Yay!

Thanks again!!! You're a star!

Rachel xx

Edited July 24, 2009 by RUSSandRACHEL

[backeast09 0]

hello...

it is HELL!!

i have a biggish dog. she is not much bigger than a labby, but the crate i had to get for her was custom made because no one could decide which of the varikennels was the right one, the giagantic one is too big and the next size down is too small, it has to be fitted with food and waterbowl, attached to the crate, extra food can be attached in a bag to the crate, (the whole thing gets xrayed, dog and all) you can throw in a t shirt or towel but no toys. someone has already sent you a link to continental (which is the airline i used both times) this tells you the dimensions of the crate you need and how to measure your dog...get your crate well before your journey and get your dog accustomed to it, dont force her...just throw a treat in now and again and leave the door open. depending where you are flying to your dog is in the crate for longer than 8 hours...i dont care what the airlines say about the length of time in a crate...it is bull...the trip out she was crated for 17 hours and the return trip she was crated for 19 hours. we went from glasgow to newark outbound and newark to manchester inbound. do not put your dog in the crate until you are absolutly ready to leave her...you only need 2 hours for yourself to check in and board...and as long as you give yourself enough time to do the doggy paperwork you will be ok to catch your flight in plenty of time, i have heard people arriving 6- 8 hours before the flight and booking the dog in 6 hours prior to the flight just adds to your dogs stress...booking in isnt that hard...everything else is! its the other side that takes time!!

injections are needed, you need to keep her updated with her yearly injections and get a rabies injection about 1 and half months before your flight, the rabies injection has to be done AT LEAST 30 days anyway, because she will need a blood test (serology test) after 30 days to make sure she has enough of the vaccine (this you need to get intouch with USDA - APHIS on the usa side, that is the usa version of DEFRA, i called a guy called Rocky in NJ...each state has different rules on rabies and importing pets. he can advise you for NJ but i doubt any other state, but he can at least point you in the right direction!)

this is where it gets fun...the uk rabies injection is valid for 3 years (verbac) but, the usa rabies injection is one year...so if you are considering leaving the usa to return to the uk...you will be faced with even more hell trying to get your dog out! look at it like...dog stays there whatever happens.

she needs to be microchiped, you need a usa reconised microchip or have the equipment to read it attached to the crate...most vets use nationally reconised microchips. make sure the vet reads it every time she visits the vet...they tend to move...and make sure that the export company at the departing airport also read it prior to you leaving her with them.

make sure ALL your paperwork is correct, dated, signed etc...important that the rabies injection has a date on it! (if just for future)

most uk vets dont really know what to do...but, it is a good idea to do some research into vets, calling and asking them if they have experience of exporting to the usa...although everyone has to start somewhere it is a lot easier having a vet who at least has some insight into this.

on the usa side, there are lots of vets who are 'international vets'

she will also need a health check 10 days prior to flight, if you do this about a week before your flight it will give you a few days to cover accidents, missing the flight, missinformation, or just the weather, the certificate is provided and has to co-inside with your flight, most airports have a summer and winter embargo...as in, to hot and to cold, best to check that with the airline, they wont fly pets if it is too hot on either the uk (LMAO) side or the usa side and the same for too cold.

you dog has to be on the same flight as you...you cant send your dog on her own and your partner collect her...thought i cant see how this makes a difference...as if i never asked about my dog...no one else would bother to ask me!

