Complete Guide to Take Your Kitten/Puppy Abroad

Is your sibling missing the favorite pet? Or you are about to travel abroad from Pakistan and don’t want to leave your pet behind? Well, to be frank it’s 100% possible but a little complicated especially if you don’t know the rules and regulations applicable in various different zones. For instance, you cannot send a pet directly to most parts of Europe without it ending up in a 6 month quarantine. Yup, which means you may as well leave the pet here in Pakistan or try a different approach.

And by the way did you know that you would require a Pet Passport for your pet to leave the country and go on an international travel regardless if you take them along or send them over to your son, daughter or a relative who badly wants their favorite pet back in their life.

Here is the list of 10 things you need before sending your kitten or puppy abroad.

1- Pet Passport:

Yup, your pet would require a passport for international travel. Every country has it’s policy for pet passport and a number of documents are required for Pet Passport but in Pakistan you don’t need an official passport instead you need an approval from the interior ministry of your respective province that serves as an equivalent to the British Pet Passport. So yes, you don’t have to go the nearest passport office but instead you are supposed to visit your nearest pet clinic running under the supervision of registered veterinarian.

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2- Certificates:

There are a number of certificate you require to send your pet abroad and it is probably a better idea to work on these documents before you approach the ministry. Living in Pakistan it is no secret that the better the documentation you have in the first go easier the process however don’t count on getting it done in one go.

3- Veterinary Certificate:

It is the first document you would need. Just approach your vet for an official certificate which is fairly easy to acquire. Do check country specific requirements for certification.

Where to get this form ?

This certificate will be provided by any  registered  veterinarian who is practicing in any government or private veterinary hospital or clinic. He will issue a certificate which declares the health status of the animal signed and stamped by that veterinarian.

4- Vaccination Certificate/Book:

You also need a vaccination certificate in some cases and/or your vaccination book along with the veterinary certificate. Your pet must be vaccinated for Rabies between 30 days to 12 months prior to traveling. You need country specific requirements again. Vaccination book will provide information about a proper vaccination program followed for the vaccination of the pet. It will be provided by the veterinarian who vaccinated your pet. Your veterinarian will also take blood samples of your pet to analyze the antibodies titre against Rabies.

You can also contact PetsOne.pk to get vaccination book for your pet. We have registered veterinarians in our team.

5- Quarantine Certificate:

It will be provided by Animal Quarantine Department_ Government of Pakistan.

6- Airline Health Certificate:

An airline certificate is required to board your pet on the plane and in Pakistan, this comes through a logistic agent; more on that later. Airline requirements depends on the policies of the airline which you are using and also on the country to which pet is being transported.

Pets can travel on a commercial airline in one of the 3 ways.

• Checked baggage cabin: pets travelling in the cabin must fly with an adult passenger and travel in an airline compliant carrier stowed under the seat.
• Checked baggage cargo: Pets travelling with passenger that are not permitted in the cabin can be transported as checked baggage in the cargo hold.
• Manifest Cargo: Unaccompanied or very large pets will travel as manifest cargo in the hold.

7- Shipper’s Passport:

Your original passport is also required for shipment however it is returned to you after verification.

8- Cage:

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You should measure your pet and purchase a cage that is at least 4 inch taller than your pet and has enough leg room. Go for a lightweight yet sturdy cage to ensure that the airline doesn’t reject your cage.

9- Destination Specific Rules:

Your destination matters a lot when it comes to rules and regulations for transporting your pets from Pakistan to any country. United States only allow a limited number of species to be brought on-board and even airlines don’t carry just about any animal for transport in which case you also have to look at alternate means. You can check complete policy for United States here.

United Kingdom has a different policy where pets coming from several different countries are sent to the Quarantine where they stay for a period of 3 months before they are handed over to the owner or the person in-charge. You can view the details of these rules and regulations here.

10- How to book a flight for your pet?

Once you have the documents ready and you are ready to send your pet abroad don’t bother calling Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) they don’t book flights for your pets. In fact your options are very limited when it comes to booking a flight for your pet. PIA doesn’t book live cargo directly and only deals in emergency cargo such as dead bodies, all other live cargo has to go through an agent. This is one of the reasons your options are limited.

The second issue you are going to face would be availability of such an agent i.e an agent logistics and cargo agency that deals in live cargo. Target is one of the options recommended by PIA staff however that’s not the only agency available. Once you have selected your logistics agent you will get the cargo fare rates through them, including their fee for the carriage. These agencies however can prove especially helpful for acquiring clearance from the ministry.

Final Word

Sending a pet abroad from Pakistan is certainly not an easy task and many give up just because of the long tiring process which is further complicated by the government and private sector here in Pakistan but this does not mean that you cannot actually send your pet abroad. The best way to make it hassel free is to get your initial certificates made and approach an approved agent. It would help you get it done with ease without any complications.