What the pet travel process looks like? with

What the pet travel process looks like? with

We would like to make you aware that pet travel it is vastly different to human travel. There are country regulations, airlines stipulations and veterinary requirements that have to be considered and adhered to before the actual travel arrangements can be made for your pets. We would strongly recommend, that the very first thing you do is to acquaint and establish yourself with these two very important points: GET A QUOTE & GET YOUR TIMELINE AND REQUIREMENTS RIGHT. I. Get a quote. Regardless of your financial status, you need to get a quote for the move of your furry beloved ones. The reason for this is that firstly you need to see the actual costs, secondly to see if it is affordable or thirdly how long in advance you should start budgeting for the move. A. Requesting a quote: You can either call our offices or visit our website and fill in our online quote request form. Please call us on: o +27 (0) 83 640 4574 (Johannesburg) o +27 (0) 21 761 2520 (Cape Town) Link to our online quote form: www.globalpaws.co.za/quote Our offices are open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 16:30 pm. We are closed on weekends and public holidays. B. Waiting for your quote: You should receive your quote within 24 48 hours (depending on the complexity of your request). This rule often excludes quotes to and from certain African countries they can take a little bit longer the African time issue. If you do not receive your quote within this time period please give us a call! We appreciate the opportunity to help and advice and look forward to your business. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 1

C. Understanding your quote: Overseas pet travel is often far more expensive than human travel. Airfreight is calculated on how much space your pet s travel crate occupies in the airline s cargo hold and unfortunately these prices are never discounted by the airlines. Veterinary fees, airline fuel fees, administration fees, crate charges and additional customs or state vet endorsements have to be taken into consideration. We will tailor your quote to suit your needs and requirements, but if you find that the quote is above your budget please let us know and perhaps we can advise you on how to reduce costs. D. Accepting your quote: Please let us know that you are accepting your quote so our Admin department can supply you with your invoice. You can either pay the required non-refundable deposit or the full amount. Once your payment reflects in our account, your file will be allocated to your dedicated consultant. Your consultant will contact you to establish a relationship, confirm your exact requirements and inform you of all the travel information specific to your pets relocation needs. II. Get your timeline & requirements right. All countries require veterinary preparation. This can take a different amount of time and commitment e.g. preparation for taking pets into EU countries takes 3 to 4 months, preparation for pets into USA can take anything from 5 to 30 days and preparation for pets into New Zealand usually takes 7 months! A. Gathering information on country requirements: Your consultant will advise you on your specific country requirements, but you can also visit our website and browse our information on travel requirements. B. Working with your consultant: The moment your consultant starts working on your file, you will be asked to supply us with copies of your pet s veterinary documentation: Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 2

It is important that you do this immediately, because if there is anything wrong with your paperwork, your consultant will be able to pick this up and guide you accordingly. Additionally your consultant can establish your travel preparedness and advise on timelines accordingly. You will be asked to complete our Required Information Sheet with your contact details, collection / delivery addresses and your pet s measurements and weight. C. Working with a vet: Sometimes vets or their receptionists can advise incorrectly when it comes to pet travel. Ultimately they are great at healing your pets and taking care of their health. Their job is to be vets not to be pet travel agents therefore we strongly recommend that you let your pet travel consultant guide you through your destination country s specific requirements - sooner rather than later. Indicated below are a few mistakes that vets can make. Please, if you are working with your vet make sure he is aware of these absolute don ts : Absolute Don ts: Microchips cannot be inserted after the rabies vaccination, unless it is done on the same day. Do not draw blood for the TITRE rabies blood test less than 30 days after the last rabies vaccination. Do not boost rabies vaccinations within 30 days before your pets travel date as this will delay departure. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 3

III. Adhering to country requirements. Your consultant will send you a timeline schedule of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done to comply with the veterinary requirements for your pets journey. A. Applying for an import permit: An import permit is required for most of African, South American & Asian countries. Australia & New Zealand also require an import permit. Countries like The USA, Canada and most EU countries do not require an import permit. So, if your destination country requires an import permit please see the notes below: Import permits have to be obtained from the country of destination. Import permits need to be applied for far in advance of your pets' date of departure. Usually it takes several weeks to obtain the permit. It depends on the issuing country. Every import permit is valid for a certain period of time. This means that your pet will have to travel before the expiry date on the permit. Every import permit will specify the countries requirements. Read those requirements. This is very important! You have to comply with the countries requirements before your pet's can travel. Import permits are valid for one assignment only. This means that every time your pet travels you need to obtain a new import permit from the country of destination. Cats and dogs have to travel on separate permits and health certificates. Generally pets can travel on a copy of the permit as long as the original permit is submitted upon the pet's arrival. B. General Export requirements: All international destinations require a valid rabies vaccination for travel. Valid means that the vaccination must have been given no more than one year and no less than thirty days before the intended travel date. We suggest that you check your pet's vaccination certificate in good time, so as to ensure that there will be no problems when the time comes for your pet to travel. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 4