DEFRA (who thought my dog was a snake!) do not really have a clue about american regulations, and on the other side USDA - APHIS dont really have a clue on UK regulations! but...all the airlines stick to the rules and the rules cover all of them. (im not sure of the links i found helpful...ill dig them out later)

you have to use an export company for your dog, this is since 9/11...i used 'pets on jets' to leave the uk...and 'airborne animals' to return (sally has a lot of info!) though both times was in excess of $2000 not to mention all the vet bills and stress for myself and my dog. (if you had a yorkie she could sit on your knee! lol) book in advance...they only carry 2 dogs in cargo on any one flight apparently.

once on the usa side, you will have to pay about $50 to get her out of customs...then you are both FREE!!! but, you need to get her registered with the township, youll get a little disc and it cost me about $11 for a year.

if you can think of anything i have missed or have any more questions, i can try an help...everyones process is different.

oh yes...tick and tape treatment 48 hours prior to depature carried out by the vet...tick carries lymes disease...google it...its nasty

a little story -

i returned to the uk with my pooch, paid out over $2000 to get her home, in boarding my flight in newark, i asked a steward if my dog was on the flight, he went to check and came back and told me she was still on the runway waiting until the doors on the plane were shut to be loaded into cargo (for some reason this effects air conditioning in cargo) i never heard no more, i sat the entire flight not knowing if my dog was loaded or not...the steward couldnt tell me anything else once the doors were closed! so 7.5hours later i get off the plane in manchester expecting to see my dog sitting on the runway, already off loaded...nothing...i go through the airport and head for information, ive no idea where to collect her...im told eventually to go somewhere off the M56 and they will help, so eventually we find 'pets on jets' in manchester and the girl there has no idea that a dog was coming in...im getting all worked up now, thinking my dog was still in newark...she sends me to servisair (who are something to do with customs and imports) and i ask where my dog is...they have no idea neither...time is passing and my dog is no where to be seen...still sitting in a crate somewhere...i stand in the reception listening to a member of staff tell others about his conquest the night before and f'ing and blin'ing while i am in tears because it is now 5 hours since i got off the plane...my dog still no where to be seen...occasionaly someone comes to the window saying sorry,...sorry...frikin sorry doesnt help me or my dog!! then a guy comes through and he has found my dog...sitting on the runway...she was loaded off the plane and left there...the plane i arrived on had since loaded and left...i was fuming...my dog might be a toughy type dog...but she is a real softy and was probably petrified at all these planes reving up and taking off...

i had to fill in more paperwork and go back to pets on jets(they are the importers) the woman there explained to me that no one had filled the paperwork in on the usa side...for frikin $2000+ you would have thought that someone did their job properly! she let my girl through who tried so hard to jump the counter to get to me...knocking me on my backside and licking me to death...

didnt stop me from being p***ed about her being left on manchester runway though.

i hope your journey is less stressful than mine was...both times.

Edited July 25, 2009 by backeast09

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

hello...

it is HELL!!

i have a biggish dog. she is not much bigger than a labby, but the crate i had to get for her was custom made because no one could decide which of the varikennels was the right one, the giagantic one is too big and the next size down is too small, it has to be fitted with food and waterbowl, attached to the crate, extra food can be attached in a bag to the crate, (the whole thing gets xrayed, dog and all) you can throw in a t shirt or towel but no toys. someone has already sent you a link to continental (which is the airline i used both times) this tells you the dimensions of the crate you need and how to measure your dog...get your crate well before your journey and get your dog accustomed to it, dont force her...just throw a treat in now and again and leave the door open. depending where you are flying to your dog is in the crate for longer than 8 hours...i dont care what the airlines say about the length of time in a crate...it is bull...the trip out she was crated for 17 hours and the return trip she was crated for 19 hours. we went from glasgow to newark outbound and newark to manchester inbound. do not put your dog in the crate until you are absolutly ready to leave her...you only need 2 hours for yourself to check in and board...and as long as you give yourself enough time to do the doggy paperwork you will be ok to catch your flight in plenty of time, i have heard people arriving 6- 8 hours before the flight and booking the dog in 6 hours prior to the flight just adds to your dogs stress...booking in isnt that hard...everything else is! its the other side that takes time!!

