If you have pets and are intending to move overseas, this cannot be done on the spur of the moment.
The first thing that you need to do is find out whether or not your cat or dog will be subject to quarantine. There are some countries that do quarantine newly arrived animals and they generally demand evidence of a neutralizing antibody rabies test to have been performed over the six months prior to the date of importation. Even those countries that do not have a quarantine period will most likely still need to have both proof a current rabies vaccination and a health certificate.
The Pets Travel Scheme (PETS) of the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to expand to the US and Canada. When this takes place, pets will no longer have to be subjected to the six-month mandatory quarantine period as long as they obtain an import license and undergo a rabies test. If the move you are making is domestic only, cats and dogs can actually fly in the cabin provided their crate is small enough to be able to go under the seat as checked baggage. Alternatively, they can go as cargo.
There are also a number of professional pet relocation services that exist in order to make the transition as smooth and easy as possible for both the pets and their owners. These services check health certificates, furnish owners with crates approved by IATA, and often take the pets to the airport.
Lance Grooms
