Pet Relocation to and from India
Now that most countries have relaxed their quarantine laws, traveling with your pet isn’t the epic challenge it once used to be. However, lack of information on the process can be quite daunting for a responsible pet owner trying get all the ducks in a row.
We used Lufthansa and PetFly (Pet Relocators) for moving our 6 year old Golden Retriever, Shayna, from Delhi to Los Angeles.
PetFly is the first Veterinarian owned pet-relocation company in India. We are extremely thankful to the good folks there, for the safe and convenient relocation of Shayna to the US.
Here is a short interview with Dr. Mrs. P. Choudhary from PetFly, which hopefully answers most of the questions pet owners might come across while relocating their pet to/from India.
What is PetFly & what services do you offer?
PetFly is a Pet Relocation Company, which helps in relocating pets within and outside India. Our services include health checks, vaccinations, deworming, flea treatment, microchipping, providing required paperwork and certifications as per the requirements set by various countries and airlines.
How many Pets have you relocated?
PetFly has relocated almost 500 dogs & Cats in the last two & half years.
How does PetFly differentiate itself from the other Pet Relocators?
The pet friendly staff at PetFly provide a stress free, homely environment for all pets. Both of us (Dr S.K.Choudhary & Dr Mrs.P.Choudhary) are certified veterinarians. Hence we are able to handle emergencies immediately. This also means that we act as a one stop place for health checks, vaccinations, certifications and required paperwork.
We help in relocating birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters & many other animals.
Apart from relocation assistance, we help in rescuing Indian Street dogs & finding homes for them in Canada,US and a few other countries. We also ship the homeless, rescue animals abroad for free as part of our services. Recently we have started rescuing dogs from Afghanistan as well.
What is the process/requirements for importing pets into India?
The pet should be vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before travelling or within one year.
The owner should contact PetFly three weeks in advance so that we can arrange for the NOC (import permit) from the Govt Authorities, which is valid for 10 days. For this we would need the pet’s vaccination records, copies of the pet owner’s passport with valid visa stamps, Import Form endorsed by Govt agencies & few more documents based on the country of origin.
The owner can relocate the pet as accompanied excess baggage or as unaccompanied cargo.
What is the process/requirements for exporting pets out of India?
To export a pet, we need to prepare as per the rules of the destination country.
- For United States & Canada, we need to start a month in advance.
- For EU Countries, we should start the process 4 months in advance as we need to do a antirabies titre test and after that the pet needs to stay in India for 90 days.
The rules vary from one country to another. Hence plan in advance.
PetFly provides everything related to Pet Travel including IATA approved airline crates, water bottle, hanging bowl, mattress for the crate, absorbent sheets, Live Animal Stickers & paperwork to be pasted on the crate.
We provide full service from pick up of the pet from home to booking with the airlines and we have our counterparts in almost all the countries.
How should one prepare a pet for the journey?
Pre Trip:
One should purchase the crate at least 2 months in advance and get the pet used to the crate. If the pet is very nervous, then you can make it wear Thunder Shirts. If required, PetFly can arrange those for you.
The day of the journey:
Feed the pet very light food few hours before the departure time, give sufficient quantity of water and make sure there is water source attached to the crate. We recommend our clients to give honey to the pets before traveling. Honey is a very good source of Glucose and this helps to maintain the pet’s energy level.
Always pick the shortest route. We recommend Lufthansa, KLM, and Continental airlines due to their pet friendly transit facilities.
We give a thorough health check up of the pet before the journey.
- If the pet is old, we do a complete blood test.
- During summers we recommend evening/night flights.
- If the pet is nervous, we can provide homeopathy drops to calm them and make her/him wear a Thunder Shirt,which is very helpful.
- We do not recommend sedating your pet for the flight.
- For snub nosed breeds, always use crates which are one size bigger than what is recommended for other breeds of the same size.
Contact information for PetFly
Dr. S.K. Choudhary (B.V.Sc.& A.H., M.I.S.V.S.)
Dr. (Mrs.) P. Choudhary (B.V.Sc.& A.H., M.V.Sc.)
Website : http://petfly.in/
Telephone : +91 11 24113000, +91 9818334540, +91 9810147810
Email : drsk@choudharypetclinic.com , drpl@choudharypetclinic.com
Address : Dr. Choudhary’s Pet Clinic
Shop no. – 31,
Lower Ground Floor – DDA Market,
Anand Niketan, New Delhi – 110021
Process for pet relocation (dog) from India to United States
Here is step by step procedure we followed for Shayna’s relocation.
Pet : 6 year old Golden Retriever
Origin : Delhi
Destination : Los Angeles
Mode of Transport : Cargo Hold (I flew on the same flight).
Airline : Lufthansa (Highly recommended!)
Pet Re-locators : PetFly (Highly Recommended!)
