Are Dogs OK in Mexico ?

[Patience Sky]

We want to go down Baja and up Sea of Cortez. Today some ladies were insisting that it is not possible and there are strict quarantines, etc, while another said she travels back and forth with her dogs all the time. What is the real scoop?

[hummingway]

Both of the sites below seem to agree that you can. DogFriendly.com - Pet Regulations (Customs/Quaratines) for Entry into Various Countries
Travel with Pets to Mexico - Take your Pet to Mexico - Rules for Entering Mexico with Pets

Mexicans have a different relationship with their dogs then the rest of NA. If you go through the barrios you'll find the dogs aren't tied but they don't bark and are friendly. Dogs are trained to behave from a young age I think. In Barra de Navidad I was on a long bike ride with some friends and I had been relegated an old rattle trap. A nice looking dog joined in with us despite the fact we were on a long dusty ride. At one point I was lagging behind so my friends paused and looked back they all started laughing and pointing so I looked back. I had aquired a troop of about half a dozen dogs merrily trotting along with me.

[Intentional Drifter]

Ours went just fine. Although we had the paperwork all filled out, they didn't even want to look. YMMV.

ID

[zeehag]

dogs in ensenada bark lot especially at night. they are walked on a leash and they are just like dogs anywhere else.
cats are ok in boats here also.
there are veterinariaans also where to one is able to take the critters called pets .....

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by zeehag

dogs in ensenada bark lot especially at night. they are walked on a leash and they are just like dogs anywhere else.
cats are ok in boats here also.
there are veterinariaans also where to one is able to take the critters called pets .....

Interesting. I confess to only having been in the Mazatlan and Barra areas but in neither can I remember a dog barking. I don't recall seeing any on leash but of course there will be places you will. One of the links I posted mentions that Maxicans don't take there pets when they go somewhere so that would reduce the numbers you'd see in certain areas. In Barra, despite them running free in the barrio I never saw one in the downtown area. Chickens yes, dogs no.

[zeehag]

just sayin what i see on the malecon.... and hear at night.... keeps kat awake.. he gets nervous and sits on a table when dogs bark....

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by zeehag

just sayin what i see on the malecon.... and hear at night.... keeps kat awake.. he gets nervous and sits on a table when dogs bark....

I bet he does. Well, Mexico is a big place and I'm sure there are different standards everywhere. I might just have got lucky and been there when the dogs were quiet.

[hummingway]

I thought you'd be in Maz by now Zee; I expected you'd enjoy the Easter celebrations on the Malecon there. Still working on the boat?

[sww914]

I've taken my dog into Mexico many times. You have to have all of the shots up to date and you have to get an international dog health certificate (not the exact name, but close), it cost about 40 bucks at the vet. Make sure that the vet does everything according to the instructions with the certificate, it's your dog that's in jeopardy, not the vet's.
Never a problem except with the stupid US officials. Everyone in Mexico is really nice, the TSA people are the real jerks.
I spent 2 hours in LAX explaining that I am not an infamous international dog food smuggler and that I bought the dog food at Costco in California and that I wasn't trying to turn a multi-billion dollar profit by smuggling Costco dog food back into the US in my carry on luggage.
So you have to throw away most of the dog food before you re-enter the US but the amount in the dog's bowl is OK.
Never a problem driving, only when flying.
Dogs LOVE Mexico, lots more to smell on the streets down there and it's really nice for laying in the sun, same as for us. Dogs like street tacos too. And street cevice. And leftover shrimp or lobster. Even first-run shrimp & lobster is OK with dogs.
And lots of good dog beaches. Yeah, it's pertty good to be a civilized dog in Mexico.

[Laidback]

Re: Are Dogs OK in Mexico ?

Why, do the Mexicans eat dogs like the Chinese?

Or do Mexican dogs eat Mexicans or Chinese?

[Patience Sky]

Awesome! Thanks for all the input. We realize there are places we won't be able to go but Mexico is my first interest in sailing to. Does anyone know, when you get there, like maybe Ensenada to clear in, can you take your dog off to get all the paperwork done or do you have to wait on the boat for someone to come out and inspect? I do not know what the process is and how having a dog will fit into it. He is a very calm, nice, pretty dog who people usually like right away.

[Rod Headlee]

We tried to clear our cats in via Agriculture Dept in Cabo San Lucas, they were not interested in doing so. Don't worry about it.

[djmarchand]

I am reminded about the time we took our 16 year old son to Cozumel. We were in a very high end hotel bar and my wife, being anal about these things, asked what is the drinking age in Mexico. The bartender's answer was "Is he old enough to hold the glass?"

So the same with dogs. I am sure that there are lots of bureaucratic rules that no one follows. Mexico is the quintessential live and let live country.

David

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by djmarchand

I... my wife, being anal about these things, asked what is the drinking age in Mexico. The bartender's answer was "Is he old enough to hold the glass?" ...

The legal drinking age in Mexico appears to be 18.
Minimum Legal Drinking Ages around the World