The world is getting smaller every day, and flying puppies and adults domestically and internationally has become more commonplace. Depending on the destination, the process can be fairly simple or complex. We asked Gale Young, (Starwood Weimaraners) who operates a pet shipping company to give us a better understanding of this process.

In addition to the information here, many airlines have extensive webpages devoted to rules and regulations in shipping live dogs.

Air travel is the most expedient and least stressful way to transport a puppy or adult long distance. If the destination is abroad, air travel is the only option.

As with any endeavor, when flying a dog, one hopes for a perfect experience. In 95% of the trips dogs take by air, everything moves along smoothly. Some factors that will contribute to a good flying experience include:

1. Not sedating the dog for air flight. Doing so reduces the animal’s ability to adjust its body temperature.

2. Use a shipping crate that is secure enough and large enough. Large dogs should be shipped in the Doskocil Sky-Kennel. This crate has ventilation on all four sides (a requirement for international travel), and a door that has an additional crossbar which secures horizontally at the middle of the door. This provides extra security. An airline which is security conscious will also tie wrap the door closed.

3. Provide absorbent bedding, either a towel, bath mat or shredded paper. It is not wise to use a thick bed, which will take up too much space, and for security reasons, you may be asked to remove it.

4. Toys are not allowed.

5. The dog’s collar should not have dangling tags. If it does, tape the tags flat against the collar.

6. Supply water and food containers. Use the plastic molded containers that attach to the crate door. Do not hang a conventional water bucket in the crate. Do not use the dishes that attach to the door with a metal ring in which you place the dish.

7. Label the crate with the name, address and phone of the consignor (shipper) and the consignee (receiver) of the dog.

8. Tape a zip lock bag of dry food to the top of the crate. Include feeding and watering instructions.

9. The airline you use does matter. A non-stop flight may not matter. You may opt to employ a professional “Pet Shipper” who will choose the airline on which to ship your dog based on the services they offer and the routing for your dog.

10. The earlier in the day you ship, the better. The airline cannot control the weather. It also has no control over the air traffic delays. Earlier flights are usually not affected by these factors. International flights depart at night and usually are not affected by weather unless the airport closes. All planes that handle pets are equipped with pressurized, heated and cooled cargo compartments for the live animals. The international carriers have very high levels of air conditioning in their cargo compartments. The A/C is working even as the cargo is being loaded into the plane. One domestic airline (Continental) when operating in warmer climates attaches an additional cooling system to the cargo compartment while the plane is being loaded.

You are Good to Go! – Not Necessarily – Now, the Paperwork!

If the dog is traveling internationally, he must be microchipped. He must be vaccinated for rabies at least 30 days previous but not more than one year previous to the flight. The rabies certificate must have the original signature on it (not a stamp). Blue ink for signature and completion of the documents is preferred.

Traveling to most European Union countries is relatively simple. An EU veterinary certificate is required, and must be completed and signed by a USDA veterinarian. The certificate is valid for four months. A USDA international health certificate must be completed within ten days of travel. This certificate does not require USDA endorsement as it accompanies the EU veterinary certificate, which has already been endorsed.

If blood work is required prior to travel, (Rabies titers, Brucellosis tests etc.), you must use a USDA approved veterinarian for all the blood work. A USDA approved veterinarian will have a USDA four digit license number. For travel to Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom you must begin the paperwork process 6 months ahead of the dog’s departure. For Sweden and Hawaii, start 3 months ahead of the scheduled travel. There is a three or six-month waiting period from the time the blood is drawn for the rabies titer, before the dog may enter the foreign country. Rabies titer requests must be sent to a U.S. government approved laboratory. The airfare to transport a large dog overseas can be as much as $1,800. Freight costs are based on the dimensional weight of the crate as well as the actual weight.

Hong Kong, Jakarta, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, China, South Africa, Japan, and the Philippines are examples of countries that require import permits. Some countries such as Brazil and the Philippines also require the Consulate for that country to endorse these documents.

Australia and New Zealand require additional tests within 30 days of entering the country. The United Kingdom, Hawaii, San Salvadore, Australia and New Zealand require tick and tapeworm treatments just prior to entering the country. The Republic of South Africa requires blood testing to insure the dog be not infected with certain exotic diseases before entering their country. The original reports for the rabies titer and any other required blood tests are necessary for entry to foreign countries. Frequently, veterinarians use a local laboratory which will process and resend the blood samples to the U.S. Gov’t approved laboratory. If this is the case, your veterinarian may not receive the original lab report. Sending the bloodwork directly to a designated laboratory insures that the original reports will come back to your veterinarian.

The original documents must accompany the dog when he travels. Retain copies of these documents for your records, and copies should be given to the airline.

The USDA website for obtaining country requirements is: www.aphis.usda.gov//vs/ncie/iregs/animals

Frequently it is less stressful to utilize the services of a professional pet shipper. Obtaining import permits and the timing of the blood tests, although simple to one who is accustomed to the routine, can be overwhelming to one who is not. A listing for pet shippers worldwide can be found on their trade organization’s website:

Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association International, Inc. www.IPATA.com