News & events
Import Rules in USA Revised
The United States (US) is one of the most pet friendly countries in the world. Dog passports need only to document proof of rabies vaccination at least 30 days prior to entering the country.
CDC regulations require that dogs imported into the United States are healthy and are vaccinated against rabies before arrival into the United States. These requirements apply equally to all dogs, including puppies and service animals.
If your dog is imported from a rabies-free country, CDC does not require rabies vaccination. However, every state requires that dogs be vaccinated against rabies, and all pet dogs arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements depending on their rabies vaccination status.
Dogs may be denied entry if they look like they are sick with a communicable disease or if proof of a valid rabies vaccination is not provided. If a dog appears to be sick at the port of entry, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the dog owner's expense might be required. See International Travel with Your Pet for more information.
Proof of Rabies Vaccination
Rabies vaccination is required for all dogs entering the United States from a country where rabies is present. Dogs that have never been vaccinated against rabies must be vaccinated at least 30 days prior to arrival. Adult dogs older than 15 months of age that have previously received a rabies vaccination given no earlier than 3 months of age and that has since expired may be imported immediately following booster vaccination, without the need to wait for 30 days.
Dogs must be accompanied by a current, valid rabies vaccination certificate that includes the following information:
Importation of Unvaccinated Dogs
Importation of dogs that are not vaccinated against rabies is allowed on a limited basis. Unvaccinated dogs may be imported if:
Importing a puppy purchased outside of the United States does not meet the criteria for a confinement agreement. Importers are expected to exhaust all other reasonable options for delaying the importation of dogs until they are fully vaccinated against rabies before being considered for a confinement agreement. Unvaccinated dogs that arrive in the United States from countries that are not considered rabies-free may be denied entry to the United States and returned to the country of origin at the importer’s expense. Questions about importing unvaccinated dogs may be directed to CDC at CDCAnimalImports@cdc.gov.
- See more at: www.cdc.gov/
The United States (US) is one of the most pet friendly countries in the world. Dog passports need only to document proof of rabies vaccination at least 30 days prior to entering the country.
CDC regulations require that dogs imported into the United States are healthy and are vaccinated against rabies before arrival into the United States. These requirements apply equally to all dogs, including puppies and service animals.
If your dog is imported from a rabies-free country, CDC does not require rabies vaccination. However, every state requires that dogs be vaccinated against rabies, and all pet dogs arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements depending on their rabies vaccination status.
Dogs may be denied entry if they look like they are sick with a communicable disease or if proof of a valid rabies vaccination is not provided. If a dog appears to be sick at the port of entry, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the dog owner's expense might be required. See International Travel with Your Pet for more information.
Proof of Rabies Vaccination
Rabies vaccination is required for all dogs entering the United States from a country where rabies is present. Dogs that have never been vaccinated against rabies must be vaccinated at least 30 days prior to arrival. Adult dogs older than 15 months of age that have previously received a rabies vaccination given no earlier than 3 months of age and that has since expired may be imported immediately following booster vaccination, without the need to wait for 30 days.
Dogs must be accompanied by a current, valid rabies vaccination certificate that includes the following information:
- Name and address of owner
- Breed, sex, age, color, markings, and other identifying information for the dog
- Date of rabies vaccination and vaccine product information
- Date the vaccination expires
- Name, license number, address, and signature of veterinarian who administered the vaccination
Importation of Unvaccinated Dogs
Importation of dogs that are not vaccinated against rabies is allowed on a limited basis. Unvaccinated dogs may be imported if:
- They are arriving from a rabies-free country where they have lived for the past 6 months or since birth (check the country list here),
- They are being imported for use in scientific research where rabies vaccination would interfere with that research, or
- They meet the criteria specified in the Issuance and Enforcement Guidance for Dog Confinement Agreements.
Importing a puppy purchased outside of the United States does not meet the criteria for a confinement agreement. Importers are expected to exhaust all other reasonable options for delaying the importation of dogs until they are fully vaccinated against rabies before being considered for a confinement agreement. Unvaccinated dogs that arrive in the United States from countries that are not considered rabies-free may be denied entry to the United States and returned to the country of origin at the importer’s expense. Questions about importing unvaccinated dogs may be directed to CDC at CDCAnimalImports@cdc.gov.
