Thursday found five Florida Gators in our office.  Of course, four had two legs; and the most important Gator was the four-legged one.  All five are relocating to Peru.

The four-legged Gator passed the health exam for the issuing of the International Health Certificate; which will be in the USDA offices today for export endorsement, the requirement for entry of the Peruvian government.

Safe travels, Gators.

Under the UK & DEFRA’s Pet Travel Scheme, the former onerous quarantine of pets for six (6) months in the UK no longer exists; as long as the following five steps are followed.  They are:

1. See to it that your pet dog, cat, or ferret is microchipped.
2. Administer a Rabies immunization after microchipping.
3. After a period of time, i.e. as little as two weeks and generally four weeks after the Rabies jab; have a blood sample collected by your veterinarian — this is the “blood draw date”. The required blood test is known as the FAVN-OIE Rabies antibody determination.  Please note: the ferret does not require the rabies antibody test, yet requires the six month waiting period.
4. Patiently wait the six months post “draw date”.
5. Your pet is ready to go the UK quarantine-free, provided the Rabies antibody test results are greater than 0.5 I.U.’s (international units). Lastly, have your veterinarian issue the EU#998 form attesting to the health of the pet dog, cat, and ferret; along with both internal & external parasite treatment as defined by the protocol.

All pets & animals enter the UK as booked & manifest air cargo.  Sorry, UK & DEFRA law does NOT allow pets traveling in the aircraft’s passenger cabin; nor as checked nor accompanied baggage.

And “voila”!  Your pet lands in the UK.  After a brief period of time with Her Majesty’s customs and veterinary services, your pet is on its way to its UK home.

As you and your family plan your year end relocation, within the USA, there are a multitude of checklists to set up.

Remember the family pet(s). Driving regionally or cross country will require pre-planning with pet friendly overnight stays. Cats should be moved from automobile to hotel in a pet carrier. Dogs should be walked on a leash at all times; and tagged with a phone number-use your cell phone on the dog ID tag.

For the dog traveling in the family automobile, stop every two and nor more than every three hours for the pet to be comfortable, and to stretch your legs as well. Be sure to take along a water supply for the pets and yourself, and the food the pet normally eats, to maintain food intake consistency. Interstate automobile travel does not require health certificates to move from state to state.

A good idea is to have the pet’s most recent Rabies vaccination record handy as you travel. Sedation for the pet riding in the family car is generally not advised; your veterinarian can give you the best advice. When you reach your relocation destination, allow the pets to become adjusted to their new environments over a period of several days. Each pet adjusts differently; so be patient. Bring along the pets comfort toys, blankets, beds, etc to make the pet feel at home in their new residence.

The Cargo Service center for Alaska Air Cargo is closed on Thanksgiving day; with modified hours on both Thursday, Nov 26th, & Friday, Nov 27th. Watch for the Christmas & New Years hours in early December.