How did your dog take the flight/move?

yup, i was told the same thing

CRAP!

After reading this I emailed my USDA person AGAIN to try to get the REAL DEAL! I am running out of time as I fly over in a few weeks.  CRAP.

I'm rooting for you.  I'm about to send of mine.  I wish I could help you and send off yours - and hey, maybe we could get a 2 for 1! ;-)

best of luck - they seemed pretty nice, so it should all work out

Cheryl,
I feel your pain, I really do!  I am going through the same, and it has been hell.  Here's what I did, and I recommend you trying this too, I went to this website: http://www.ipata.com/page.php?rp=17 and found a pet shipper in my area.  She was AWESOME, gave advice for free, and she spent over 2 hours on the phone with me last Friday.  She really knows what she is doing!!!  She asked me a zillion questions, from whether the microchip is ISO certified to the number of inches of headroom my dog has in the kennel.  I scanned all of the documents I have over to her, and she already found mistakes.  She also told me about rules I wasn't aware of, like the vet needs to sign the certificate in blue ink, not black.  Not a big deal, and your dog wouldn't get quarantined if it was signed in black, but it could hold you up for a few hours when you arrive in the UK.  She also found the following errors with my paperwork. 
1.  The UK needs to the see the ORIGINAL blood test results, a copy will not do. 
2.  Her microchip confirmation from the AKC was dated after her blood titer was drawn, even though the actual microchip was implanted before the blood titer.  Basically I had no proof that her microchip was implanted before her blood titer.  So I had the AKC send me a revised confirmation with a signature stating the date her microchip was implanted.   
3.  All sorts of rules about the kennel, the percentage that is ventilated, the amount of room the animal has, etc.  The kennel I got was big enough, but needs to have holes drilled in it to be properly ventilated on all four sides.   

She did all of this for free. 
Once I get to Houston, I am planning on hiring her to help me finish off my paperwork and get the vet certificate.  She said she would charge 30 dollars!!!  The best 30 dollars I will ever spend I'm sure.  She always goes to the same vet to fill out the paperwork, so this vet has now become an expert at filling out the certificate. 
So try giving a professional pet shipper a call.  Most likely you will find one who will give you advice for free and maybe even check all of your paperwork for free.
Good luck!!!

Forgot to mention, that the professional pet shipper I called is also very familiar with the USDA requirements.  In fact, she personally knows the only USDA employee in the Houston area who is certified to sign off on my paperwork.  Give them a call!

wow, i didnt know they had these! im flying out of houston, which one did you use?

Forgot to mention, that the professional pet shipper I called is also very familiar with the USDA requirements.  In fact, she personally knows the only USDA employee in the Houston area who is certified to sign off on my paperwork.  Give them a call!

Heya VSK, et al 

Thanks so much for the information you have provided from and about your pet shipper contact. I went to the IPATA site you recommended--http://www.ipata.com and I found a IPATA shipper in my area. Yea!

Although I will be making most of the arraignments for my pets, I want to hire the services of a pet shipper in my area to deal with my vet in acquiring the correct and proper paper - or at the very least - communicating with my vet about what final paperwork is needed. I already have to have some of the paperwork redone regarding the microchip and bloodwork and the timing of them. Also, that I will need the originals. He sent me copies recently of the blood work results, eh? Egads. Uhm, that he can't use a signature stamp as he did on the rabies certificate! Sure, it's going to cost me some extra monies to use a pet shipper in this manner, but I believe it will be money well spent.

VSK, can you give us any information on where we can purchase the proper carriers? Brand name? This would be appreciated and one less question I have to ask this pet shipper. I'm aware of the size requirements-I'd just like to shop around for one at this point. 

This all being said,  I do respect that the UK is rabies-free and that this all have to be done to insure that the UK does *indeed* remain rabies-free...however----gosh. You'd think we were exporting "lions, tigers and bears...oh me, oh my..."

*laff'*


 

Karenn, to answer your question, the pet shipper I went with in Houston is:
BKS International Pet Shipping, Inc.
Office Phone :+1 713-466-1378
The lady's name is Jane Edwards, she is actually British, living in Houston.  She rocks!!!  I feel like I should name her my dog's honorary godmother.  Getting her help has been a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. 

Seagoddess K, to answer your question, I got a Vari Kennel.  You can just do a search and will find lots of websites who sell them, I ordered mine from www.dog.com.  I haven't received mine yet, but if it doesn't have ventilation on all four sides, I will have to drill holes in it.  That is an airline rule. 

I'm so glad that you found a pet shipper to help you.  If there is one thing I've learned in the last few months, it is DO NOT trust your vet to know what they are doing with regards to transporting your pet to the UK!!!!  They THINK they know what they're doing, but they really don't.  Go with the pet shipper with your questions, this is their bread and butter, so they know what they're doing. 

Check these kittycat collars out! Collars with their info on the collar!

Surely for us lovers of kitties exporting them.

So so SO cute...

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441806512&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302033674&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1122870904019

How adorable those collars are!!!  God, I miss Petco and Petsmart. 
Have you checked out www.dogster.com and www.catster.com?  If you go to the dogster website and do a search on Jackie in Aberdeen (even though she's not in Aberdeen for another few weeks), you will see my dog's homepage.  hee hee, hope you don't all think I'm crazy dog-lady! 

how funny, Strider is on dogster!  see you there ;-)

, you will see my dog's homepage.  hee hee, hope you don't all think I'm crazy dog-lady! 

hee....your dog is adorable! I love that it has it's own homepage!!

VSK, seriously...your dog is a little sweetie.

how funny, Strider is on dogster!  see you there ;-)

Grant,

Is this your pooch on dogster? The black Lab?

http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=41618

Another sweetie!

nope, I'm always surprise at how many stride/striders there are.
here's our boy: http://www.dogster.com/?80281

Strider is adorable!!!  What a cute smile!  You can tell that he is just a big love bug! 
I just love hearing about doggie happy endings - our pets become such a big part of our lives, it's hard to believe that there was a time in their lives where nobody in the world wanted them.  It makes me tear up just thinking about it! 
I had a subscription to Bark magazine (www.thebark.com) when I was in the US.  I love that magazine so much (it's the New Yorker for dogs), that I'm having them ship my issues to me here in Scotland for 20 pounds a year, a small price to pay!