- See more at: www.cdc.gov/
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Issue Update - U.S. Government
Fish & Wildlife Service Amends CITES Regulations - Effective June 26, 2014
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) published its Final Rule "updating" the regulations implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The 31 pages of changes update U.S. regulations to "bring them in line" with resolutions adopted during the last two Conferences of the Parties COP14 and COP15).
The new regulations become effective June 26, 2014.
For anyone involved with CITES listed species, PIJAC recommends that they review the changes. Violations of CITES as well as implementing regulations may result in significant civil or criminal sanctions under the Lacey Act.
A copy of the Final Rule affecting Parts 13, 17 and 23 was published on May 27, 2014 and can be viewed/downloaded at:
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=e1d4b733153b7c023d762b137f901d3bd8fa69d947d436480e03da232aaaec8f
Changes of interest to the pet industry* (References refer to Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - e.g. 50 CFR Part 23:
Issue Update - U.S. Government
Fish & Wildlife Service Amends CITES Regulations - Effective June 26, 2014
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) published its Final Rule "updating" the regulations implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The 31 pages of changes update U.S. regulations to "bring them in line" with resolutions adopted during the last two Conferences of the Parties COP14 and COP15).
The new regulations become effective June 26, 2014.
For anyone involved with CITES listed species, PIJAC recommends that they review the changes. Violations of CITES as well as implementing regulations may result in significant civil or criminal sanctions under the Lacey Act.
A copy of the Final Rule affecting Parts 13, 17 and 23 was published on May 27, 2014 and can be viewed/downloaded at:
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=e1d4b733153b7c023d762b137f901d3bd8fa69d947d436480e03da232aaaec8f
Changes of interest to the pet industry* (References refer to Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - e.g. 50 CFR Part 23:
- Part 17: Endangered Species Act (ESA): Clarifies regulatory overlaps with ESA and CITES listed species covered in Part 23.
- Part 23 - Key sections: Revises or clarifies definitions, interpretations or applications:
- Definitions: "Bred for noncommercial purposes" §23.2 by deleting "and is conducted between facilities that are involved in a cooperative conservation program" and delete definition of "Cooperative conservation program".
- Definitions: "Corals" with respect to "coral (dead)," "coral fragments," "coral (live)," and "coral sand" in §23.5.
- Definition: "Introduction from the sea" Part 23.5.
- Definition: "Ranched wildlife" in Parts §23.5 and 23.34.
- "Incorporation by reference" in §23.9. -- NEW
- "Prohibitions" in §23.13 -clarifies usage of Appendix I species once in US
- "Documents for the export of Appendix I wildlife and plants" §23.18 and §23.19 - includes decision trees. Note: See discussion regarding Source Codes.
- "Information required on CITES documents" §23.23 -- 6 changes including "Humane Transport" under IATA rules (also referenced in §23.26
- "Validity of CITES documents" §23.26 - adds 3 additional standards.
- "Requirements for a bred-in-captivity certificates" §23.41 - discusses why not change
- "Records to show origin of specimens" §23.34 -- ranched wildlife
- " Requirements for a wildlife hybrid" §23.43 - clarifies necessary documentation
- "Requirements for traveling internationally with personally owned live wildlife" §23.44
- "Registration of a commercial breeding operation for Appendix I wildlife" §23.46 in addition to changes to Annual Reports; definitional changes for "parental stock" and "founder stock."
- "Replacement documents" §23.52 - clarifies issues for Master Files
- "Retrospective CITES documents" §23.53
- "Use of CITES specimens after import into the United States" §23.55
- "Factors considered in making a finding of not for primarily commercial purposes" §23.62 - explained why not change
Chew toys in coach: how to tackle air travel with pets
Having moved two cats and a dog from Indiana to Ireland, I can tell you that moving pets by airline is much more complicated than moving people. But beyond the misconceptions, red tape, and logistics, the benefits of having our furry friends with us far outweighs any hassles.
When people think about trusting their pets to an airline, horror stories leap to mind. Thankfully, reality is far more benign. Phillip Grant of Pet Travel tells us “Literally millions of pets travel each year by plane without incident.” The other big fear is quarantine. While many countries have quarantine restrictions, thanks to modern vaccination, testing, and documentation standards, most have relaxed their quarantine requirements. With microchipping, and painstaking adherence to country-specific protocols, quarantine can often be greatly reduced or eliminated.
