[Mrs Pony]

We have a 5 year old cocker spaniel and a 7 year old cat... We love them both to death but is it worth the cost/hassle to bring them with us? What is the process like to bring them over here and to go through quarantine? Can they say that they won't let the animal in?

[dilanium]

They can say they won't take them, but if you follow the rules religiously it's unlikely. My 7yo cat is coming with us. He will be quarantined at Shado-Lans in Levin (http://shado-lans.co.nz/index.htm), it looks very nice there.
We are transporting with IPT (http://www.iptlax.com/) they have been very professional and have caught mistakes we would have made without their help (and I worked at a veterinary clinic and am headed to Vet school at Massey).

Here's the import health standard for coming from the US: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/domaniic.spe.htm

[Georgebulldog]

I think you need to look at where abouts you will live, although I suppose a 5yr old cocker spaniel doesn't need that much walking/running.
We didn't bring our dog with us, apart from another factor not related to moving or money I thought Wellington didn't look that dog friendley as dogs are banned from the CBD at most times also where we now live doesn't have the space for the long walks he was getting in the woods where we lived, for us it was the only & right choice as we were lucky enough to have great neighbours who loved him & as soon as they knew we were moving offered to have him if we didn't want to take him so he has stayed with people he knew & only next door with the walks he was getting before & we still get updates & pictures of him.
rambled on I know but for dogs that need long runs then you would have to make sure you are living somewhere to accomordate or drive to have their run, if it's just walks your doing then it would be OK

[Roper]

Hi there. I love cocker spaniels and we have two aged 1 yr. They are litter mates. So cute! My honest opinion is that if you love them, you should take them with you or you will regret it and always wonder...... You chose them and you are responsible for them. That is just my opinion.
Good luck with your decision.

[Mrs Pony]

I'm just afraid that Bailey (the dog) will not adjust well and freak out during quarantine... What exactly do they do while in there? Do they give them time to run around or are they going to be locked up and tested the whole time!?

[BkyMonster]

Quarantine is like being at a kennel.
If you go to the MAF site they have the list of approved quarantines and all of them have websites. The animals have comfortable rooms to sit in, and most of them look nice. I think they only have tests once a week. They aren't allowed outside but you can visit them.

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/commercial-imports/animal-imports/registered-quarantine-facilities

[mark&kerry]

How long do dogs have to stay in quarantine when they arrive in NZ? I am looking to bring my dog but she will definately not survive weeks away from the family. It would be kinder to leave her here with family!

Be grateful for any information.

Thanks.

:cheers

[dilanium]

It depends where you are coming from. For example: if coming from the UK you don't need quarantine. From the US it is 30 days, from SA I believe it's 120 days.

[Mrs Pony]

We're coming from the US so they would have to be in there for 30 days... I know our cat will be fine but I'm worried about the dog... She's very "sensitive" I'll say...and isn't very social with other dogs (not aggressive)...she loves people though... She's just a very strange dog. I just don't think she's all there sometime...She's a bit slow...

Is there any reason that they would say that they can't allow the dog/cat in? If so what do you do then?

[JandM]

We're coming from the US so they would have to be in there for 30 days... I know our cat will be fine but I'm worried about the dog... She's very "sensitive" I'll say...and isn't very social with other dogs (not aggressive)...she loves people though... She's just a very strange dog. I just don't think she's all there sometime...She's a bit slow...

Is there any reason that they would say that they can't allow the dog/cat in? If so what do you do then?

Like Liz (Dilanium) said, and she's been working for a veterinarian, you can check all these things out in advance at this site she gave. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/impor...maniic.spe.htm If for some reason your animals can't meet the health standard, you would know in plenty of time to make other arrangements for them in the US. There's no way you'd ship them out and they'd be refused at landing, if that's what is worrying you. I'm sure the people at the quarantine kennels are well used to dealing with animals of all temperaments. Your dog would not been allowed (still less expected) to mix with other dogs, but would be cared for in individual accommodation by experienced personnel, and you'd have the right to visit her during the 30 days.

[Spooky]

One key reason why we chose NZ over Aus when was because of the quarantine policy. No quarantine from where we're from. Phew. I hope all goes well for you when planning to move your little darlings over.

[Mrs Pony]

Has anyone from the US brought over any pets recently? About how much was the total cost?

OH would rather bring over the dog than furniture so depending on the cost we will have to ditch a few things...

[BkyMonster]

I'm in the end stages of bringing over my dogs. The costs really mount up. Here is a quick rundown of what I've paid and am paying so far.

Vet costs. These will be spread out over 7-12 months or so, so not a huge and immediate hurt on the pocket. These will vary but I'll probably have spent about 1k USD per dog or so in the year long process. Probably about 600 of that will be in the last month or so. :wah
This includes things like shots, exams and the USDA breed declaration ($75 each). Mine needed vaccine updates and such throughout so maybe a bit more expensive than usual.