It is also important for your pet's health to keep the standard canine or feline vaccinations up to date although often this is not a requirement for travel. In addition, should your pet require boarding before they travel all reputable kennels would insist that you produce a valid vaccinations certificate showing that their vaccinations are up to date and most will also require a kennel cough vaccination. Most countries require an import permit. Please refer to the import subject above. We recommend that you microchip your pet even if it might not be a requirement at your intended destination. Please make sure that you microchip your pet before or on the same day as your pets rabies vaccination is given. Certain destinations require government laboratory blood testing for various diseases. The most common test is the TITRE rabies antibody test required for countries like: The UK, Ireland, all EU countries, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, lots of African countries, some of the Asian countries etc your consultant will advise accordingly. IV. Preparing your pet s travel crates. A. If Global Paws is supplying you with the pet s travel crate: Our manufacturing team will build your pet s wooden IATA approved travel crate to the highest safety and durability standards. We can supply you with top quality plastic travel kennels should you prefer. We generally bring the crate with us to your residence when we collect your pets on the day of their departure. If you wish to arrange pre-delivery of your pet s travel kennel because you would like to do some kennel training with your precious cargo, please let us know and we will add this service to your quotation. Your pet s kennel will contain: two water bowls, blanket with shredded paper underneath it, labels and airline stickers. Wooden travel boxes are theoretically for one use only and some countries will insist on incineration e.g. China, however due to their robust construction if you store them properly they could be used again. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 5

B. You are supplying your own pet s travel crate: If you are supplying your own travel crate please send us a picture so we can check that it complies with airline requirements to avoid any last minute delays. We also recommend that as far in advance as possible you make sure to clean your pet s crate, assemble the pieces together and check door s mechanism. This will prevent last minute surprises. You should also provide a water bowl and a blanket. For more information on pet travel crates please visit our website. V. Ordering a Traveller Welcome Pack. We offer this special package to ease your precious pets travel experience. We would deliver it to your residence weeks before your pet s departure. The Traveller Welcome Pack includes: A. Pre-delivery of your pet travel box a few weeks before its travels: So your pet can get familiar with the smell of the travel crate and perhaps you can also start crate training. B. Calming collar: This pheromone collar mimics the pheromone that the mother produces to calm and reassure her babies. Pets recognize these pheromones throughout life. It mimics the natural way to help them cope with new and fearful situations. The lavender and chamomile provide a soothing fragrance. It can work up to 30 days! C. Special vet bedding: Vet bedding is ideal for pet s while in transit, because its density provides the ultimate comfort and support for your pet s joints. The design allows superb heat retention and air circulation. This product was originally designed for vet practices and it is highly used in Europe by most veterinarians for elderly or disabled pets, puppies or kittens where hygiene and warmth is vital, or for pets after their operation. Hence the name - vet bedding. For more information on this package please visit our website. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 6

VI. Last few weeks & days before your pets departure. A. Revising your quotation and updating your account: Approximately 3 weeks before your pet s departure, your consultant will review your travel quotation, to check if your invoice needs updating. The main reason for this is that the bigger part of your quote: the airline s cargo rates, fuel and other related airfreight charges can change, especially if foreign currency exchange rates apply. Global Paws has no power over these charges and therefore we need to make you aware that your invoice will be reviewed closer to your departure time. Usually there is no change in the quotation, but we just want to be honest with you and make you aware that it might happen. B. Booking your pets flight: No earlier than 10 days before travel, your consultant will book your pet s flight. We cannot book flights earlier than that. It is an airline regulation for AVI (Live animals). Your consultant will send you your pet s flight itinerary along with their ticket number (Air Waybill Number AWB). The Airline will contact the consignee, (yourself or the person appointed by you to collect at destination) for the Okay to forward. This is the process the airlines use to confirm who will be receiving your pets at the destination and to clarify that they are aware of the arrangements. Once the Okay to forward is received your pets flight will be confirmed and booked. C. Customs clearance: Your consultant will finalise all South African customs exit clearances for your pet. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 7

D. Health certificate signed & stamped by a private veterinarian: Closer to the departure date, when all the necessary documentation is in place, the health certificate needs to be taken care of. You can do this yourself or let Global Paws arrange it for you. Your pet will be taken to your private veterinarian, who will certify that your pet is fit to travel and complies with the destination countries requirements. Global Paws clients exporting from South Africa will be supplied with the correct and filled in health certificate. E. State Vet (Government Vet) documentation endorsement and export clearance: Your consultant will arrange to collect ALL your pet s ORIGINAL veterinary paperwork from your residence and do the Government State Vet clearance. Your pet does not have to be present at this point. Once all the veterinary documentation is completed and in order, your consultant will send you electronic copies along with your pet s AWB (manifested flight ticket). Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 8