Planning & Research
The best thing owners can do for jet-setting pets is to plan ahead, and check with their airline well ahead of time to determine if they require the use of a pet relocation company. Required or not, it’s worth enlisting one of these companies. They have working relationships with most airlines, and up-to-date knowledge of regulations. Our airline required us to use Pet Express, which saved us countless hours of research, and reduced our fears about onboard conditions, not using sedation, and other issues. Mark Botten of Pet Express remarks, “The best advice is to get advice (from a professional pet relocation specialist) early! Most international destinations will have a unique protocol which may vary according to origin, breed or species.”
As a result, pre-trip facilitation is necessary to gather required health documents certifying that pets are healthy enough to travel, disease free (principally from rabies), and can be properly identified through a tiny microchip inserted under their skin. The exact sequence of microchipping, vaccination, testing, and documentation is critical, and insures that each animal’s health records are consistent and tied to their microchip.
Finally, advance preparation helps owners adjust to their pet traveling in the cargo area, assuming that they, like most animals, will travel in the hold. Jerry Hatfield, the founder of Pet Travel, and PetPassports asserts that, “Cargo is never preferable, but must be used by 95% of traveling pet owners due to size requirements, and in some cases the length of the flight.”
Modern Pet Air Travel
Contrary to popular belief, pets in cargo are not just sandwiched between somebody’s Samsonite and a set of golf clubs. Modern aircraft have pressurized, climate-controlled cabins just for animal transport. And Pet Travel’s Phillip Grant tells us, “Most pets just sleep during the trip.”
Ultimately, the most dangerous parts of airline pet travel are flight connections, when pets could be left in luggage carts or closed rooms without climate control. For this reason, the best thing we can do for our pets in transit is to fly direct.
Rest assured that if your relocation contractor and airline ensure that live cargo are kept in climate controlled areas when not onboard, that they’re the last items loaded and the first taken off, and if you’ve prepared properly (see below), healthy pets should have few problems on board.
Travel Day and Post-flight
Finally, If you are stressed, your pet will be too. So give yourself plenty of time to do everything and get where you need to go on travel day.
And once you land and pick up your pet, some anxiety and adjustment are to be expected. But with adequate preparation, kennel practice beforehand, patience, love and understanding, separation anxiety and stress may never be an issue, and you’ll have your well-adjusted companion by your side wherever life takes you.
Domestic Travel:
For domestic flights, airlines and local governments generally require far less in the way of documentation,inoculation and testing. However, owners will still be required to provide a recent health certificate certifying that their pet(s) are healthy enough to travel. But unless they are traveling to Hawaii, or another “domestic” location with a fragile environment or heavily regulated agricultural industry, the concerns for animal transport within any given country are generally far less than those for international transport.
Microchipping:
Plan on microchipping your pet. Even if the local authorities don’t require it, it’s quite beneficial. If they get lost, it’s the most reliable way to get them back. But make sure you have them chipped with the proper chip type for your destination.
While there is no international standard for pet/animal microchips, according to Jerry Hatfield of PetPassports, “There is no longer any significant variation. Only the US uses a different form of microchip, but they do not require pets entering the US to have a microchip.” Hatfield goes on to say that, “Most countries but not all of them now require the ISO 15-digit non-encrypted microchip.”
In our case, our pets were already chipped with a 10-digit US chip. Unless we wanted to buy a US scanner and take it with us, we had to have them re-chipped with a 15-digit chip. These chips are commonly available, and most veterinarians should have little trouble sourcing them. Because the old chips cannot be removed, and it’s important that the chips not interfere with each other, when “double chipping” make sure that the veterinarian positions the second chip well away from the first.
But the most important thing owners must do when microchipping is to ensure that the chip registry is always up to date. It’s pointless to have your pet microchipped if the authorities cannot contact you when your pet gets picked up and scanned.
No Sedation & Inflight Medication:
Just as we like to stretch our legs and get some air during a long flight, pets like to make inflight adjustments on their own behalf. For this reason, they should not be sedated during flight. As much as we worry about them getting stressed, the bigger danger is that sedation may cause breathing issues, dehydration, and leave the animal unable to right themselves during turbulence, etc.
