Information for those interested

Before, after, and during the transfer – all the information

Before flying the dog in, what do you need to know?

Before we get our best friend to an airport at the country of origin and we skip onto the plane, we must first take care of all the bureaucracy involved. For example, the importation license, treatments, implantation of a chip, health certificate, permits etc. Now, let’s get to the details…

First, according to the US Ministry of Agriculture, flying a dog in requires an importation license approved by the manager of veterinary services at the US Ministry of Agriculture. The dog needs to be at least four months old and must have been vaccinated against rabies and worms and must have antibodies to rabies (blood tests). All this must be done by the government vet in the country of origin. Additionally, the government vet must provide you with a health certificate that he has signed, up to 10 days before the planned date of transfer. Likewise, the health certificate must include the following permits: confirmation that the animal was examined and does not show signs of infection or any other contagious disease. There must be confirmation that the rabies vaccine was administered within 12 months of the planned journey and more than one month has passed from the time of vaccination to the arrival of the dog in the US. Confirmation that the rabies antibody level is in accordance with the global standard.

Finally, the permits and certificates (translated into English) must be sent to the veterinary services at the US Ministry of Agriculture. It is important to consider the correspondence times with regards a government body.

During the transfer, it is important to know

At the airport at the country of origin, you will need to get to the Cargo Terminal (and not the passenger’s terminal). There, you will look for the customs broker for the airline your dog is traveling with. You will be asked to present him/her with all the (IATA) permits, and the documents required for them which were described in the previous section. Additionally, present your puppy and the transportation cage. The customs broker will check that the cage complies with the guidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

There are very clear and strict organization regulations with respect to animals during the flight. The regulations require that all the airlines be very gentle and careful with the dogs being transferred in air cargo. Remember, in this case, size really does matter – the transportation cage must be the right size to accommodate the size of the dog, such that it guarantees an appropriate level of comfort during the flight. Make sure that the cage is not built from nets and that it is not on wheels, otherwise you will be refused a permit.

After you have successfully passed the customs broker, in the best case, s/he will provide you with a cargo bill, and if he is unable to do so (there are cases like this), check with the airline if s/he is willing to supply you with a bill without customs brokerage (There are airlines who are prepared to and others that are not.). Let’s stay optimistic.

We’ve arrived in the US. Now what?

If the process in the country of origin took a few hours, the process of coming into the US will be (at least) double that. The reason for this is that you will need to pass through several different bodies to release your best friend from Customs. We’ll start with the payments and tying up the loose ends with the airline, VAT payments, customs, the veterinary examination by a certified vet from the Ministry of Agriculture, and finally, payments for the puppy’s stay at the airport until its full release. When you have heroically (I hope) finished the whole process, you can cuddle and be unified (finally, quietly) with your new love. 😊 I am already so excited for you.

Hi, my name is Valda….

I am happy that you have reached my website and hope that the content helps you at the important stage you are in. As someone who so wanted a particular puppy and was then disappointed by the low standard and high costs that were being offered to us in the US, I totally understand you.

I have a defined vision that I am currently realizing, and it is to allow each and every one of us the dream puppy the he or she really wants. The boutique service I supply to my customers takes away the headaches involved in transportation and promise you a dream puppy that fulfils all your expectations. I am here to provide you with a comprehensive service, full of empathy, and I don’t even expect you to believe me (at this stage), but you will believe what my customers tell you.