Dogs Aboard?

[LibLady]

We are leaving from the gulf to the islands (however far south we can get!) in April. We have a new puppy, and have ordered all the forms for importation. What do cruisers do when the arrive at a country that doesn't accept animals from the U.S.? Do you just not declare your pet and not take him ashore? Do you skip that particular island (s)?

It appears that our new puupy will cost us a fortune in fees. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[SaucySailoress]

Out of interest, why do you have a new puppy at this stage in the game? We have a new one, and plan to leave later this year, but ours was a failed adoption and needed a home... and we will consider re-homing him before we go, once we have trained him, even though we love him already....

But why a new puppy now?

[Astrid]

I would start by making sure your puppy is vaccinated and documented. Then go to the Noonsite webpage and browse the countries or islands you intend to visit:

Noonsite.

Each will have a menu for pet restrictions. One can usually write the appropriate department on islands you wish to visit and get clarification. In many cases, if the animal is not going to come ashore with you, some restrictions will not apply.

[youmeandthed]

most countries aren't to keen on dogs under 6 months. noonsite is a good resource. some countries require a bond if you have to keep the dog on the boat, ie. it's not allowed in the country. in practice i'm not to sure, but will know in the next month. pretty much just get the shots and show up and see.

we had to make the decision about bringing the dog or leaving him with someone. he's super needy/dependent, and lazy so we figured he'd rather be with us on the boat than in a friends place alone.

[LibLady]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

Out of interest, why do you have a new puppy at this stage in the game? We have a new one, and plan to leave later this year, but ours was a failed adoption and needed a home... and we will consider re-homing him before we go, once we have trained him, even though we love him already....

But why a new puppy now?

Had to have him, emotional purchase. I have no problem doing whatever is necessary, am just looking for practical advice.

[LibLady]

Originally Posted by youmeandthed

most countries aren't to keen on dogs under 6 months. noonsite is a good resource. some countries require a bond if you have to keep the dog on the boat, ie. it's not allowed in the country. in practice i'm not to sure, but will know in the next month. pretty much just get the shots and show up and see.

we had to make the decision about bringing the dog or leaving him with someone. he's super needy/dependent, and lazy so we figured he'd rather be with us on the boat than in a friends place alone.

I have ordered Puppy Passports for each country that will accept him, and he will be 6 months old when we go. He's chipped and vaccinated, just needs the titer test (must have for a lot places).

For what it's worth, he's already a great boat dog.

[Jumpy]

How exciting to have a new puppy to sail with! As much work as it may be to sort out all of the logistics before you leave the USA, the companionship and good distraction that a furry creature can provide is well worth it. As others have mentioned, Noonsite is a great resource for fact-finding. Having your documents in order (multiple hard copies and electronic copies) to send or e-mail to the appropriate animal quarantine services of different countries is probably prudent. We sailed with our dog from Mexico to Japan with stops in Hawaii and Guam with minimal bureaucratic hassles as we had prepared many months before our departure. As we leave Japan for New Zealand with many stops in between, we opted to fly him back to Canada. In order to meet the quarantine requirements for New Zealand we would not have been able to have him off the boat for any period of time. That would have meant almost 10 months of being restricted to the boat which we couldn't imagine. We may have been able to sneak him off the boat in certain places but weren't prepared to risk any penalties to the dog or ourselves as foreigners in another country.

Wishing you all the best