injections are needed, you need to keep her updated with her yearly injections and get a rabies injection about 1 and half months before your flight, the rabies injection has to be done AT LEAST 30 days anyway, because she will need a blood test (serology test) after 30 days to make sure she has enough of the vaccine (this you need to get intouch with USDA - APHIS on the usa side, that is the usa version of DEFRA, i called a guy called Rocky in NJ...each state has different rules on rabies and importing pets. he can advise you for NJ but i doubt any other state, but he can at least point you in the right direction!)

this is where it gets fun...the uk rabies injection is valid for 3 years (verbac) but, the usa rabies injection is one year...so if you are considering leaving the usa to return to the uk...you will be faced with even more hell trying to get your dog out! look at it like...dog stays there whatever happens.

she needs to be microchiped, you need a usa reconised microchip or have the equipment to read it attached to the crate...most vets use nationally reconised microchips. make sure the vet reads it every time she visits the vet...they tend to move...and make sure that the export company at the departing airport also read it prior to you leaving her with them.

make sure ALL your paperwork is correct, dated, signed etc...important that the rabies injection has a date on it! (if just for future)

most uk vets dont really know what to do...but, it is a good idea to do some research into vets, calling and asking them if they have experience of exporting to the usa...although everyone has to start somewhere it is a lot easier having a vet who at least has some insight into this.

on the usa side, there are lots of vets who are 'international vets'

she will also need a health check 10 days prior to flight, if you do this about a week before your flight it will give you a few days to cover accidents, missing the flight, missinformation, or just the weather, the certificate is provided and has to co-inside with your flight, most airports have a summer and winter embargo...as in, to hot and to cold, best to check that with the airline, they wont fly pets if it is too hot on either the uk (LMAO) side or the usa side and the same for too cold.

you dog has to be on the same flight as you...you cant send your dog on her own and your partner collect her...thought i cant see how this makes a difference...as if i never asked about my dog...no one else would bother to ask me!

DEFRA (who thought my dog was a snake!) do not really have a clue about american regulations, and on the other side USDA - APHIS dont really have a clue on UK regulations! but...all the airlines stick to the rules and the rules cover all of them. (im not sure of the links i found helpful...ill dig them out later)

you have to use an export company for your dog, this is since 9/11...i used 'pets on jets' to leave the uk...and 'airborne animals' to return (sally has a lot of info!) though both times was in excess of $2000 not to mention all the vet bills and stress for myself and my dog. (if you had a yorkie she could sit on your knee! lol) book in advance...they only carry 2 dogs in cargo on any one flight apparently.

once on the usa side, you will have to pay about $50 to get her out of customs...then you are both FREE!!! but, you need to get her registered with the township, youll get a little disc and it cost me about $11 for a year.

if you can think of anything i have missed or have any more questions, i can try an help...everyones process is different.

oh yes...tick and tape treatment 48 hours prior to depature carried out by the vet...tick carries lymes disease...google it...its nasty

a little story -

i returned to the uk with my pooch, paid out over $2000 to get her home, in boarding my flight in newark, i asked a steward if my dog was on the flight, he went to check and came back and told me she was still on the runway waiting until the doors on the plane were shut to be loaded into cargo (for some reason this effects air conditioning in cargo) i never heard no more, i sat the entire flight not knowing if my dog was loaded or not...the steward couldnt tell me anything else once the doors were closed! so 7.5hours later i get off the plane in manchester expecting to see my dog sitting on the runway, already off loaded...nothing...i go through the airport and head for information, ive no idea where to collect her...im told eventually to go somewhere off the M56 and they will help, so eventually we find 'pets on jets' in manchester and the girl there has no idea that a dog was coming in...im getting all worked up now, thinking my dog was still in newark...she sends me to servisair (who are something to do with customs and imports) and i ask where my dog is...they have no idea neither...time is passing and my dog is no where to be seen...still sitting in a crate somewhere...i stand in the reception listening to a member of staff tell others about his conquest the night before and f'ing and blin'ing while i am in tears because it is now 5 hours since i got off the plane...my dog still no where to be seen...occasionaly someone comes to the window saying sorry,...sorry...frikin sorry doesnt help me or my dog!! then a guy comes through and he has found my dog...sitting on the runway...she was loaded off the plane and left there...the plane i arrived on had since loaded and left...i was fuming...my dog might be a toughy type dog...but she is a real softy and was probably petrified at all these planes reving up and taking off...

