Man, I sure wish someone had already written this blog post before
we were getting ready to move. Figuring out how to get Sam and Trevor to
Switzerland with us has been the most complicated, red-tape covered process of
the whole move. There really isn’t a clear, centralized source of information
for how to make it happen yourself; there are companies out there who
specialize in pet relocation, but it’s stinking expensive, and we just couldn’t
justify spending the money. Lucky for y’all, we figured it out for you; here
are step-by-step directions to get your dogs and cats to Switzerland.[1]
(Sidenote: If you don’t need to know how to move pets to Europe, I imagine this
post is pretty boring and way too long; sorry about that.)
Step 1: Book their
flights.
As soon as you know when you want to go, book the flights
for the animals. If they’re lap dogs, they can likely ride in the cabin with
you, which is so very simple. Big dogs like ours are more complicated.
The way I saw it, we had two options: get them certified as
emotional support animals so they can ride in the cabin with us, or book them
as cargo. Andy eventually talked me out of the first option, for a couple
reasons:
- It would be dishonest; no, I technically do not need my dog with me at all times for emotional stability. Rather, Sam needs me with him at all times for his own emotional well-being, does that count? Andy said no. However, I did plenty of research on how to get them certified for this – since we didn’t go through with it, I won’t go into detail, but it’s definitely possible…and you certainly wouldn’t get any judgment from me if you decide to do it.
- Our dogs are the two most socially inappropriate animals on the planet, and getting them through an international airport would be an absolute circus. Trevor doesn’t like other dogs; I think it’s because he thinks he’s a human, and he gets confused when he sees a creature at his own eye-level. Sam still hasn’t figured out how a leash works.
So, we decided to book them as cargo.
Step 1a: Pick an
airline.
I did a lot of research on this as well, and we eventually
settled on United. My main criterion
was that the hold where they put the kennels was temperature-controlled and
pressurized, and there really aren’t a ton of international airlines out there
who make it clear that they offer that. Swiss
Air was my first choice, because I think their service (like, for humans)
is better; however, they only have room for one dog per flight.
We booked the flight for the dogs BEFORE booking our own
tickets – there are a lot more seats for humans than dogs. (FYI, I got the
impression that you don’t necessarily have to be on the same flight as your
dog, but I can’t imagine why you would want to do that.)
United’s PetSafe program made me feel good about the
process; they have a 24-hour contact desk just for traveling-pet related
questions, so there’s no confusion about who to call. I talked to 3 different
people throughout the process, and they all seemed competent and to know what
they were talking about.
They will give you a quote when you book it, but you don’t
pay until you drop the dog off on the day of travel; be prepared to pay a small
fortune. In the interest of full disclosure, here’s what we were quoted:
- Houston to Newark – Approximately $850 for both dogs.
- Newark to Geneva – Approximately $2500 for both dogs.
A the time of booking, they need to know their weight, age,
and breed, as well as the size of the kennel the dog will be in, so:
Step 1b: If you don’t
already have one, buy a kennel.
The kennel has to meet the following requirements:
- Have ventilation on all four sides.
- Be made of a hard material (wood or plastic).
- Be held together with metal nuts and bolts; if they’re plastic, you’ll need to replace them with metal ones.
- Size requirements:
a. From United - Be tall enough that the dog has a
3 inch clearance between the top of its head and the roof of the kennel.
b. From EU flight regulations – Be large enough
that the dog can stand up and turn around in it without trouble.
We decided to get this kind:
If your dog isn’t used to a kennel, start getting them used
to it early. If they’re comfortable in the kennel, hopefully they won’t freak
out as much when they have to be in it for an extended period of time. We put
Sam and Trevor’s beds in the bottom part of the kennel (without the roof)
starting about a month before our flights so they could start sleeping in it,
and then put the roofs on about 2 weeks before.
Step 3: Microchip.
It’s required in pretty much all European countries, and it
has to be a 15-digit, ISO microchip. Our vet used HomeAgain, which meets this
requirement.
NOTE: The microchip has to be implanted before vaccinations
are given. For example, if your dog is
up to date on his rabies vaccine, but was not previously microchipped, then the
rabies vaccine must be administered again, AFTER the microchip has been
implanted. These can be done the same day, as long as the microchip is done
first.
When you get the microchip implanted, ask the vet for either
(i) a microchip certificate, or (ii) a letter from the vet stating that the
microchip was read before the vaccine was given. I got both, just to be safe.