Pet shippers- about 2500 USD for 2 dogs. This is once again based on size so get some quotes. Really it was about 400USD for the shipper and the rest was cargo and USDA charges. I used IPT and they have been really nice to me. I split up my payment into 2 payments and will pay them the balance in a couple of weeks.

Other costs- IATA crates, getting the animals to the point of departure (LAX probably- Tip: it is cheaper for them to fly on the flight you are on than it is to fly them out separately) and associated costs. By associated costs I mean the animals need a day of rest before the international flight so you can get a hotel or you can have them kenneled by the pet shipper.

You'll need to pay the quarantine. This is running my 2 dogs about 3k NZD. I'd suggest getting some quotes from the listed quarantines as there are different rates based on animal size.

I'd honestly guess that 3.5k USD would be a more than fair estimate for the whole process for one medium-small dog (once again you aren't paying most of it all at once).

Hope that helps.

[dilanium]

My cat is costing me about $3000USD. but I had discounts at my vet.

[Mrs Pony]

$3-4000! yikes!:eek: That is a lot more than thought!

We aren't even sure that our pup will pass quarantine because of her ears (cocker spaniel). Her ears are horrible and need to be cleaned weekly... Vet suggested just having both ear canals removed so she isn't so uncomfortable...that alone would probably be about $3-4000...

ugh...:(

[sbinder]

My 29-kg golden retriever is landing at the Christchurch airport in ten minutes - is that recent enough? :raebanana

It looks like my costs were quite a bit higher, but not sure exactly why. I actually moved over halfway through my dog's emigration process and left her with her grandparents (and a new vet) to finish the process but I don't think that contributed so much. My costs broke down roughly as (US$):

$1800 vet costs, vaccinations, tests
$350 flying her domestically as air cargo, Baltimore to LA (I had Continental recommended)
$2150 shipping her LAX to CHC via Pacific Pet Transport (recommended to us, and so far they have been quite helpful through what is an incredibly tedious process!)
$1350 total quarantine costs (including all vet, MAF, food costs)

$5650 in total

I found the hardest parts, beyond the cost, were the length of the process (6+ months before even leaving) and the sheer number of items that need to be ticked off in the final week, leaving you open to just one error throwing off the entire process. The babesia testing lab lost our second blood sample and never tested it (plus they only test once a week) so we had to get a week extension from MAF just two days before the original shipping date.

That being said, I cannot imagine being without my dog, so it is worth it in the end - when all the pain is already over! Also, my understanding is the USDA will not allow the dog to leave the States unless all requirements are met on the day of departure, so it seems unlikely the dog would reach Auckland and be turned around by MAF Biosecurity.

If you want a much more user-friendly list/schedule of the MAF requirements, I can email you a scan of a two-page sheet I got from my vet.

Good luck!
Shane

[BkyMonster]

My numbers are probably a bit skewed as the dogs go to the vet together so I get a bit of a discount for 2 trips in one. I also have one very small dog and one large dog (8lb and 80lb respectively), which is why I guessed that about half my overall cost would probably cover a 40lb dog. ;)
Spaniels are about 25-30 or so pounds I think?

Too bad about the ears. :( My little one has yucky ears but I keep them cleaned out with 2:1 water and white vinegar which seems to cut down on the smell and the itch. Poor little droopy eared doggies.

[Mrs Pony]

BkyMonster - yea Bailey (pup) is a runt so she's about 20lbs... The first vet never told me HOW bad her ears were and just to clean them once in a while...The new vet showed me what they should look like... made me feel awful... :wah my poor baby girl... she has been much happier with a weekly cleaning (can't say I am though...its yucky in there!) I've been getting some ear wash from the pet store and so far so good... she even smells better!

sbinder - haha.. yea... i would say that's recent enough! :clap we would be spending half our savings just getting the dog over...not a good though. So them going to the vet is basically like us getting our medicals... if we don't pass we can't go and the same for them...

and who knows how much our plane tickets will be (I've seen between US$900-2000 per person)

welp... if we get in... I guess it's either a small amount of furniture or the dog...





we need to win the lotto ::sigh::

[dilanium]

All of my travel costs are covered in my agreement with IPT (international pet transport), I'm paying them ~ $1500. The quarrantine costs are ~$1000 USD. Then there were vet costs, getting my cat to LA, to cover the rest.

[sbinder]

Dogs face somewhat more rigourous requirements than cats so they will be more expensive - I think dogs have a lot more tests and vaccinations before you leave the States, so the vet costs prior to shipping are not cheap. But the lower weight ought to knock at least some of your cost off. And if you are flying with the dog, it will reduce the cost, at least to LA. Pacific Pet Transport said that dogs get shipped as unaccompanied cargo to Auckland, per MAF regulations, regardless of whether or not their owners are above in the passenger cabin, so I don't know if you will save much there. You might want to talk to someone who didn't use a shipper to see how much extra work it is for a reduction in the overall price. For whatever its worth, my one-way ticket Seattle to Christchurch was ~US$900 in March so that would be a pretty decent price if you can get it.

