Showing 49 posts from February 2009
Name: Gillian
Subject: Animals to Italy
Question: Hello Rachel
You answered questions before for me on taking animals to Italy and how many days they must wait before and after blood tests etc. Thank you for that information.
I now need to know how many animals I can take in in one go. Turkey has a limit of 5 going out as non-commercial cargo, and I have checked with my chosen airline that this is acceptable for them, but I need to be certain that Italian customs will accept 5 animals. Thank you once again.
Answer: Hi Gillian,
Thanks for your inquiry! For pets going into Italy, there is also a limit of 5 to be considered non commercial. So if you have five pets, they will be allowed in but if you have more than five, they will be allowed but it will be considered commercial. Commercial shipments going to Italy will need additional tests.
Have a great trip!
Subject: Animals to Italy
Question: Hello Rachel
You answered questions before for me on taking animals to Italy and how many days they must wait before and after blood tests etc. Thank you for that information.
I now need to know how many animals I can take in in one go. Turkey has a limit of 5 going out as non-commercial cargo, and I have checked with my chosen airline that this is acceptable for them, but I need to be certain that Italian customs will accept 5 animals. Thank you once again.
Answer: Hi Gillian,
Thanks for your inquiry! For pets going into Italy, there is also a limit of 5 to be considered non commercial. So if you have five pets, they will be allowed in but if you have more than five, they will be allowed but it will be considered commercial. Commercial shipments going to Italy will need additional tests.
Have a great trip!
This is a guest post from our Latin & South America Specialist, Mathews:
A few weeks ago, the Pet Relocation family facilitated quite an interesting relocation consisting of two dogs traveling from Michigan to Brazil. The unique thing about this particular move is that one of the dogs - a 4 year old, 60 lb, Vizsla - just happened to be diagnosed with a fairly severe case of kennel aggression while the owner was attempting crate training prior to the date of travel. This posed a good-sized problem for two main reasons:
1) If the dog was too aggressive upon check-in at the airport, airline officials were well within their rights to refuse handling, boarding, or acceptance of the pet, regardless of any prior
2) If the dog was deemed a hazard upon entry into a foreign country, in this case Brazil, the border veterinarian responsible for customs clearance might order the pet euthanized or put on the next flight back to the United States at the owner’s expense.
To address the first issue I contacted the airline’s cargo department to inquire about their policies concerning crate aggressive animals. I was told that if the dog arrives and the cargo employees are uncomfortable loading the kennel onto the plane, then the dog would be refused boarding. Given that the vast majority of travel kennels are made of plastic, have four sides of ventilation, and no handles, there isn’t a whole lot to protect a person from a severely angry pet. This left us with the option of having a sturdier, custom kennel built to fit both the dog’s, and the airline’s, specifications. The kennel was constructed of ¾-inch, heat-treated plywood to provide maximum security and included a pallet base for use with a forklift to allow cargo employees an option if they did not want to physically handle the crate. No worries there - now the first obstacle was taken care of!
The second hurdle proved a relatively easy-fix as well. I simply contacted the border vet in Brazil and detailed the situation to prevent any surprises upon arrival. He was very understanding and said that he’d actually allow the dog’s owner into the bonded area of the airport where the inspection takes place, just in case officials needed a helping hand. In a case like this, honesty and advance notice made this aspect of the move so much easier.
Then came the day of the move. To begin, the dog ended up not being very crate aggressive at all. Granted, he was a little flustered, but it ultimately ended up as a prime example of “pet owner embellishment”, and in all actuality, this was a very nice dog that would have been perfectly fine in a normal travel kennel. This turned out to be a very good thing, because upon check-in, we were informed by the airline that the aircraft we had originally booked service on was out for repairs and a smaller aircraft was taking it’s place – an aircraft too small to accommodate the custom kennel we had built specifically for this trip. Luckily, we came prepared with a standard travel kennel as well and transferred our peaceful friend to his new crate, after which, he did just fine.
Upon arrival in Brazil, customs officials noted that he was a great illustration of the ideal furry traveler and showed no signs of aggression – just excitement to see his owner. The move was a resounding success!
So, the moral here? While all of our concerns ended up being for naught, the attention to detail provided, along with the anticipation of all outcomes and possibilities, allowed us to be prepared for anything a move like this can throw our way and ensured that this pet truly made it “home” safe and sound.
A few weeks ago, the Pet Relocation family facilitated quite an interesting relocation consisting of two dogs traveling from Michigan to Brazil. The unique thing about this particular move is that one of the dogs - a 4 year old, 60 lb, Vizsla - just happened to be diagnosed with a fairly severe case of kennel aggression while the owner was attempting crate training prior to the date of travel. This posed a good-sized problem for two main reasons:
1) If the dog was too aggressive upon check-in at the airport, airline officials were well within their rights to refuse handling, boarding, or acceptance of the pet, regardless of any prior
2) If the dog was deemed a hazard upon entry into a foreign country, in this case Brazil, the border veterinarian responsible for customs clearance might order the pet euthanized or put on the next flight back to the United States at the owner’s expense.
To address the first issue I contacted the airline’s cargo department to inquire about their policies concerning crate aggressive animals. I was told that if the dog arrives and the cargo employees are uncomfortable loading the kennel onto the plane, then the dog would be refused boarding. Given that the vast majority of travel kennels are made of plastic, have four sides of ventilation, and no handles, there isn’t a whole lot to protect a person from a severely angry pet. This left us with the option of having a sturdier, custom kennel built to fit both the dog’s, and the airline’s, specifications. The kennel was constructed of ¾-inch, heat-treated plywood to provide maximum security and included a pallet base for use with a forklift to allow cargo employees an option if they did not want to physically handle the crate. No worries there - now the first obstacle was taken care of!