Step 4: Vaccines.
Specifically rabies, but we went ahead and got all of them.
This has to be done at least 21 days prior to entry, and the dog has to enter
the country prior to the expiration of the vaccine (duh).
Step 5: Veterinary
exam (the tricky part)
This has to be done within
10 days of you leaving the country. The exam has to be performed by a
USDA-certified vet. The vet fills out and signs this form, called an Annex IV (http://www.blv.admin.ch/themen/04670/05325/05326/05328/05334/index.html?lang=en).
Tell the vet to fill it out in block
letters, in blue ink (not kidding). Some airlines also require their own
health certificate to be filled out – United does not, the Annex IV form is
sufficient for them.
The Annex IV form then has to be certified by a USDA office;
these are regional - click here to find your local office: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/sa_contact_us/!ut/p/a1/rZFNc4IwEIZ_i4cemawBCRzBL1ConTpthUsmRJG0GBCiU_99g-PFg9bONKds5tmdZ_OiFK1QKtlRbJkSlWRlV6c2nS0C3PcBh9OlO4bw-X0SOxExF4GlgUQDw6kXWCQCAMvBEI78YETcGCC0f-v_QClKuVS1KlDC6kK0lFdSbaSipcga1pyeoGW0OjQ0r_ihPVdMih0rabFhpSrOL10P44oe2m5ezcUaJZAxYjrENrAFmWHZmBturm9r1877fO1kfJBf_OHG8eAh_ytkOvY1MoleyHyGYT64APe-6AzccUi0JLlp4Vpo-cetZw_EKj73-9TT4XRxfCu0-pd09GDcxMN4q32ZKgwh8wqtrpl697ZzzJPx9eqAOSiPkdfr_QD4qiO9/?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_animal_health%2Fsa_contact_us%2Fct_program_contacts.
In Texas, this office is located in
downtown Austin.
The tricky part: There’s no guarantee how quickly the USDA
office will get the certified form back to you. You can overnight it, you can
include a pre-paid label for them to send it back to you, but the lovely woman
on the phone informed me that they still can’t guarantee that you will get it
back in time. Cool!
Extra tricky part: United requires these papers to be faxed
to them 4 business days prior to
your international departure.
Solution to this problem: Go the USDA office in person and
have them sign it. It’s the only way to guarantee that you have the paperwork
completed and in-hand (and delivered to the airline) in time for your travel. Road
trip!
Step 6: Other
paperwork.
There’s a form called a “Declaration of Non-Commercial
Movement”, basically just stating that you aren’t moving the pets overseas to
sell them. It’s included as the last page in the Annex IV form (link above),
and it doesn’t have to be sent off or certified by anyone. Just fill it out and
have it with you during travel.
Step 7: Get ready for
the flight (night before).
The kennel needs to have 2 “LIVE ANIMAL” stickers on it (one
on the top and one on the side), as well as orientation labels (“This side up”)
to at least two sides of the kennel. You also need a food/water container that
secures to the kennel door – I was told to freeze some water in there, so that
as it gradually melts, the dog can drink it and it won’t spill everywhere.
They require the bottom of the kennel to have some sort of
absorbent material in it (i.e., a puppy pad). We put a puppy pad in there with
a foam bed on top of it. The kennel can’t have any toys or treats in it – we
put one of our t-shirts in there.
Bring a Ziploc baggie with 14 oz. of food in it with you to
the drop-off location – airline employees will secure it to the kennel.
You need to have the following papers with you during
travel:
- Annex IV
- Declaration of Non-Commercial Movement
- Microchip certificate/letter from the vet
- Vaccine records
- Airline health certificate if required
Step 8: Drop your
animal off.
Two hours early for domestic flights, three hours early for
international flights. If you’re flying out of Intercontinental in Houston, the
drop-off point is NOT at the airport – you’ll have to take them to the Air
Cargo facility before you park your car or go to Passenger Drop-off.
And that’s it! Piece of cake, right? Our travel days are July 27-29, so we haven’t actually done that part yet. We’ll see how it goes!
And that’s it! Piece of cake, right? Our travel days are July 27-29, so we haven’t actually done that part yet. We’ll see how it goes!
Pouting on the way home from the vet
Also pouting
[1]
This applies to pretty much all of Europe, but only cats and dogs. Other
animals have weird requirements, or it isn’t possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment