PETS Program

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/q&a/usacanadaqa.htm

FAQ for the USA and Canada

RE Sedation.  They recommend you don't sedate, but does not say you can't.  I'd talk to your vet.  Ours usually says not to unless they are really high anxiety.  

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/transport/trav-dogcat.htm

"Your animal should be healthy and fit for the intended journey. If necessary consult your veterinary surgeon for advice before commencing the journey. An animal should not normally be considered fit for transport if it:

is ill or injured (except for insignificant illness or injury);
is new-born with an unhealed navel (note that animals under about 10 months old are not eligible to enter England under PETS);
is incapable of feeding itself and not accompanied by its mother;
has given birth within 48 hours before starting the journey;
is heavily pregnant and likely to give birth during the journey.

The use of sedatives is not recommended, particularly where air transport is involved, because the effect on the animal may be unpredictable.

If used, sedatives should only be administered under veterinary guidance, and a certificate which states the drug, dosage, and date/time of administration should accompany your pet. "

I hope all of the above helps Snupy.  The rules are a bit cumbersome to wade through but there are very different requirements about taking your pet to the UK via PETS versus bringing them to the USA or Europe.

Yes, it does help-thank you. But it is discouraging..I really don't think I could bear to have them in cargo. That must be a frightening experience for them...It seems more humane to find a good home here.

Thing is even in the cabin with you it's hard on them.  You can't take them out, they are stuffed under a seat and there is tons of noise, they will still wail and yes you can talk to them, but I am not so sure it makes it any better.  In cargo they are with other animals usually.  My poor chihuahua was stressed out being with  us as she could hear us and see us through the little holes but we could not take her out.  So I am not so sure that it's more humane or not.  Again...you know your pets better than anyone so are better able to make the choice if they are better staying or going.  Mine are happier with us than being left behind.  Plus I just could not do it.  They are like our children.  We would not be moving if we could not take them.  That's how silly we are.    Honestly though.  We made the 18 hour trip to Korea from CA with our 10 year old dog -a slightly nervous creature in cargo and despite being a bit stressed and barking like a nut at everyone when we picked him up he was okay.  He went without sedation. Like wise when we hauled everyone back from Germany to the USA.  There are herbal remedies which you can try out on your animals before you go to see how they will react. Well that's my two cents.  Like I said you know your animals better than I do, but don't worry about cargo unless your vet thinks they can't make the trip.  

I want to bring my beagle with me so badly, but as we will be renting for a while, I don't think I'll be able to. :-/  She's my baby.  Anyhow, when they are in the cargo area are they allowed out of their cages at all?  How do they get fed, etc.?  I know it seems silly to ask these sorts of questions, but really are they just left down there till the end of the flight?

Yep they are left there for the 8 or so hours.  They are given water but not food.  You should not feed them right before flying.  They are not let out of the cages either.  Trust me they will be okay.  Many dogs are crate trained. You can make your cat this way too.  This can help to ease the anxiety as well.  Leave the crate in their area and put their food in it or their bed.  Get them used to it BEFORE you go. We personally do not crate train (meaning they stay in the crate whenever you are not home), but anyways.  We do use them as a safe haven for them and so it's not a bad thing to have your own little den. The crate is like a safe place for them.   Also remember that animals spend a good portion of their day sleeping anyways.  If you get them used to the crate they will likely just curl up and go to sleep.  Inlcude bedding that has their smell or an old sweaty shirt or yours so they know the smell.  

Most animals will not go to the bathroom in their crates, but will be busting to go once you land.  So of course take them out as soon as you can.  This is one of the reasons for not feeding them prior to take off as well.  So you don't have them sick or pooping in the crate.  

Honestly guys . . . if cargo is the only concern don't fret.  They will be okay.  The airlines do this all the time.  Your pet is not going to be in with the suitcases or buried under anything.  The people know there are live animlas in there. Trust me...I have travelled by car, train and plane with animals since I was two.  They will be fine.  If a poor highly strung older poodle can make a 18 hour flight with two hour layover in Japan and survive a Typhoon it will be okay.

I just wanted to add that the information I provided in my last post was mostly valid only for UNITED KINGDOM TO USA international flights. The rules and regs for taking pets into the US is far less strict than going the other way. A PETS passport is not required for UK to US travel for instance.

On the issue of sedation, although DEFRA does not say sedation is 100% not allowed, you should check with your airline. Many airlines have a strict no travel policy if the animal is found to have been sedated. Rember, youre flying with your airline, not DEFRA. However, rules do varry between airlines. If you have an anxious pet, as vnicepeeps said, you can find herbal remedies that do not sedate your pet but help them to stay calm.

Excellent info vnicepeeps! Im sure its very helpfull for UK bound pet-owners Just wanted to say thanks for putting in so much effort.

Sarah

Just a few notes about how some dogs I know handled long-haul transport, in response to quotes from comments above --
"Most animals will not go to the bathroom in their crates, but will be busting to go once you land."