i had to fill in more paperwork and go back to pets on jets(they are the importers) the woman there explained to me that no one had filled the paperwork in on the usa side...for frikin $2000+ you would have thought that someone did their job properly! she let my girl through who tried so hard to jump the counter to get to me...knocking me on my backside and licking me to death...

didnt stop me from being p***ed about her being left on manchester runway though.

i hope your journey is less stressful than mine was...both times.

Hi backeast09,

Thank you so much for your input! Great to hear your sorry and I'm sorry it was so traumatic! My god! I have to say I felt a little dispondant after reading your story. How awful, your doggy was left on the tarmac with planes arriving and taking off. My poor Honey wouldnt know what to do. But thanks again for all your advice! Its a real help to hear your info! I have contacted USDA APHIS for any requirements specific to NJ - no reply. So I have contacted them again! As far as the requirements that a Vet needs to take care of that won't be a problem. I have even found a pet whos familar with applying for Pet Passports (within the EU though, not really worldwide).

The good news is, I cant see any reason why we would be travelling back to the UK. To be honest I feel terrible putting my dog through the trauma of enduring an 8 hour plus flight, but this is something we HAVE to do. My fiance and I both love her to death and we want her to be with us. I just want to apply for the Pet Passport (even though I dont have to) to cover every eventuality, plus I like the fact that every base is covered.

As far as leaving my dog at the last minute possible, dont you have to drop your dog off at the airports cargo department? That isnt close to the departure terminal where we'll be flying from so we'll try to leave it as late as possible but we just want to plan it out well, to avoid being stressed to the max.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind me asking a few other questions...

How does it work with the paperwork? Does the airline send you the labels for your pet's crate or do they do it for you when you arrive at Cargo?

What do they actually ask for when your pet is taken away from you?

Also, as you said you flew with Continental. Did your dog fly with 'Quickpak?' (http://cargo.cocargo.com/cargo/products/quickpak/)

And how did you find collecting your dog from Newark?

How do you know where to go for collection? (is it true customs have to wait for a vet to check your dog over before she can be released?)

Can your dog be collected by your fiance? - As I presume I'm going to be interviewed in secondary passport control on arrival as I'll be travelling in on my K1 Visa), I'd really like my fiance to be responsible for collecting this to her to avoid her waiting even longer.

And, I did read one story about how a flight attendant brought part of the crates live animal label (I dont know if it was perforated or something??) to the passenger who the pet belonged to on the plane, so she knew her pet was on board? Did this not happen to you on the way there?

How did you exactly go about booking your dog as cargo? I know you said it's the simplest step, but I just can't figure out who to ring in advance of booking, to get a price etc. The continental website doesnt allow you to book online when you are booking your seat and getting through to Continental for any queries is turning out to be near impossible.

Did you book via the QuickPak Cargo dept and not through Continental directly?

Also, I didint quite understand whether you hired a pet shipping company or not. I ask because the ones Ive contacted say they can provide the crate for me? I was thinking of doing the whole process (to go to the US) ourselves. All of the veterinary requirements and paperwork will be done ourselves, so why should I pay someone who wants to board my dog overnight and then put her on the plane (which is unnecessary anyway)?

Sorry for the million questions! Hope you're having a great day and thanks for helping us out!

ps - any links for more info would be great!

