[tatch76]

Couple questions -

1) I've found several pet shipping companies that all seem to be fine, but they all are going to cost a small fortune as well - anyone have any suggestions/experience about doig some of this yourself to save money?

2) Quarantine question - I had originally been told that the rabies titre test needed to be done 6 months before your dog could be released in NZ - Now I just read somewhere else that there must be a full 6 months before the dog can even enter the quarantine facilities in NZ - This is very concerning to us - any insight would be great.

3) Do you have to work with a pet shipping company to book your pet on a plane or can I work directly with Air New Zealand/Quantas/etc.?

Would love to hear from anyone who's done this - unless I can find some answers, my pup is going to cost me as much as the rest of the move for the whole family!

Thanks!
Kris

[clg]

We used an agency, International Pet Transport, and we just got our cat out of quarantine a few days ago. She is doing great. It is not cheap but then the whole move falls into that category.

I believe it is 6 months from titre test until they can enter NZ.

There are enough things that come up in the process that if you are on a tight schedule I would use an agency, you will forget things, vets will screw up and the agency helps keep things on track because they know what has to happen when.

If I had a fair ammount of time and was flexible on dates, and I had a vet who had done this before that I trusted I would maybe give it a shot but without that forget it. The last 30 days is the worst because you have a lot to do and if anything gets messed up, like lab tests sent to the wrong place, it can throw off your whole schedule. Our vet screwed up by sending the lab request to the 'slow lab' which tends to not get things back quickly enough but IPT hounded them to make sure things got done on time.

Chris

[mechidna]

I used the same company. I also qualified for a four month early entry. You can see if you qualify for this on the MAF site. There is a link to email there. Just email them about the early entry and include a history of vaccinations. I really does cost a small fortune to ship them and it costs about $1700 NZ for the quarantine itself.

Michele

[selchie]

Question 1: as clg indicated, you can arrange some of the inital tests yourself, such as the 6-month rabies titer. But I do believe you need to use a USDA certified vet. Fortunately mine sent in his 50¢ and a box top when he first got his license. I figure we will use IPT for the last few days of testing prior to shipping our cats.

Q3: From what I understand, you cannot self-ship your animals. Would that it were so.

I have read many good things in this and another forum about IPT, and only one small glitch in someone's testing that was more of a laboratory problem. I have not read any reports of other pet shippers that are available.

[tatch76]

This is the first I've heard of this - can someone provide a link/more info? I begin work in Auckland the first week of November, but only got the titre done on 6/18 - you see my dilemma. Before June I had no clue that I would be in NZ in November.

Thanks for your help - I'll contact International Pet Transporters - Can any of you offer some pricing for comparison sake? I've been quoted by 3 companies so far and the range has been from $2800-$4000 US just to get my 8 year old border collie to NZ - everything in NZ would be additional.

Thanks!
Kris

[mechidna]

Well, the link for MAF is www.maf.govt.nz. There is a link on the right side that says "email this person". It does it from the website or I would give you a specific address.

I had the same problem with timing. I applied for a job at the end of March, had a telephone interview in April and was asked to start mid June, which I negotiated to 4 July.

Good luck!

[toesonthenose]

This may sound crazy, but in Hawaii we have no rabies. Animals from Hawaii are much easier to clear through NZ without prolonged quarantine, so I have been told. In Hawaii we have a 30 day quarantine with appropriate pre testing. I'm sure 30 days in Hawaii may blow a hole in your budget, but it's just another option to put out there.

[tatch76]

Unfortunately, I just came across this little passage that throws the Hawaii thing out...

5.2 The animals must have been resident in Hawaii for the 6 months prior to export or since birth, and the animals must be free of quarantine restrictions.

Although, the only proof they require is a signed letter from the Vet stating that he believes the animal has resided in the country of residence for the previous 6 months. Hawaii is part of the United States....

Probably a bit too risky for my blood. Still no info on this 4 month early-entry thing - any insight?

[mechidna]

You have to request a special dispensation for a 4 month early entry. The email link on the MAF website usually goes to Dr. Mulqueen. He's the one that did mine.

[tatch76]

Good news - got approval today on a 4 month early entry! Thanks to all for your help - I had not clue this was even an option!

Now, if I can only figure out a way to teleport my pooch from Atlanta to the quarantine facility I'll be in good shape.

[mechidna]

Congrats! I does make a difference if you get things done a little earlier. In my case, it wasn't early enough, but she is still coming. I will have her by 15 December, so it's an early Christmas present.

[Going2NZ]

Until a couple of days ago I was suffering the consequences of a computer that went belly-up. Why does this matter? Well, sometime in July I offered anyone the use of a spreadsheet I put together to ship our pets (2 dogs + 2 cats = serious organizational challenge). It has all the MAF requirements, timing, descriptions, costs. etc. built in for shipping pets from the US.

Anyhow, if you want a copy of it just PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you. If you already asked me for it pre-dead-computer and I didn't send it to you before the "crash", I apologize. Let me know and I'll get it on track. Or, I can try to attach it to a post for anyone to download. I just don't know if Excel files can survive being posted in a forum. Anyone try it yet?

And, great news on the 4-month deal! That's what I'm aiming for too.

And, one more thing, does anyone know the flight cost for pets? Is there a significant price break if IPT or another transporter handles the booking for you? That's my next hurdle to figure out but a ballpark amount would be helpful.

Susan

[sweetpea]

And, one more thing, does anyone know the flight cost for pets? Is there a significant price break if IPT or another transporter handles the booking for you? That's my next hurdle to figure out but a ballpark amount would be helpful.

Hi Susan,

Post-9/11, you can't book your pet's flight yourself, unfortunately. You need to go with IPT or another pet transporter.

Laura