If you need to transport your dog or cat to the United States or Canada, below is helpful information to know before you start planning your trip.
What is there to know?
Both the United States and Canada allow the entry of accompanying pets. Therefore, there is no obligation to book your pet as Manifest Cargo.
Obviously, it will be the airline with which you intend to travel that must then confirm whether your dog or cat can travel with you, either in the cabin or in the hold, depending on its weight, breed, size of carrier and route.
What are the first steps?
As for Canada, the veterinary preparation for dogs and cats is very simple, and there are no particularly complex requirements.
We start from the basic requirements, i.e. microchip and anti-rabies vaccination. Your dog or cat will be able to travel starting 30 days after vaccination.
These are the minimum requirements to start planning your trip. The final steps will be defined when the departure date is confirmed.
If your destination is the United States, we inform you that in addition to the above-mentioned minimum requirements, there are some recent innovations which we will go into further detail in the next paragraph.
Focus on the United States – what’s new?
A new regulation will come into force starting August 1, 2024 and concerns exclusively the entry of dogs into the United States. Cats are therefore not affected by this new rule.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has established that starting August 1, 2024, all dogs imported into the United States, in addition to microchipping and rabies vaccination, must meet the following requirements:
- be at least 6 months old
- have an Import Form issued by the CDC: you can obtain it directly on the CDC website
- be accompanied by additional documentation which varies based on the country of origin, i.e. the country in which he lived in the 6 months prior to his entry into the United States)
If you are headed to the United States with your dog, before planning your trip or taking your first steps, we encourage you to contact an experienced company like AM Pet Movers to better understand the effects of these regulatory changes.