Edited July 25, 2009 by RUSSandRACHEL

[backeast09 0]

hello...

it is HELL!!

i have a biggish dog. she is not much bigger than a labby, but the crate i had to get for her was custom made because no one could decide which of the varikennels was the right one, the giagantic one is too big and the next size down is too small, it has to be fitted with food and waterbowl, attached to the crate, extra food can be attached in a bag to the crate, (the whole thing gets xrayed, dog and all) you can throw in a t shirt or towel but no toys. someone has already sent you a link to continental (which is the airline i used both times) this tells you the dimensions of the crate you need and how to measure your dog...get your crate well before your journey and get your dog accustomed to it, dont force her...just throw a treat in now and again and leave the door open. depending where you are flying to your dog is in the crate for longer than 8 hours...i dont care what the airlines say about the length of time in a crate...it is bull...the trip out she was crated for 17 hours and the return trip she was crated for 19 hours. we went from glasgow to newark outbound and newark to manchester inbound. do not put your dog in the crate until you are absolutly ready to leave her...you only need 2 hours for yourself to check in and board...and as long as you give yourself enough time to do the doggy paperwork you will be ok to catch your flight in plenty of time, i have heard people arriving 6- 8 hours before the flight and booking the dog in 6 hours prior to the flight just adds to your dogs stress...booking in isnt that hard...everything else is! its the other side that takes time!!

injections are needed, you need to keep her updated with her yearly injections and get a rabies injection about 1 and half months before your flight, the rabies injection has to be done AT LEAST 30 days anyway, because she will need a blood test (serology test) after 30 days to make sure she has enough of the vaccine (this you need to get intouch with USDA - APHIS on the usa side, that is the usa version of DEFRA, i called a guy called Rocky in NJ...each state has different rules on rabies and importing pets. he can advise you for NJ but i doubt any other state, but he can at least point you in the right direction!)

this is where it gets fun...the uk rabies injection is valid for 3 years (verbac) but, the usa rabies injection is one year...so if you are considering leaving the usa to return to the uk...you will be faced with even more hell trying to get your dog out! look at it like...dog stays there whatever happens.

she needs to be microchiped, you need a usa reconised microchip or have the equipment to read it attached to the crate...most vets use nationally reconised microchips. make sure the vet reads it every time she visits the vet...they tend to move...and make sure that the export company at the departing airport also read it prior to you leaving her with them.

make sure ALL your paperwork is correct, dated, signed etc...important that the rabies injection has a date on it! (if just for future)

most uk vets dont really know what to do...but, it is a good idea to do some research into vets, calling and asking them if they have experience of exporting to the usa...although everyone has to start somewhere it is a lot easier having a vet who at least has some insight into this.

on the usa side, there are lots of vets who are 'international vets'

she will also need a health check 10 days prior to flight, if you do this about a week before your flight it will give you a few days to cover accidents, missing the flight, missinformation, or just the weather, the certificate is provided and has to co-inside with your flight, most airports have a summer and winter embargo...as in, to hot and to cold, best to check that with the airline, they wont fly pets if it is too hot on either the uk (LMAO) side or the usa side and the same for too cold.

you dog has to be on the same flight as you...you cant send your dog on her own and your partner collect her...thought i cant see how this makes a difference...as if i never asked about my dog...no one else would bother to ask me!

DEFRA (who thought my dog was a snake!) do not really have a clue about american regulations, and on the other side USDA - APHIS dont really have a clue on UK regulations! but...all the airlines stick to the rules and the rules cover all of them. (im not sure of the links i found helpful...ill dig them out later)

you have to use an export company for your dog, this is since 9/11...i used 'pets on jets' to leave the uk...and 'airborne animals' to return (sally has a lot of info!) though both times was in excess of $2000 not to mention all the vet bills and stress for myself and my dog. (if you had a yorkie she could sit on your knee! lol) book in advance...they only carry 2 dogs in cargo on any one flight apparently.

once on the usa side, you will have to pay about $50 to get her out of customs...then you are both FREE!!! but, you need to get her registered with the township, youll get a little disc and it cost me about $11 for a year.

if you can think of anything i have missed or have any more questions, i can try an help...everyones process is different.

oh yes...tick and tape treatment 48 hours prior to depature carried out by the vet...tick carries lymes disease...google it...its nasty

a little story -

i returned to the uk with my pooch, paid out over $2000 to get her home, in boarding my flight in newark, i asked a steward if my dog was on the flight, he went to check and came back and told me she was still on the runway waiting until the doors on the plane were shut to be loaded into cargo (for some reason this effects air conditioning in cargo) i never heard no more, i sat the entire flight not knowing if my dog was loaded or not...the steward couldnt tell me anything else once the doors were closed! so 7.5hours later i get off the plane in manchester expecting to see my dog sitting on the runway, already off loaded...nothing...i go through the airport and head for information, ive no idea where to collect her...im told eventually to go somewhere off the M56 and they will help, so eventually we find 'pets on jets' in manchester and the girl there has no idea that a dog was coming in...im getting all worked up now, thinking my dog was still in newark...she sends me to servisair (who are something to do with customs and imports) and i ask where my dog is...they have no idea neither...time is passing and my dog is no where to be seen...still sitting in a crate somewhere...i stand in the reception listening to a member of staff tell others about his conquest the night before and f'ing and blin'ing while i am in tears because it is now 5 hours since i got off the plane...my dog still no where to be seen...occasionaly someone comes to the window saying sorry,...sorry...frikin sorry doesnt help me or my dog!! then a guy comes through and he has found my dog...sitting on the runway...she was loaded off the plane and left there...the plane i arrived on had since loaded and left...i was fuming...my dog might be a toughy type dog...but she is a real softy and was probably petrified at all these planes reving up and taking off...

i had to fill in more paperwork and go back to pets on jets(they are the importers) the woman there explained to me that no one had filled the paperwork in on the usa side...for frikin $2000+ you would have thought that someone did their job properly! she let my girl through who tried so hard to jump the counter to get to me...knocking me on my backside and licking me to death...

didnt stop me from being p***ed about her being left on manchester runway though.

i hope your journey is less stressful than mine was...both times.

Hi backeast09,

Thank you so much for your input! Great to hear your sorry and I'm sorry it was so traumatic! My god! I have to say I felt a little dispondant after reading your story. How awful, your doggy was left on the tarmac with planes arriving and taking off. My poor Honey wouldnt know what to do. But thanks again for all your advice! Its a real help to hear your info! I have contacted USDA APHIS for any requirements specific to NJ - no reply. So I have contacted them again! As far as the requirements that a Vet needs to take care of that won't be a problem. I have even found a pet whos familar with applying for Pet Passports (within the EU though, not really worldwide).

The good news is, I cant see any reason why we would be travelling back to the UK. To be honest I feel terrible putting my dog through the trauma of enduring an 8 hour plus flight, but this is something we HAVE to do. My fiance and I both love her to death and we want her to be with us. I just want to apply for the Pet Passport (even though I dont have to) to cover every eventuality, plus I like the fact that every base is covered.

As far as leaving my dog at the last minute possible, dont you have to drop your dog off at the airports cargo department? That isnt close to the departure terminal where we'll be flying from so we'll try to leave it as late as possible but we just want to plan it out well, to avoid being stressed to the max.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind me asking a few other questions...

How does it work with the paperwork? Does the airline send you the labels for your pet's crate or do they do it for you when you arrive at Cargo?

What do they actually ask for when your pet is taken away from you?

Also, as you said you flew with Continental. Did your dog fly with 'Quickpak?' (http://cargo.cocargo.com/cargo/products/quickpak/)

And how did you find collecting your dog from Newark?

How do you know where to go for collection? (is it true customs have to wait for a vet to check your dog over before she can be released?)

Can your dog be collected by your fiance? - As I presume I'm going to be interviewed in secondary passport control on arrival as I'll be travelling in on my K1 Visa), I'd really like my fiance to be responsible for collecting this to her to avoid her waiting even longer.

