Moving abroad can often be a big deal; but as long as you have your beloved best friend with you then things will be alright.
Here are our top tips to moving your dog down under….
First up – Get started early!
We recommend you start the process at least 7-8 months before you need to leave. If you have longer than 6 months then even better. This will assist with all the vaccinations you may need to go through depending on the pet in question and the country of origin. (The rabies test has to be carried out 6 whole months before the dogs leaving date so getting it done early is key).
First up, jump online to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to check you are actually eligible to bring your pet in https://www.agriculture.gov.au/cats-dogs. No point going any further if you have, for example, a rabbit; and your profession is not that of a Magician as you won’t be allowed it in!
Once you have confirmed your pet and country are eligible – visit an approved vet and tell them where you are moving to and they will be able to give you the list of vaccinations required as well as the timescales required for each.
If you do happen to miss your window for timing the vaccinations and the date you need to leave, you could possibly have the test done then you have someone look after your pet in its home country until it can be flown in to Australia. This means you would probably arrive ahead of your pet, which could give you time to get settled in before they arrive.
Your dog must be micro-chipped and the chip needs to be readable by certain compatible readers. Your vet will be able to tell if yours is the correct kind as they need to scan the chip on every visit as part of the paperwork.
As mentioned at the start, a rabies vaccination is required. If you complete a vaccination you are advised to wait 3-4 weeks before completing the rabies blood sample for testing. Your vet can then complete a RNAT test declaration.
Get your vet to run through all the other potential treatments required, such as fleas and ticks & parasites and complete a health certificate.
After all this you can apply and pay for your import permit. This has to be done at least 42 days prior to the day you plan on moving the dog. Yipeee! Almost there!
Your dog will be required to be in quarantine for at least 10 days at the Mickleham quarantine facility and the dog must arrive into Melbourne International Airport.
You may just need to be aware of some of the hazardous animals here such as the infamous cane toad! Definitely do not let your dog lick or eat a cane toad as it can mean a very quick death if not treated immediately. Ticks are also a tricky one as they are a bit harder to see. Keep your dog safe from ticks with regular preventatives. The ticks here can cause paralysis so they can be very dangerous.
Some final points:
- We always recommend that pet owners use a reputable pet export agency to manage the logistics. The process is very bureaucratic and if even a small detail is overlooked it can be disastrous with a pet being barred from entry.
- Be aware that the transit/stopover country on the journey can affect import requirements, make sure it’s not an unapproved country.
- Check the individual airline requirements as some airlines won’t fly certain breeds for example, or might have rules on whether they can be sedated for the journey
- You will need to get an IATA approved pet carrier/box to fly them in – unlike our pooch in the picture travelling via Sports bag 😉
- Finally – It is essential that you check whether the housing you are moving into has any restrictions on pets – some body corporate may require a health certificate/letter from a vet for a new arrival and some rentals may try to say you aren’t allowed certain pets at all. Your relocation agent will be able to help you with all of these matters and make it seem a lot easier than it sounds here!
We always check anything pet related with our local friendly vets in Taringa. They can be found at https://www.taringavets.com.au/ and they have always looked after our own Claymore Thistle pet pooch Watson so we know they know their stuff!
Contact your relocation specialists today and find out more about our relocation services in Australia!