While he advises against sedation in general, Denis O’Shea, of Lissenhall Veterinary Hospital (Ireland’s licensed pet quarantine and inspection facility) says that owners might “use DAP collars (natural pheromone appeasing collars) to reduce animal stress.”
If your pet needs regular medication, make sure the airline or pet relocation specialist is clear on when, what, and how to administer it. Also, be sure to get an extra supply from your vet so you’ll have enough for quarantine, and enough to last until you locate a new vet at your destination.
Four-Legged Leg Room – Kennel Practice/Tips & Tricks:
Most airlines require that pets travel in an IATA (The International Air Transport Association – www.iata.org) approved kennel, meant to ensure sturdiness of construction, proper ventilation, and adequate room for the animal to orient themselves in transit.
To make the kennel a more homey environment, Caitlin Moore and PetRelocation recommends that we “Place an absorbent material of some kind on the bottom of the crate, something like shredded newspaper or an old towel, and affix water dishes to the crate door. Toys and food should not be placed in the crate.”
Additionally, Sally B. Smith of IPATA (the International Pet and Animal Transportation Organization – www.ipata.org) reminds us that it’s important to “Acclimate the pet (dogs at least) to the crate ahead of time. Put the dog in for 5 minutes, (and then) let him out. Increase the time and then start leaving him while you run errands, etc. Put the crate in the car and let him ride around. She finds that “cats only stress over being put in and out of the crate”, so she doesn’t recommend it for them.
While in-kennel food in transit is not recommended, water is a must. Again, consult with your airline or relocation specialist, but one trick that served us well was buying extra clip-on water bowls that you can fill with water and freeze beforehand. These can be hooked inside the kennel just before flight, where they’ll thaw over time, giving the animal access to water without spilling immediately.
If your pet is lucky enough to travel with you in the passenger cabin, you’ll still need to contact the airline ahead of time, as they’ll have requirements for the type of carrier you use, and what you can and can’t take aboard.
Having moved two cats and a dog from Indiana to Ireland, I can tell you that moving pets by airline is much more complicated than moving people. But beyond the misconceptions, red tape, and logistics, the benefits of having our furry friends with us far outweighs any hassles.
When people think about trusting their pets to an airline, horror stories leap to mind. Thankfully, reality is far more benign. Phillip Grant of Pet Travel tells us “Literally millions of pets travel each year by plane without incident.” The other big fear is quarantine. While many countries have quarantine restrictions, thanks to modern vaccination, testing, and documentation standards, most have relaxed their quarantine requirements. With microchipping, and painstaking adherence to country-specific protocols, quarantine can often be greatly reduced or eliminated.
Planning & Research
The best thing owners can do for jet-setting pets is to plan ahead, and check with their airline well ahead of time to determine if they require the use of a pet relocation company. Required or not, it’s worth enlisting one of these companies. They have working relationships with most airlines, and up-to-date knowledge of regulations. Our airline required us to use Pet Express, which saved us countless hours of research, and reduced our fears about onboard conditions, not using sedation, and other issues. Mark Botten of Pet Express remarks, “The best advice is to get advice (from a professional pet relocation specialist) early! Most international destinations will have a unique protocol which may vary according to origin, breed or species.”
As a result, pre-trip facilitation is necessary to gather required health documents certifying that pets are healthy enough to travel, disease free (principally from rabies), and can be properly identified through a tiny microchip inserted under their skin. The exact sequence of microchipping, vaccination, testing, and documentation is critical, and insures that each animal’s health records are consistent and tied to their microchip.
Finally, advance preparation helps owners adjust to their pet traveling in the cargo area, assuming that they, like most animals, will travel in the hold. Jerry Hatfield, the founder of Pet Travel, and PetPassports asserts that, “Cargo is never preferable, but must be used by 95% of traveling pet owners due to size requirements, and in some cases the length of the flight.”
Modern Pet Air Travel
Contrary to popular belief, pets in cargo are not just sandwiched between somebody’s Samsonite and a set of golf clubs. Modern aircraft have pressurized, climate-controlled cabins just for animal transport. And Pet Travel’s Phillip Grant tells us, “Most pets just sleep during the trip.”
Ultimately, the most dangerous parts of airline pet travel are flight connections, when pets could be left in luggage carts or closed rooms without climate control. For this reason, the best thing we can do for our pets in transit is to fly direct.