The second hurdle proved a relatively easy-fix as well. I simply contacted the border vet in Brazil and detailed the situation to prevent any surprises upon arrival. He was very understanding and said that he’d actually allow the dog’s owner into the bonded area of the airport where the inspection takes place, just in case officials needed a helping hand. In a case like this, honesty and advance notice made this aspect of the move so much easier.
Then came the day of the move. To begin, the dog ended up not being very crate aggressive at all. Granted, he was a little flustered, but it ultimately ended up as a prime example of “pet owner embellishment”, and in all actuality, this was a very nice dog that would have been perfectly fine in a normal travel kennel. This turned out to be a very good thing, because upon check-in, we were informed by the airline that the aircraft we had originally booked service on was out for repairs and a smaller aircraft was taking it’s place – an aircraft too small to accommodate the custom kennel we had built specifically for this trip. Luckily, we came prepared with a standard travel kennel as well and transferred our peaceful friend to his new crate, after which, he did just fine.
Upon arrival in Brazil, customs officials noted that he was a great illustration of the ideal furry traveler and showed no signs of aggression – just excitement to see his owner. The move was a resounding success!
So, the moral here? While all of our concerns ended up being for naught, the attention to detail provided, along with the anticipation of all outcomes and possibilities, allowed us to be prepared for anything a move like this can throw our way and ensured that this pet truly made it “home” safe and sound.
This is a guest post from our Domestic Pet Relocation Specialist, Marcus:Dear Marcus:
I am thinking about moving my dog soon but he hates his crate. Any advice?
-Martha & JoJo the Lab Mix
Marcus's Reply:
Crate training. It's been discussed before, and I will discuss it again as it is that important. It is the #1 thing you can do to help your pet to be more comfortable on their trip. So if you know you are going to be traveling, even if it's not until six months from now, go out today, this weekend, or the next chance you get, to your local pet store and pick one up. The sooner you acclimate your pet to this carrier the better. Your pet needs to see this as a safe place, their "comfort zone", in order for it to work properly. Simply placing your pet in a brand new crate the day before travel is not the way to go. I speak to many clients who are understandably, and rightly so, worried about their pets, but yet want nothing to do with the crate. To me, it naturally begs the question: why would a pet owner, one who is justifiably worried about the safety and comfort of their pet, choose to avoid the most important step in providing for that safety and comfort? Some people may say, "my pet simply will have nothing to do with the crate, they hate it!" Well, to that I ask "when do you actually use the crate?" The #1 answer is "when we go to the vet." Well of course they hate it, and rightly so. When they go to the vet they get poked and prodded and, just like going to the doctor is for us, it's a miserable experience for them. And yet even though we know our pets dislike the vet, we take them anyway, and without hesitation. Why? Because we know, as their owners, as their caregivers, that going to the vet is necessary. Going to the vet keeps them healthy; it keeps them safe. Which brings me to my point -- that even though our pet's may hate their crate/carrier, it is there only to protect them, to keep them safe, and to keep them comfortable. Now I am in no way recommending that you purchase a crate, shove your dog or cat in, shut the door and leave them be. Not all, that's counterproductive and that IS mean. I highly suggest visiting the travel crate page of our web site. It contains a wealth of information on not only crate training you pet, but how to select, purchase, and prepare the crate itself. If you don't find the answer there or just want to talk to somebody, feel free to give me or any one of my associates here at PetRelocation.com a call or shoot us an email, we would be more than happy to assist you. After all, it's all for the pets.
Just as a side note, as I have been in the same boat when it comes to crate training. My dog likes to pretend he hates his crate, but that is only to aggravate me. If I want or need him in his crate, he doesn't want to go in, but again, it's only to give me a hard time. It's a game for him, he is stubborn and likes to laugh at my expense. That's my boy, and that's why I like my dog, he helps keep life fun. But the truth of the matter is this, when I am not paying attention or can't seem to locate my dog directly under my feet as usual or its bedtime, he is tucked away in his crate on his own accord. He doesn't hate his crate, he just hates giving me the satisfaction. After all, he is a Blue Heeler. (Editor's note: What do you have against Blue Heelers!? You're the one who adopted one!)
And remember this, proper crate training combined with a professional service such as PetRelocation.com can pretty much guarantee that our pets will have a more pleasant travel experience that we their human owners will, given the state of affairs at our airports these days. Don't forget to remove your shoes at security! :)
We just got this picture of Ollie the Labradoodle dog who just arrived in London about three hours ago. Her owner Tara took him out to the park in Primrose Hill and sent us this picture from her iPhone. We love how clean and happy Ollie is, even after a twenty hour journey. For anyone who has any doubts about air travel being safe for pets, this picture should help ease your concerns!
Pictures like this make what we do so rewarding!
From the AP:
Good for the Obamas for picking a rescue dog! And by the way Mr. President -- if you need help getting your new pet to the White House, you can always contact us for assistance!
This isn't just another wag-the-tail story: The Obamas are getting a dog in April and are looking for a rescue Portuguese Water Dog.
First lady Michelle Obama tells People magazine that the target date for the arrival of the family pet is after her daughters' spring break trip in April, though 7-year-old Sasha is convinced the dog is coming April 1.
Good for the Obamas for picking a rescue dog! And by the way Mr. President -- if you need help getting your new pet to the White House, you can always contact us for assistance!
