Bringing pets to the U.S. from Russia

[norrin 3]

OK My Natasha comes on Thursday! She took Rizhik (her cat) to the vet as she was supposed to for the health certificate and the vet told her that Russian Customs as of November 23 requires yet ANOTHER useless paper to allow the poor cat to get the health certificate and leave the country. The Vet only found out about this yesterday. The paper apparently is.. ok ready guys something called "Requirements for bringing an animal into the United States" AND can only be gotten from ....the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg. The airline knew nothing about any paper, until Monday morning. She is trying to go there on Tuesday morning and find out what this paper is all about however, I have a feeling it is what is on the website and just a requirment list which is nothing for domesticated dogs and cats. The airline requires a rabies vaccination and nothing else. U.S. CDC requires NOTHING. The vet told Natasha that she needed this "form" to be able to issue the health certificate. Probably just something to get another 20,000 roubles or something. Either way Natasha is coming on Thursday with or without Rizhik, RIzhik will fly later if need be. Will update tomorrow.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

OK My Natasha comes on Thursday! She took Rizhik (her cat) to the vet as she was supposed to for the health certificate and the vet told her that Russian Customs as of November 23 requires yet ANOTHER useless paper to allow the poor cat to get the health certificate and leave the country. The Vet only found out about this yesterday. The paper apparently is.. ok ready guys something called "Requirements for bringing an animal into the United States" AND can only be gotten from ....the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg. The airline knew nothing about any paper, until Monday morning. She is trying to go there on Tuesday morning and find out what this paper is all about however, I have a feeling it is what is on the website and just a requirment list which is nothing for domesticated dogs and cats. The airline requires a rabies vaccination and nothing else. U.S. CDC requires NOTHING. The vet told Natasha that she needed this "form" to be able to issue the health certificate. Probably just something to get another 20,000 roubles or something. Either way Natasha is coming on Thursday with or without Rizhik, RIzhik will fly later if need be. Will update tomorrow.

The United States has no particular papers to bring domestic pets. My wife brought a cat and a dog. Dogs are required to have a rabies vaccine at least 30 days before entering the US and not more than one year before. That is all. Ukraine had rules regarding taking a pet OUT of the country, and Russia may have the same, but you wouldn't get the papers in the US consulate. In Ukraine the animals had to have a vet check and a certification of health in order to LEAVE. When she got to the US my wife had only to show the rabies vaccine certificate for the dog. Cats entering the US (and other small domestic animals) do not need a rabies vaccine but will get a health check by a vet at the POE. There was a vet at JFK airport that inspected her animals, it was not aprticular problem but we had to wait for the vet to arrive at the POE from another terminal at the airport.

If the dog does not meet the rabies vaccine requirement, it must be quaratined for 30 days. It can be quarantined in your own home under a vets supervision and then the rabies and quaratine report must be sent in.

I suggest speaking to a vet in Russia, they will know what is required by Russia.

[norrin 3]

Yes she took the cat to the vet and got whatever he needed, then brought the cat 3 days before the flight and was told that they received a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Life on the 23 Nov saying they NOW have to have this Requirement form that has to be gotten from the U.S. Consulate. which of course doesn't and won't have it. Doesn't even deal with it. It is speciffically a Russian thing I guess. However nobody knows where to get this form because everyone says it has to be gotten from the consulate. She just called me at 3 am to tell me the consluate of course told her they had no idea and the airport vet and her vet told her good luck your problem..."It's Russia"

So it looks like Rizhik is not coming....yet.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yes she took the cat to the vet and got whatever he needed, then brought the cat 3 days before the flight and was told that they received a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Life on the 23 Nov saying they NOW have to have this Requirement form that has to be gotten from the U.S. Consulate. which of course doesn't and won't have it. Doesn't even deal with it. It is speciffically a Russian thing I guess. However nobody knows where to get this form because everyone says it has to be gotten from the consulate. She just called me at 3 am to tell me the consluate of course told her they had no idea and the airport vet and her vet told her good luck your problem..."It's Russia"

So it looks like Rizhik is not coming....yet.

They are shaking her down for a bribe. Alla had the same problem. They will come up with last minute "Oh, yeah, we forgot about this" items. She knows how it works. Make it work.

After getting all the proper documents, Alla was held up when leaving at the airport because her document suddenly needed a stamp of some sort from the, who knows, Animal Health Minister, or some such guy that doesn't exist and it would take "three weeks" (everything in Ukraine takes three weeks)

Suffice to say, moments later Alla boarded the flight WITH both animals.

[TracyTN 237]

Moving to 'new life in America' forum.

[norrin 3]

Yes thats what we thought however, The airport vet and the airline say the same. Well what we wound up doing was faking the document. Since nobody ever has seen it or dealt with it and they sure can't call the consulate and find out we just faked it all even the stamps. However as she was going to the vet her nephew's girlfriend came through with her mother who's friend is a vet and since it was the end of the month this friend was at the office filing paperwork (vet administrator) and just gave her the health certificate.. She has to take him to the Airport vet tomorrow (wed morning). Let me tell you that was almost as stressful as the visa process. Ok so everyone will be here Thursday afternoon. I actually contacted my Senator and lo- and behold they called me back and told me they would contact the consulate so they could contact the airport vet departments and the Ministry of bribes or whatever they call it so they will quit sending people to the consulate for a non existent paper. I would have just paid the bribe I told her to but her policy is "I don't pay bribes".

[TracyTN 237]

Eh okay...! LOL What a random a$$ed post! Why the heck would you fake documentation that is pretty easy to get?

I really wouldn't put this out there as 'advice' for others, but that's just me...

[norrin 3]

if you read the whole post I wasn't advising anyone to do anything I was telling everyone what they were requiring you have nothing to do with the Russian forum or Russia so it doesn't need to bother you

[TracyTN 237]

This thread isn't in the Russia forum last time I looked.