Dog Shipping - Getting The Process Started For Going to London

As a major financial and business hub, London England is far and away the destination we service the most. We are pleased to do it as it is truly a destination where the assistance of professionals is a value add proposition.

There is officially a "six month quarantine" period which used to mean six months in a facility upon landing in London. However, with the enactment of The Pet Scheme, pets can complete the waiting period in the comfort of their own home.

The key is start the process at least six months prior to departure and to do it correctly. These are the steps.

1. Insert a microchip - AVID and Home Again are the most popular
2. Give your pet a rabies shot - It doesn't matter if he had one a month ago if he didn't previously have a microchip inserted
3. Blood draw for the Rabies Titre - We can provide your vet with details

The six month clock starts ticking the date the blood is drawn. This sounds easy, but I can't tell you how many clients we inform that they have to start over because it was done incorrectly.

We have a one page PDF form which you can print out and take with you to the vet (or you can email it ahead). Please drop us an EMAIL and we will be glad to send it along.

This is Just Sweet

How to Modify a Kennel for Bird Travel

We have many clients who want to take their feathered companions along when they travel and we are often asked about suitable travel kennels.

With a little work, you can modify a standard travel kennel to safely accommodate any bird. The only thing to keep in mind is the size of the bird. A small kennel will do for a cockatiel, however cockatoos and larger parrots will need an intermediate.

You should plan on about an hour for the project.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Travel Kennel
• ¾' to 1' dowel depending on the size of your bird
• ½' wood screws
• saw
• screwdriver
• tape measure
• light mesh wiring or screen material
• Sharpie pen
• heavy scissors/garden shears/wire cutters
• cable ties
• duct tape

There are two steps necessary for modifying a travel kennel for a pet bird. The first is you have to install a perch. The second is to cover the sides and door with chicken wire.

INSTALLING THE PERCH

You want to install the perch about 1 inch above the bottom of the kennel, about ¾ of the way towards the back to the kennel.

If your travel kennel is already assembled, you will need to break it down into its two halves. Take the lower half and with the tape measure, measure the distance between the side walls at a point about 1 inch above the bottom. Cut your dowel to this length and place it in the bottom half of the kennel about ¾ of the way to the back. You will be able to see the slight bulge it creates in the sides of the kennel. Use these bulges as a guide to screw one screw through the kennel and into each end of the wooden dowel with the screwdriver.

COVERING THE SIDES AND DOOR WITH MESH

There is very light gauge mesh wiring available at Home Depot or Lowes. It generally comes in a design with small squares. You can also use the material used for most household widow screens. The opening on traditional chicken wire is generally too large as the point of the wiring is to keep your bird from injuring itself by poking its beak or feet out of the kennels.

Lay the mesh over the door and with your Sharpie pen, trace the outer edge of the kennel door. (you want the mesh slightly bigger than the door). Repeat the process for the openings on either side of the kennel.

Using your heavy scissors or your garden shears, cut out the template of the wire mesh. Use the cable ties to secure the mesh to the door and side openings. One on each corner and one in the middle of each side is generally sufficient.

Lastly, use your duct tape to cover up the edges of the mesh wiring. It is usually best to just you one continuous strip all the way around the door and one for each side. This prevents your pet bird from injuring itself on any loose edges.

If your kennel already has holes in the back, you will need to cover them with mesh if they are large enough for your pet bird to stick his beak or legs through. To do this, just cut out one square of mesh large enough to cover all of the holes and secure it to the back of the kennel with duct tape.

If the back of your kennel does not have holes already, you will need to take a small ¼ inch drill bit and drill 15 to 20 holes in the back of the kennel. Then you will need to tape a swatch of the mesh over those holes on the outside of the kennel with duct tape.

Put the top of the kennel on and your fine feathered friend is now ready for travel!

Weather Update for Continental

The severe weather in the North East is affecting many pet shipments. We just got this update from our folks at Continental.

As you may know, one of Continental Airlines' largest hubs is in Newark, New Jersey (just outside New York City) and that area is being hit by a massive snow storm today through Sunday (Sunday may be the worst day). As a result, the PetSafe desk is currently contacting customers whose animals are booked as connections through Newark for Friday - Sunday and rebooking those to Monday and beyond. However, we are leaving the animals connecting to our international flights in tact, as well as any animal whose destination is EWR or whose origin is EWR (if their flight operates, then the animal will go).

We are currently pre-cancelling hundreds of flights, and will continue to make hour to hour decisions as the weekends goes forward. For example, we've cancelled today's flights earlier this morning and will make decisions this evening (approx 6pm central time) about tomorrow's operation, etc. If you have pets booked in or through Newark this weekend, please check flight status of your booked flights at our website (passenger website - not cargo) http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/travel/flightStatus/default.aspxto to see if it's been cancelled.

Any animals that can be rerouted over Houston, should be rerouted to be safe. (Please note that current forecasts call for some frozen precipitation in Houston again on Sunday night through Monday morning, but I'll update you again if we see cancelled flights happening in Houston. Keep your fingers crossed.)

Don't we know it! The picture above is from Amy Christy (International Pet Relocation Counselor here at Animal Land). It was taken in her back yard.

Jet Blue Announces Pet Program

This week Jet Blue announced their "JetPaws" program. It is not particularly useful for most pet relocation folks as it applies to in-cabin pets only. However, it is absolutely a great program and does offer bonus points.

