(How) do people emigrate their pets to distant countries?

[WeWillAllGoTogether]

Train of thought started by a farewell party for colleague moving back to Australia. There was some "take me with you in your suitcase" banter, which then got me thinking that I couldn't possibly leave my beloved cat.

Which then got me wondering whether people actually do move their pets such great distances. Not just the very long flight times, but presumably there's months of quarantine once they arrive? (Australia for example being a country where you can't even bring in a wooden spoon). Is it really practical for the pet, is it perhaps rather cruel, or don't they mind?

My cousin did it from Australia to Ireland. Yes, there was a quarantine on the Irish side. I can’t remember for how long. I think she did it through the airline.

I work in Relocation and people bring their pets here from all over the world. Sometimes they use a Pet Transport company who handle the whole thing and sometimes they do it themselves to save money but it takes a lot of time
Animals can't fly in the cabin into The UK so if people want to do that they fly to France or Ireland and bring them by ferry

Normally pets have a sedative and go in a warmer section of the hold in a crate. Then quarantine depending on the country. ILs took all their pets to far east and brought them back!

My dd moved back home from Canada a few years ago, there was a lot of paperwork, it was very stressful and expensive to bring her pets with her, but there was no way she was leaving them behind. They didn't need quarantine, iirc they had to have a full vet check up a couple of weeks before she came, and again within 48 hours of travel. She was worried sick for months beforehand, but it all worked out fine.

This is amazing information and a world that I scarcely knew existed, I have so many questions!

If it's journey with multiple flights, do the pets get a break in kennels in between?

How come there's no need for quarantine in the UK?

How do pets cope with quarantine? Is it a nice experience with staff to give them regular attention and exercise, outdoor space etc? Presumably the owners can come and visit daily?

Friends of mine brought their two dogs from Argentina to Spain. Pet passports showing all required vaccinations and health check. Sorting paperwork with the airline and that was that. No quarrantine or anything like that.

No need for quarantine if full vaccinations previously done.

We brought our cats from NZ to Australia. They were sedated and travelled in the hold.

No quarantine was required as there is no rabies in NZ. So we dropped them off and picked them up.

They were exceedingly displeased by the whole thing though.

We did France to the Caribbean. Cat has its own passport, was up to date with required vaccinations, and took a tablet to calm him (not a sleeping tablet).

9 hour flight in the cabin with us and he was very quiet. We didnt feed or water him several hours beforehand (vet advice). On the flight out he was fine. On the flight back (several years later) he did one pee on the pad which I changed very easily.

He was more indignant at being kept in when we moved to the new houses than he was about the flight.

Now that I know DCat can come along, I'm going to start searching for jobs in Australia

I’ve flown with dogs several times to a European destination.
Health check has to be done within a certain timeframe before flights. All vaccinations up to date including rabies. Regulation pet crate for the flight in the hold. They were not allowed to be sedated and the crate and dogs X-rayed when checking in at cargo.
Not all airlines will fly animals and when flying back to the UK, the destination airport must have a pet reception centre.
Not done this since brexit admittedly.

Oh and it’s bloody expensive.

I flew our dog from the UK to NZ when we moved here, we used a company that manage all the paperwork as there’s lots needed for NZ due to biosecurity. There was a 10 day (from memory - was a few years ago now) quarantine so we sent her over before us so we could collect her the day we arrived. The quarantine place were very good and sent pics and updates. As others have said it was really expensive but we couldn’t leave her behind :-)

We moved our dog from Mexico to France recently. Lots of paperwork to complete for the Mexico side and going back and forth to the airport where the animal export office is to get the forms checked and stamped. Dog had to be up to date with all vaccines and had to have a rabies vaccine too, had to have a certificate from the vet stating she was well enough to fly, and we had to fill out forms for the EU animal import department too. Booked our dog in with the airline, brought a huge crate so she had plenty of room, then when I checked in for the flight she was taken away. Had an agonising wait for her at the excess baggage carousel at the airport but when she did finally turn up she was in one piece although a total nervous wreck. And who can blame her? The worst part of the whole experience was trying to get her through the french airport alone and with a huge crate that I struggled to balance on the baggage trolley and couldn’t quite fit through all the doors to the exit! While the poor dog was crying and scratching to get out. Painful for both of us! But that only cost us in total about £1300, whereas the quotes we got from companies to do it for us was a hell of a lot more. Luckily the dog recovered quickly but I wouldn’t be in a rush to do it again, and I can’t imagine she would either!

Racehorses fly all over the world on a regular basis. So even your horse can go with you!

We moved from Hungary to the UK and moved our two Labradors. Some friends were moving at the same time also with two labs so we moved the four together with a company called Pet Chauffeurs. They drove them through Europe with regular stops and would text us updates on how they were getting on. Every time they commented on how ‘lively’ our black lab was! Yep! She was a year old and a real pickle bless her.

I'll have to budget to buy a racehorse

I don't know about now, but friends of parents brought dogs from UK to Australia in the 70s and the poor things had months of quarantine when they arrived.

We no longer Quarantine but have strict paperwork around Rabies Vaccines etc

A friend of mine definitely brought 2 dogs, and possibly a cat (can’t remember) from Australia to the UK when she relocated. She said it cost a fortune (single parent of a toddler so I’m guessing trying to do it herself would have been nigh on impossible!)

Friend emigrated to Australia and took her dog. A company called Petair handled all the bookings, overnight in Singapore, quarantine in Melbourne (10 days) then internal flight to Sydney. There is an absolutely immovable schedule of veterinary appointments. It cost about £5k a few years ago.

@WeWillAllGoTogether Well you might have a pony! My point was though that transporting expensive and well cared for animals is tried and tested. So pets can do the same.

Work colleagues had to pay £1000 to bring their dog home from Cyprus

I've moved pets recently, it is expensive and a lot of admin - all vaccinations must be up to date and (for where we were going) antibody tested, they need to trial with the crate before (we didn't crate train), there are only certain flights that will take pets in cargo so you need to find kennels to bridge the gap, kennels need to temperament test them etc.

It is easier to move a person.

Actually we do still quarantine in the UK but there are exemptions in place for dogs, cats and ferrets who meet UK import requirements, and to a lesser extent for some other animals coming from within the EU (as long as they’ve been in the EU for several months already). If a pet is being imported from outside the EU and/or doesn’t meet the import requirements (or isn’t eligible to meet them e.g. rabbits and rodents), then they need to go into quarantine on arrival or be put down.

I had a client move with 3 dogs, 2 horses and a parrot once
His employer paid for the whole thing