Pet Travel News

Quantas, a female blue and gold macaw, moved with Air Animal

Air Animal® Pet Movers advises anyone traveling with their pet use caution when obtaining a pet health certificate. Delta, United, American, Hawaiian and Alaskan airlines are turning away passengers traveling with their pets using electronic pet health certificates. The airlines are requiring health certificates with a seal and the original veterinarian signature. The travelers had to re-book their trips and obtain new health certificates at considerable trouble and expense.

Air Animal offers global health certificate consultation and document preparation services in addition to full-service pet relocations. All health certificates provided by Air Animal have original veterinary signatures.

In Tampa Bay, Air Animal’s experienced veterinarian completes all the complicated USDA forms in the office and sends them to the USDA. Elsewhere in the U.S., Air Animal completes the forms and overnights them to a client’s chosen USDA-accredited veterinarian. Generally, a pet health certificate exam takes less than one hour.

Health certificates for U.S. moves are good for 10 days from the date issued. Owners should call ahead 14 days to allow for processing and scheduling their veterinary visit. International health certificates are generally valid for 10 days--sometimes less--depending on the destination country. Plan ahead 21 days for international pet health certificates. For some countries, an additional veterinary visit shortly before flight is required.

Air Animal pet move managers are available to walk veterinary practice staff through the process by phone for mutual clients. Air Animal accepts pet health certificate clients from anywhere in the United States.

Hawaii and Guam have also recently updated rules and regulations for pets moving to these island paradises. We've posted the updates on our resource page.

ECA’s 2018 Permanent Transfer Survey finds that nearly 40 percent of international transfers lasting more than one year are permanent. That means there is no commitment for employees to return to their home countries.

International pet health certificates are required entry documents for all pets traveling outside the U.S. Most countries including the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates require U.S. Department of Agriculture export endorsement. Here’s how the process works.

Pet owners make appointments with USDA-accredited veterinarians who examine the pets. The veterinarian verifies the microchip in the pet and logs the number on the paperwork. The veterinarian signs the documents and sends the paperwork to the USDA for endorsement. Microchips must always be present before rabies vaccinations when they are required by the destination. If the pet does not have a microchip, the veterinarian can insert an International Standards Organization-compatible microchip appropriate for the destination. If rabies re-vaccination is required, travel will be delayed.

International health certificates are generally valid for 10 days - sometimes less - depending on the destination country. Please plan ahead at least 30 days for international pet health certificates, processing and scheduling veterinary visits. For some countries, an additional veterinary visit shortly before flight is required.

These four basic steps must be followed in order:

1. Microchip the pet for identification purposes
2. Certify a current rabies vaccination. If the pet enters the UK or EU with a current 3-year rabies vaccination which is more than one year old, then additional documentation will be required.
3. At least 21 days after the most recent rabies vaccination, book an appointment with a USDA-accredited veterinarian to issue an international pet health certificate. The veterinary appointment for the international health certificate must be within the time frame required by the destination.
4. USDA export endorsement.

Health certificates for U.S. moves are good for 10 days from the date issued.

For Pets on the Move®, Air Animal offers global health certificate services in addition to full-service pet relocations. In Tampa Bay, experienced veterinarians complete all the complicated USDA forms right in their office and overnight them to the USDA. Elsewhere in the U.S., Air Animal completes the forms and overnights them to the client’s chosen USDA-accredited veterinarian. The service includes an overnight envelop to ship signed paperwork to the USDA for export endorsement.

Air Animal’s experienced move managers are available to walk veterinary practice staff through the process and timelines by phone for our mutual clients. Air Animal is pleased to accept health certificate clients from all over the United States.

Learn more about country requirements for importing pets at airanimal.com.

(Feb. 7, 2019)—Recent administrative changes relating to pet entry are causing release delays at London Heathrow. Pets are being held longer than we have previously experienced. Our United Kingdom service partners have advised that more changes may occur with Britain’s exit from the European Union. We’ll post updates to this blog as we learn of the changes.

British Airways now accepts pet cargo shipments from Tampa International Airport to London Gatwick Airport providing the departure time temperatures are under 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Air Animal clients may also use our Orlando office and fly on one of two daily flights direct from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Gatwick (LGW).

If you book and the temperature climbs, Air Animal founder, Dr. Walter Woolf advises, "All hiccups can be managed with enough creativity and experience. That's why Pet Moving Made Easy® is our motto."

If you are planning a pet move from west coast or central Florida to the UK, please plan ahead and call us early. <READ MORE>

Several countries now refuse dogs unless the import documents prove Fluffy has been vaccinated for canine influenza. Air Animal urges all pet owners to vaccinate their dogs against canine influenza before relocation or travel of any kind.

"Dog flu is easily prevented by visiting your veterinarian for two doses of the canine flu vaccine,” said Dr. Walter Woolf, VMD, Air Animal's veterinarian founder. “The first vaccination provides partial immunity. The second vaccination given about two weeks later is a booster which gives stronger protection."

According to Woolf, New Zealand and other countries now requiring dog flu vaccination usually accept a recent booster shot if the documents show full previous immunization and the booster administration date.

There are two types of canine influenza vaccines. Ask your veterinarian which she recommends.

• Zoetis – Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 – 2 vaccinations, 3 weeks apart. Considered fully vaccinated 7 days after the second shot.
• Merck – Nobivac CIV H3N2/H3N8 – 2 vaccinations, 2 weeks apart. Considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second shot.

Flu in dogs is potentially dangerous and a very communicable respiratory disease. Dogs that come down with the flu develop fevers and coughs that last one to three weeks. You may notice decreased appetite, lethargy and a greenish discharge from the nose and eyes. Some dogs develop higher fevers and pneumonia. Severe flu cases can cause death.

If you’re traveling with your dog--especially to an overseas destination--this ounce of prevention really is better than a pound of cure.

Learn more about country requirements for importing pets at airanimal.com.

(Tampa, FL--Jan. 8, 2019)--The U.S. Department of Agriculture continues to endorse international pet health certificates for export even though many federal workers have been furloughed by the federal government shutdown. Appointments are required at their regional offices. Please consult the USDA for locations.

If you're traveling overseas with your pet, please discuss the health certificate timing with your veterinarian. Air Animal offers global pet health certificate services in addition to full-service pet relocations. In Tampa Bay, our experienced veterinarian completes all the complicated USDA forms right in our office and takes care of sending them to the USDA. Elsewhere in the U.S., we complete the forms and overnight them to your chosen USDA-accredited veterinarian. <LEARN MORE>