From the press release:

Pet fur-iendly JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) today unveils JetPaws(TM), an exclusive new in-cabin program designed to provide pet owners with helpful Travel Pettiquette guidelines, which outline the social graces of jetting with small dogs and cats. As part of the new program, customers will also receive two bonus award points for each flight through JetBlue's TrueBlue customer loyalty program, helping two-legged customers earn free travel faster when traveling with Fido or Fluffy.

With over 80,000 pets flying each year, it makes sense that they'd attempt to make in-cabin pet travel more convenient for their clients. The cities that this program is being launched in are Boston; Fort Lauderdale; Las Vegas; Long Beach/L.A.; New York; Orlando; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.

Continental's Holiday Hours

Received in our office today from our favorite airline regarding their Holiday hours.

In observance of the Christmas holiday, Continental Cargo will close its Houston based Cargo Customer Service Center which houses the PetSafe desk at 10pm Central Time on December 24th (Wednesday night) and will reopen at 0600 Central Time on December 26, 2008 (Friday morning).

Importing Pets into The US

We here at Petmovers.com are committed to moving pets safely around the world. We focus a great deal of attention on all of the regulations for various countries and how to best comply with both the written word and the nuances we have uncovered through years of experience.

However, I am always surprised by the number of requests we get for the regulations for pets coming into the US. Luckily they are pretty easy.

1 - The pets must have a rabies shot which is between 30 days and a year old;

2 - They must have a health certificate dated with 10 days of arrival.

That's it! There is an additional form required if you are importing a puppy or kitten which we can provide.

Some countries do have export regulations and you should check to make sure you comply with those.

Please be aware that if you are coming from the following countries he will need a screw worm test as well or they will be held in customs.

ASIA - Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Macau, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

CENTRAL AMERICA/CARIBBEAN - Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamica, Trinidad and Tobago

MIDDLE EAST - Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qata, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

PACIFIC ISLANDS - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands

SOUTH AMERICA - Argentina, Brazil, Boliva, Colombia, Easter Islands, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela

Also, if your pet is not traveling as excess baggage or in cabin, you will need to make arrangements to clear customs in the US. If your flight is arriving late in the afternoon, you should make arrangements to "pre-clear" your pet so they don't have to spend the night in a kennel waiting for Customs to open.

California Governor's Proposal is Not Pet Friendly

Below is an article from a great blog, Vet Blog, outlining The Terminator's new proposal for raising funds in California.

An article in today’s San Francico Chronicle discusses Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plans to mend the massive hole in California’s budget. Among his answers: charge sales tax for veterinary visits.

Schwarzenegger also wants to broaden the sales tax to include appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf and veterinary services beginning March 1. His tax package, which would generate nearly $4.7 billion this year, also includes a severance tax on oil produced in California and an excise tax on alcohol. [emphasis mine]

Sorry Arnold, but I can’t support you. In this economy I know veterinarians who are cutting back hours and trimming staff to keep their practices from going under. Vets are strapped. And I meet plenty of people every day who can no longer afford the best possible care for their pets. People with pets are strapped.

Traditionally, services have not been subject to sales tax. I find it interesting that Governor Schwarzenegger chose to tax veterinary services and auto repair, but not human medical services or attorney’s fees. Taxing the latter two industries would draw in much more revenue for the state. It also would draw a lot more fire from armies of vicious, well-organized attorneys. I assume that is why Arnold has decided to pick on mechanics and vets (and their clients).

In this endeavor, Arnold, I wish you the worst of luck. And I’d like to suggest an alternative means of raising revenue. Start taxing people who watch or rent action movies featuring muscle-bound men.

On a different note, Horst recently asked readers for feedback on how the economy is affecting their choice of pet food. His question: are people choosing cheaper pet foods in these tough times?

Great Gift Ideas for your Dogs

SNIF Tags offer a small RFID chip that attaches to your dog's collar, where you can then log in to their online site and see your dog's activity level while you are away from home. While it doesn't provide any GPS locating, and certainly would not serve as a microchip for international pet transportation purposes, it does tell you when your dog is up walking around or lying down.
One of the cooler features that it offers is the social networking tool -- dog owners can create profiles for their pets and if you bump into another pet with a SNIF Tag on out on a walk or in a dog park, it will show that the two tags "connected" on the two dogs' profiles.

Finding Pets in Dubai

Now you can find your pets among the new architectural wonders. Microchip databases are common in the US and Europe but have been slow to arrive in other parts of the world.

That changed recently as The United Arab Emirates have developed a pet tracking database.

Residents who come across a lost pet would now be able to get in touch with its owner directly through the Middle East's first online animal database — Aniworldbase. The web site, which registers the details of micro-chipped animals, was launched by its developers, NMC Veterinary Division, at an event last Thursday.
Government officials, veterinarians and animal welfare groups have welcomed the initiative which would also help resolve the situation of abandoned pets in the country. Animal welfare groups, including K9 Friends and Feline Friends, have reported many cases of pets being abandoned by their owners, or simply lost.
The database would help in tracking down the owners of lost or abandoned pets, according to the NMC Veterinary Division Business Unit Manager, Dr Vikram Sharma. "This is common in places like Europe, but it has been missing in the Middle East," he said.
Dr Sharma encouraged pet owners to approach their veterinarian to have a microchip, the size of a grain of rice, implanted in their pets. The municipality or a rescue organisation would then be able to scan the microchip and check its details online.
Dr. Sharma said the municipalities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are supportive of the initiative. He said the web site had the potential to grow and provide many services, possibly social networking capabilities.

Khaleej Times