VII. On the day of your pet s departure. A. A few words about tranquilising: The Ministry Of Agriculture and veterinary surgeons strongly discourage tranquilizing animals in the pressurized conditions of an aircraft. Adverse drug reactions and breathing difficulties may occur due to the change in air pressure. Airlines may refuse to carry sedated pets, as they cannot detect their state of health. After the initial loading into the aeroplanes, pressurised, heated, sound proofed and dimly lit pet compartment, pets soon settle down to their journey and fall asleep. Nonetheless if you feel that your pet might need some relaxant we recommend: Rescue drops: these drops are available at pharmacies or pet shops. You can start administering the drops a day before your pet s travel in its water bowl or a few drops directly on its tongue. Calming collars: we can supply if you require. Please read more about it on our website. B. Feeding your pet: Please do not feed your pets a large meal on the day of departure; a small snack or treat is more suitable. This is because they will be in their travel crate for an extended period and will need to toilet at some point. A large meal equals a large toilet and this can lead to a very messy dog and travel crate. Alternatively your pet may constipate and if they have been fed a large meal this could lead to some discomfort. So please feed them well the night before and give your dog a long walk to have a toilet break before our scheduled collection time. C. Securing your cat: We all know how intuitive cats can be and they are famous for doing a disappearing act on the day of collection or even the evening before, so please keep your cats securely closed in a room from the evening before scheduled collection so there are no last minute surprises. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 9

D. Collection of your pets from residence: Our Animal Handler will collect your pets from your residence on the day of their departure (unless kennelling is required prior to travel). Your furry friend can travel with its collar on but for its safety please take the harness and lead off. We can attach these items to the top of the travel box. For your pet s feeling of comfort and security please provide us with its blanket and perhaps an article of your own clothing to add the comfort of the familiar smells of home. If you wish to put their favourite toy in the box p lease bear in mind that the toy cannot be made of any animal product. E. After our collection: Airlines require us to book in pets 4-6 hours before their flight. Your pet will await its flight departure at the airport s special dedicated holding unit for live animals. All boxes are fitted with water containers, which are kept full at all times; they are refilled at all transit and arrival points and we have a notice on they travel box to remind all pet handlers to refill the water bowl. All your pet s original documentation will be attached to the top of the travel box and a set of duplicates are attached to the AWB (ticket). Our Animal Handler will walk your dog, to let them refresh themselves, just prior to the handover to the airline. Our Animal Handler will also inform you once your pets have been booked in for their flight. Airline staff members will load your pet into the airplane s livestock hold, which is pressurized, heated and situated below the passenger cabin. We promise your Baby won t be cold - jackets are not necessary! Your consultant will provide you with a track and trace website link to check on your pet s flight status anytime during its journey. In the case of an emergency we have a 24 hours manned phone line, please find the emergency phone numbers in your consultant s email stationary. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 10

VIII. Arrival at the destination - Hurrah! Pilot landed safely! It will take the airline an hour or 2 to off load your pet out of the aircraft. Upon arrival all pets and their documentation are checked by a State Vet (Government Veterinarian). This might take another few hours everything depends on the country entered and the size of the airports facilities. A. If you are collecting your pet/s upon their arrival, please note: The consignee needs to have their ID or passport when collecting. At the destination airport the consignee must go to the airline cargo section, show the person at the counter the Air Waybill number (AWB, see above), their ID or passport and request their pets original documentation. Then the consignee must go to the customs office with the documentation and obtain customs clearance. Once customs have cleared the pets, i.e. stamped the appropriate forms, the consignee must go back to the cargo section, show them the stamped customs forms, pay some additional airline handling charges (equivalent to +/- USD 120.00) and collect their pets. This might be time consuming but should be pretty simple. We recommend that your pet arrives on a week day during working hours. If this is not possible or your destination is an African country we highly recommend that you use an agent at the destination - Let Global Paws or its IPATA agents deal with all of this on your behalf. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 11

IX. Keeping in touch. Your consultant will follow up with you upon your pet s arrival and again a few days later to check how your furry friend is settling into its new environment. A. Website: We keep our website and Facebook page updated with your testimonials and your pet s travel pictures. Please supply us with your feedback and pictures of your furry beloved once. B. Facebook: Please go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/globalpaws and click LIKE. This way you can join our community of travellers and share your experience and photographs of your furry babies in their new homes and environments. Some of our clients reunited with their pets. Global Paws What the pet travel process looks like. 12