I have a big dog, about 55 lbs., who was about 8 yrs old when we came over, who traveled in the cargo hold from SF to Paris (via Air France) and arrived just fine, bouncy and happy and NOT "busting" to pee. She waited a good half hour and looked for just the right spot, as she always does. We came before the UK quarantine law was changed, so I went to France first, where my dog could live with me for the 6-month waiting period (instead of in a distant and dreaded kennel in the UK).

In Paris I met several people who were transporting their dogs from the US through France to avoid putting the dogs into British quarantine kennels. Everyone reported that their dogs did fine on the long-haul trip from the US. I have friends who take their beagle to Greece and back every summer and she just sleeps under their seat (she's a really little beagle) the whole time.

"...pets that show any signs of being sedated will not be allowed to fly."  My vet was definite about sedation: Don't do it. She told us that the dogs who have severe problems and die in transit are often those who have been given sedatives, which interfere with respiration.

"I want to bring my beagle with me so badly, but as we will be renting for a while, I don't think I'll be able to."
Re bringing a dog to England and looking for a rental: we did, and we had no problem. We've moved once in London and neither place had any objections to our having a dog. One landlord said, "It's not a problem. Everybody has a dog."  May you have as good luck as we did.

Thanks for reassuring people.  

Like I said my vet usually does not recommend sedation either.  

Your dog has one good bladder!  Mine always ran out after the long flights and went the minute they were let out, but hey that's them.

I think it's very important that you shared your personal storry, so people can be even further reassured the safety of their pets.

Thanks, Vnicepeeps -- I know that it mattered to me a lot when Bridget and I started our adventure to hear real stories from real people. There are a lot of rumors out there -- scary stories that are bordering on the realm of myth and legend, they've been retold so many times. I think there were some  tragedies early on, but the airlines are not interested in being castigated for cruelty to animals, so they've really made an effort to transport animals safely. It's also financially in their interest to ship animals safely. Breeders need to be able to send fancy dogs to purchasers all over the world, and they pay a lot to do so. And I was very interested to find out that racehorses and show horses travel around the world a lot -- they're often in the bellies of our planes and we don't know it. The airlines make sure they travel in safety and comfort -- they have to, so many of them being worth a king's ransom. Apparently it costs about $12,000 to fly a horse from the USA to Europe. Traveling dogs often share cargo space with these 4-legged royals -- which is a good thing. Everybody involved -- vets, breeders, owners, airlines -- seems to have searched for good information and solid solutions to problems -- so things are not so bad.    P.S. You're probably right about Bridget's bladder -- seems amazing to me, too, though my friends with the Greecian beagle report no stress about peeing after flying. I wonder if it's because these are girl dogs?

BTW-I just realized my last post could be taken the wrong way. I did NOT mean to insinuate at all that people who ship their animals are being inhumane-that was the wrong choice of words, and I apologize if anyone was offended.

I meant for me, because I am overly sensitive to begin with, and Socks is like my child(and I know I baby him), and the fact that he trembles through the entire vet trip, the thought of this is killing me. I will stress myself out so much about it that I may have to think of other alternatives, although I don't want to give him up.

He also has early stage kidney failure, and although he is not sickly at all(you wouldn't know he was sick at all to observe him), I don't know how stress would affect him, or if he would be disqualified from the PETS scheme due to this. It is not communicable to humans, so??(I have emailed DEFRA).

Thanks for all the stories, guys!

I know that Snupy...I did not think you meant that at all.  Like I said you know them better than us anyways.  Just don't think that they can't make it either if you really want them to go with you.  I hate to see  you give them up without cause is all.   If they are sickly they may not be able to travel too, so just stick with your gut and the vet is all.

Yeah, no worries Snupy. My contribution was mainly just to give general info. Nothing specific to you.   Gosh -- I don't blame you for being extra concerned about  Socks. What does the Vet say? BTW, re water: I froze water in a deep bowl (shaped like a cottage cheese tub) for Bridget. It fastened to the door of the crate. I froze it for 2 days, so it was really hard -- and it seemed to have done the trick. It didn't slop all over and gave her a way to "wet her whistle." Here's what my vet said about the cargo hold: it's warm enough, and warmth stays good in the crate because it's mostly closed. And it's very dark in the cargo hold. Bridget grew to love her crate -- still does -- and sleeps like a baby in it. I think that's what she did on the trip, too -- just curled up and slept through it. That's what my husband does, too, now that I think of it.   Although Socks may get very excited when you see him at the end of the journey, it's not at all likely that he was like that during the flight. More than likely he will have saved up that energy for an enthusiastic reunion with you. Re renting: try googling Loot -- and search their property listings for rentals. You may be able to find a place that allows dogs before you land. That would be a help, eh? Best of luck.

Snupy, just another thought - although it might be a bit stressfull for Socks to fly on the plane its nothing that he/she probably couldnt get through if your vet things its ok. It would probably be a whole lot less stressfull than leaving him/her behind - on both of you. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Sarah