Rest assured that if your relocation contractor and airline ensure that live cargo are kept in climate controlled areas when not onboard, that they’re the last items loaded and the first taken off, and if you’ve prepared properly (see below), healthy pets should have few problems on board.
Travel Day and Post-flight
Finally, If you are stressed, your pet will be too. So give yourself plenty of time to do everything and get where you need to go on travel day.
And once you land and pick up your pet, some anxiety and adjustment are to be expected. But with adequate preparation, kennel practice beforehand, patience, love and understanding, separation anxiety and stress may never be an issue, and you’ll have your well-adjusted companion by your side wherever life takes you.
Domestic Travel:
For domestic flights, airlines and local governments generally require far less in the way of documentation,inoculation and testing. However, owners will still be required to provide a recent health certificate certifying that their pet(s) are healthy enough to travel. But unless they are traveling to Hawaii, or another “domestic” location with a fragile environment or heavily regulated agricultural industry, the concerns for animal transport within any given country are generally far less than those for international transport.
Microchipping:
Plan on microchipping your pet. Even if the local authorities don’t require it, it’s quite beneficial. If they get lost, it’s the most reliable way to get them back. But make sure you have them chipped with the proper chip type for your destination.
While there is no international standard for pet/animal microchips, according to Jerry Hatfield of PetPassports, “There is no longer any significant variation. Only the US uses a different form of microchip, but they do not require pets entering the US to have a microchip.” Hatfield goes on to say that, “Most countries but not all of them now require the ISO 15-digit non-encrypted microchip.”
In our case, our pets were already chipped with a 10-digit US chip. Unless we wanted to buy a US scanner and take it with us, we had to have them re-chipped with a 15-digit chip. These chips are commonly available, and most veterinarians should have little trouble sourcing them. Because the old chips cannot be removed, and it’s important that the chips not interfere with each other, when “double chipping” make sure that the veterinarian positions the second chip well away from the first.
But the most important thing owners must do when microchipping is to ensure that the chip registry is always up to date. It’s pointless to have your pet microchipped if the authorities cannot contact you when your pet gets picked up and scanned.
No Sedation & Inflight Medication:
Just as we like to stretch our legs and get some air during a long flight, pets like to make inflight adjustments on their own behalf. For this reason, they should not be sedated during flight. As much as we worry about them getting stressed, the bigger danger is that sedation may cause breathing issues, dehydration, and leave the animal unable to right themselves during turbulence, etc.
While he advises against sedation in general, Denis O’Shea, of Lissenhall Veterinary Hospital (Ireland’s licensed pet quarantine and inspection facility) says that owners might “use DAP collars (natural pheromone appeasing collars) to reduce animal stress.”
If your pet needs regular medication, make sure the airline or pet relocation specialist is clear on when, what, and how to administer it. Also, be sure to get an extra supply from your vet so you’ll have enough for quarantine, and enough to last until you locate a new vet at your destination.
Four-Legged Leg Room – Kennel Practice/Tips & Tricks:
Most airlines require that pets travel in an IATA (The International Air Transport Association – www.iata.org) approved kennel, meant to ensure sturdiness of construction, proper ventilation, and adequate room for the animal to orient themselves in transit.
To make the kennel a more homey environment, Caitlin Moore and PetRelocation recommends that we “Place an absorbent material of some kind on the bottom of the crate, something like shredded newspaper or an old towel, and affix water dishes to the crate door. Toys and food should not be placed in the crate.”
Additionally, Sally B. Smith of IPATA (the International Pet and Animal Transportation Organization – www.ipata.org) reminds us that it’s important to “Acclimate the pet (dogs at least) to the crate ahead of time. Put the dog in for 5 minutes, (and then) let him out. Increase the time and then start leaving him while you run errands, etc. Put the crate in the car and let him ride around. She finds that “cats only stress over being put in and out of the crate”, so she doesn’t recommend it for them.
While in-kennel food in transit is not recommended, water is a must. Again, consult with your airline or relocation specialist, but one trick that served us well was buying extra clip-on water bowls that you can fill with water and freeze beforehand. These can be hooked inside the kennel just before flight, where they’ll thaw over time, giving the animal access to water without spilling immediately.
If your pet is lucky enough to travel with you in the passenger cabin, you’ll still need to contact the airline ahead of time, as they’ll have requirements for the type of carrier you use, and what you can and can’t take aboard.