Bear in mind that pet-relocation rules:
- keep changing
- vary based on the species
- are different for different countries
- can change based on the airlines
Hence use this as a guideline and make sure that you cross-check with your airlines and pet re-locators.
Relevant web links:
Lufthansa Pet Transport Information
Process:
- Talk to the Airline Cargo Manager before and after you book your tickets.
- Block your air tickets and call the airlines to let them know that you are carrying a pet with you. You’ll need to provide the pet (species, breed, age, weight) and crate details (length, breadth, height in cms).
- Call the airlines 24 Hours before the departure and inform them (again!) that you are carrying a pet in the Cargo Hold.
- Talk to the Airlines Cargo Manager 24 Hours before the departure and inform them that you are carrying a pet in the Cargo Hold.
- Arrive at the airport well before the regular arrival time.
- Be nice to the airlines staff !
DOCUMENTS FROM THE VET
a) International Health Certificate (5 Days before travel) on Vet’s letterhead with full address, contact info and license #.
Sample:
I have examined <Pet’s Name> (details below) on xx/xx/20xx and I certify that the animal shows no apparent clinical sign or symptom of any contagious disease, nor any sign leading to the suspicion of such a disease. At the time of examination the animal was found to be healthy. The said animal has also been vaccinated against Rabies on xx/xx/20xx.
The animal was inspected for screwworm on xx/xx/20xx (within 5 days of shipment to the US) and it was found free of screwworm.
The said animal is in a fit condition to travel.
Species :
Breed :
Sex :
Owner :
Address in India :
Phone # in India :
Microchip Details :
b) Rabies Vaccination Certificate
c) Companion Passport (List of vaccinations etc).
DOCUMENTS FROM ANIMAL QUARANTINE and CERTIFICATION SERVICES
a) Two photographs of the pet stamped by the officer
b) Government Vetnerary Animal Health Certificate
Issued by government quarantine officer veterinarian.
Requirements :
- 3 copies of the dogs pictures – front, side,face close up
- Vaccination records including the rabies vaccination 30 days before your flight
- 3 copies of Veterinary Health Certificate issued from your vet, which should mention
- Species, breed, age, sex, colour, identification mark, and name of animal
- Origin of Animal listing name and address of exporter (pet owner) and place of origin of the animal
- Destination of the animal including country of destination and name and address of consignee (person who is going to export animal).
Sample:
I, the undersigned Official Veterinary Certify that the animal described above and examined on xx/xx/20xx.
The above dog has been vaccinated against for Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza, Parovirus, Leptospira and Canine Corona Virus on xx/xx/20xx and Rabies on xx/xx/20xx.
The above dog was subjected to health inspection on this day and was found free from all demonstrable diseases and is in good health.
The above dog did not exhibit any signs and symptoms of any infectious diseases at the time of examination and is fit for air/ship travel.
The certificate is valid for seven days from the date of issue of this certificate.
Any other issue: NIL
This document was stamped with a Quarantine and Certification Service – Government of India stamp and dated and signed by the doctor.
UNITED STATES REQUIREMENTS
- International Health Certificate (including Screwworm 5 days preceding shipment)
- Rabies Vaccination & Certificate
DOCUMENTS TO CARRY WITH YOU (Keep 3 copies)
- Pictures of the pet from the front, side and close up
- Proof of Microchip
- International Health Certificate (VET)
- Government Vetenerary Health Certificate (GOVT)
CRATE REQUIREMENTS
- Empty Water Dish to be fixed to the crate
- Hampster Bottle (freeze water)
- Tape food and Feeding Instructions on the top of the crate
- Place instructions to walk and feed her at layover airport
- Carry Twist Ties and keep a few of them taped to the crate
- Door Closure – Verify with the airlines (rules vary)
- ZipLocks and Tape for sealing the documents to the top
- Affix Address labels (FROM / TO) on the crate
- Attach address tags to the dog collar.
PROCESS AT DELHI AIRPORT
- Take the dog on leash to the check-in counter with the crate
- Checkin dog as excess baggage
- Talk to the Cargo Manager and inform them that you are carrying a dog in the Cargo Hold
- You will be required to show the Govt Health Certificate, stamped pictures of the dog and Vetnerary Doctor’s Certificate
- Use Ties to secure the door
- Before boarding the flight get confirmation at the gate that the dog is on board (repeat if there is a connecting flight)
- Ask a relative or friend to wait till the flight takes off and verify that the dog did make it on the flight.
PROCESS AT LOS ANGELES AIRPORT
- Pick your luggage
- Go to the Oversized Luggage Section to collect the crate (and dog)
- Take the dog and bags for Custom Clearance (keep all the paperwork handy)
- Phew!!.
PAY IT FORWARD
Since the information and requirements keep changing, it would be great if pet owners would kindly drop us an email or comment about their personal experience so that we can keep this information updated and relevant. Thanks!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to get in touch with us.
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