And, I did read one story about how a flight attendant brought part of the crates live animal label (I dont know if it was perforated or something??) to the passenger who the pet belonged to on the plane, so she knew her pet was on board? Did this not happen to you on the way there?

How did you exactly go about booking your dog as cargo? I know you said it's the simplest step, but I just can't figure out who to ring in advance of booking, to get a price etc. The continental website doesnt allow you to book online when you are booking your seat and getting through to Continental for any queries is turning out to be near impossible.

Did you book via the QuickPak Cargo dept and not through Continental directly?

Also, I didint quite understand whether you hired a pet shipping company or not. I ask because the ones Ive contacted say they can provide the crate for me? I was thinking of doing the whole process (to go to the US) ourselves. All of the veterinary requirements and paperwork will be done ourselves, so why should I pay someone who wants to board my dog overnight and then put her on the plane (which is unnecessary anyway)?

Sorry for the million questions! Hope you're having a great day and thanks for helping us out!

ps - any links for more info would be great!

to my knowledge, unless your crate can fit under your seat you cannot book your dog on the flight yourself...you have to use a pet export company...as i did as many other have...expensive!!! the pet export company use quickpak...this is all since 9/11

i used continental to fly both ways, using pets on jets going and airborne animals returning (you say now you have no thought of returning back to the uk...but...i never in a million years thought i would return back here...it took my dad dying to get me back! )

pet passport is only a EU thing...irrelevent as long as all your paperwork is in order.

i cant see why you got no response from APHIS i have called them numerous times and every time my call was answered along with my questions...they are more helpful than DEFRA!!

your fiance can not collect your dog...you have the collection papers when you fly...if customs let your dog go to your fiance who is to say that anyone can walk in and collect her, just because they know there is a dog there...not that it would happen...but still...they have rules.

newark took ages to get through, but it was made easier knowing my husband was on the other side waiting for me. your dog will have to sit it out....unless of course...you have a slack customs officer who just wants the dog to be collected so he can go for lunch!!

the flight attendant bringing a bit of the label...i dont understand this...i didnt get nothing like that going or returning. to my knowledge the flight attendants dont have anything to do with cargo.

the pet export company doesnt board your dog over night unless you request it...you meet them at the airport on the day of your flight...yes, you take her to the cargo...they take her in the crate and xray the whole thing, then you dont see her again until you land in america.

as stressful as it is...i really think you need to find a vet who knows whats what and check and double check your paperwork. find an pet export company they all charge about the same, and i thought trying to save a few pounds irrelevent...the cheaper ones didnt seem to care, didnt have a clue...i do recommend pets on jets, they are based in leeds. google the name and call them, if anything they will give you a lot of information...or point you to where you can find it.

unfortunatly i do think you are going to have to consider that this is going to be expensive.

she is a labby...and so a big dog.

good luck

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

Hi again!

Thanks again for your reply! Its a great help.

The reason why I said I didn't really want her to be boarded overnight is because pet shipping companies I've obtained a quote from in the past have all wanted to do that. I have no problem hiring the services of a pet shipping company though. Money is not the issue. We're by no means rich, but we're well prepared for the costs. My fiancee and I have been discussing this seriously for well over a year. Its not as if the price is really negotiable is it? Lol! We just have to do it! But I've heard on here from people who have shipped their pet (with cargo) themselves without using such company. Hmmm... I don't understand how that works then...

Anyway, I've had a look at Animal Airlines. I did a search and they can arrange flights from Birmingham. Its really important that we travel from Birmingham Airport. We have limited help getting to the airport and travelling down to London is not an option, besides I dont want to put my dog through that aswell. I believe most pet shipping companies in the UK send pets out from the larger airports instead. Have you ever heard of them?

It seems to me that getting into the USA with a pet is a million times easier than returning to the UK!

Well thanks for answering all of my questions. I have requested an quote from Animal Airlines and we'll get the rabies vaccine done when I return home.

Edited July 26, 2009 by RUSSandRACHEL