I can sympathise with the ear cleaning problem - I cannot guess how much I have spent on getting my golden's ears cleaned and I am still working on my own habits to clean out her ears weekly!

[sweetpea]

My dog, a 70 lb Aussie, cost about about US$4500-$5000 all up 2 years ago, San Francisco to Christchurch. That includes vet visits, flight, crate, pet transporter, quarantine.

Regarding quarantine: my impression was that the dogs were not allowed out of their (indoor-outdoor) kennel for the 30 days. Definitely not allowed to mix with other dogs. The kennel staff seemed to be very cool, but keep in mind its a very hardcore, secure place, barbed wire and all that.

I had a good experience with IPTLAX. I have heard bad things about them since then, but my dog's trip was very smooth.

[Mrs Pony]

thanks everyone! I guess I wont start freaking out about it until we get the blues...if we ever get to that point...

[sbinder]

That sounds good; no need to start stressing until the week before you take off!
Just be aware that there is six months worth of work that needs to be done for dogs before you leave, so you may want to get started on that right away - getting an approved microchip and rabies vaccination, and then the first rabies titre. That's what caught me, and why my dog had to stay with my parents for 6 months...

[Mrs Pony]

yea... she's up to date with her rabies shots... i need to take her back to the vet anyways... see about getting something for her ears...

I'm already stressing and i don't even know if they will even approve our EOI...

[BkyMonster]

You'll have to get a new rabies shot 3 weeks before the titre is done. If you don't have a chip that is also a good time to get one put in. These regulations were new when I went about a year ago, so keep that in mind after you get your ITA. :)

[two dogs]

We didn't bring our dog with us, apart from another factor not related to moving or money I thought Wellington didn't look that dog friendley as dogs are banned from the CBD at most times also where we now live doesn't have the space for the long walks he was getting in the woods where we lived

What's your opinion now that you are in Wellington, do you still feel that it is not dog friendly? We have two Scottish Terriers that we want to bring with us to Wellington and would want to take them out on weekends with us to parks or beaches.

[IanW99]

What's your opinion now that you are in Wellington, do you still feel that it is not dog friendly? We have two Scottish Terriers that we want to bring with us to Wellington and would want to take them out on weekends with us to parks or beaches.

We have a dog in Wellington and don't have any problems.

A few things that might be of interest:-

The CBD is the central business district (businesses and shops) and it isn't somewhere that I would even want to take a dog, so really not bothered that I can't.

IIRC, approx 50% of houses in NZ have a dog, they are very common in NZ so can't be that unfriendly.

Many beaches have restrictions placed on dogs especially during the summer months (no different from the UK).

Many walking tracks don't allow dogs or may have restrictions at certain times of the year, this is generally because they cross farm land. So always best to check first, so you can go elsewhere.

For other walks you have to keep good control of your dog as there may be poison laid for killing vermin e.g. possums.

There are specific dog walking tracks around, intended just for taking dogs on (at least there are in Wellington).

Try not to allow dogs to swim in the rivers especially the Hutt river as it has a poisonous algae bloom at certain times of the year (from news it would appear that several dogs die each year from that river alone).

That's all I can think of at the moment :)

Ian

[two dogs]

Many thanks, that was very informative !

[sbinder]

yea... she's up to date with her rabies shots... i need to take her back to the vet anyways... see about getting something for her ears...


Just be careful with this because it caught me up - the rabies booster that MAF Biosecurity requires may not be the same one that is given as the typical rabies booster in the States. I had to get Orli's redone just 5 months after her last booster because it wasn't one of the "proper" ones on their list.

Just keep in mind your eventual goal - being here is supposed to be an exercise in stress relief!

[dilanium]

The microchipping must be done prior to the most recent vaccine as well. Also they do not count the 3 year vaccine, it must be within a year of the animal's arrival in NZ.

I do recommend talking to a shipping company who does this fairly regularly, they have been able to keep everyone on track (even the vets who believe me, can and may possibly make mistakes with this).

[sweetpea]

Just be aware that there is six months worth of work that needs to be done for dogs before you leave, so you may want to get started on that right away - getting an approved microchip and rabies vaccination, and then the first rabies titre. That's what caught me, and why my dog had to stay with my parents for 6 months...

Sbinder's right on. You really need to start worrying about the pets 7 months before leaving.

Also, a recent ruling from the American Veterinary Medical Association's professional insurers is making many vets less happy about handling emigration cases (and more apt to refuse to do them), especially to "difficult" countries like NZ, so be extra nice to your vet, and make sure you're extra organized. It's good for your peace of mind too :nice1