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Furry fliers
Thinking of taking your pet all the way to Australia? Andrew Collier looks at ways to complete the process of registering, the pitfalls and the rules you should follow to ensure you and your pet enjoy a happy move
Fact, we are a nation of animal lovers. We love our cats, dogs and myriad other animals in this country to the extent that when one of them dies, it can feel like losing a member of the family.
To this end, it is also not worth contemplating having to leave all those Rex's and Tiddles behind when we leave the UK to go Down Under.
Well, fear not, because if you are a migrant owner of a cat or dog (with few exceptions), you are allowed to take them to Australia with you. That is provided that the animal has had all the relative checks, blood samples and paperwork done in order to be allowed to begin its new life in Australia with you.
It requires a significant amount of time, energy and money to be able to take your cat or dog with you to Australia, so planning vets appointments, filling and returning paperwork and even booking places on the flight Down Under should be done with plenty of time to spare.
Thankfully, there are several companies that are trained to help with the process of exporting animals to Australia, some of which have been dealing with people's pets for decades.
One such company, Pet Air has been sending animals abroad for 26 years after being founded by three vets.
It provides fact sheets to help prospective migrants with the process of moving their pets abroad with them. The company offers various services, from a full package to a standard service.
The first action that will need to be taken is the vaccinations of the dog or cat. This must be done 12 months and 14 days before flying, so that the animal is not open to infection and disease which could be carried into Australia.
The Australian Ministry of Agriculture have strict controls on animals entering the country due to its extremely fragile flora and fauna.
The next piece of information you will need is a permit to let your animal fly to Australia and be accepted into quarantine. There is a waiting time before dogs and cats can be reserved a place in quarantine and these times vary between the cities and states. For example, in Melbourne and Perth, the waiting times are three and four months respectively; whereas in Sydney there is usually no wait at all and the animal is reserved a quarantine place straight away. Other Australian towns and cities have a quarantine of 30 days, which the animal will serve on arrival in Australia.
Dog owners, this part of the process is only applicable to you. Around 30 days before the animal is due to fly, the vet will collect blood samples and apply an anti-tick treatment ready for the animal to travel. The blood samples are to check for diseases that are incredibly rare in the UK, but are needed before the animal is allowed into Australia. The ideal time frame in which to undertake these procedures is 26 to 28 days before departure, to take into account possible delays to flights.
Additional paperwork has to be picked up from a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) office which, once filled out, allows your vet to have a final check of the dog or cat and before they fly; this usually happens around seven days before the animal is due to fly.
The final stage involves a check of the animal four days before departure. This is a final precaution to prevent the spreading of diseases to animals in Australia. In the case of both cats and dogs, de-worming procedures will take place. Cats will also be examined for tics at this stage.
In addition to the further tests, this stage will also be when the vets will complete the DEFRA form to allow the animals to travel Down Under.
At this point, female cats and dogs must not be more than three weeks pregnant, otherwise they will not be able to fly.
Moving abroad is a complicated business and the addition of all the paperwork and bills that moving a pet entails is not ideal; however, if it means that you can start a new life with your pet as well, then all of the necessary steps are worth it.
For more information, go to Petair
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