APHIS 7001 Mix-Up?

Hi everyone,

Last week, I had my appointment with the USDA vet in Annapolis, Maryland, to get the sign-off on the EEC 998 form.  I was very confused, because when I made the appointment, I was told that I needed to bring the EEC 998 form itself, the rabies certificate from my dog's personal vet, the results from the Kansas lab, AND the APHIS 7001 form.

SO, I booked another appointment with my dog's personal vet and got the vet to fill out the APHIS 7001 form.  Took all the required paperwork to the USDA office in Maryland.  EEC 998 was completed, no problem, as well as the APHIS 7001 form.

But, I am confused...  The APHIS 7001 form says on the bottom that it is only good for 30 days.  I wanted to just confirm for myself that I have 4 months window in which to  send my dog over to the UK from the day of the USDA signing & stamping the EEC 998 form.  But I was told I had only 10 days!!!

Granted, I think I got someone at the USDA who didn't know what he was talking about ....  I had assumed that the APHIS 7001 health certificate was something that I would get from my dog's personal vet when I take her for the tick & worm treatment.  Yet the APHIS 7001 form DOES have a place for the official USDA vet signature ...   

Surely I don't have to get a health certificate signed by the USDA -before- I put my dog on the plane?  Surely her personal vet's signature is sufficient?  And if that is the case, I totally wasted my money for this extra, unneeded trip to the personal vet, and worse, was given mis-information by the USDA when I was told I needed the APHIS 7001 form for my appointment to take care of the EEC 998.

I know this is convoluted, especially with all the forms and acronyms, but I'm a bit annoyed at the unneeded cost in money and time, the mis-information, and the lingering confusion.

Can anyone clarify so that I don't think I've gone loopy in understanding all the steps necessary?

Cheers,
~Teddy 

In my experience the USDA vet is correct. I didn't get my stuff endorsed until 8 days before we left because it would have cost extra to go to the USDA vet twice to endorse the EEC 998 form a few months in advance and then the international health certificate which yes, is only good for 10 days.

:-( Sorry!

Hmm.. Things may have changed since I made the move in 2009, but I DIDNT have to have the APHIS certificate signed or stamped by the USDA vet, only by my vet.

I had the EC998 form stamped and signed by the USDA vet almost three months in advance since I moved before my dog. Then my dad took the EC998 form to the vet for completion at the time of tick/tapework treatment and they filled out the APHIS form at that time because they were under the impression that the airline required it.  It turns out that British Airways doesnt actually need it at all (they prefer a letter from the vet) so you may want to check with your airline to see if they even need the APHIS form before you even worry about it.

Hmm.. Things may have changed since I made the move in 2009, but I DIDNT have to have the APHIS certificate signed or stamped by the USDA vet, only by my vet.

I had the EC998 form stamped and signed by the USDA vet almost three months in advance since I moved before my dog. Then my dad took the EC998 form to the vet for completion at the time of tick/tapework treatment and they filled out the APHIS form at that time because they were under the impression that the airline required it.  It turns out that British Airways doesnt actually need it at all (they prefer a letter from the vet) so you may want to check with your airline to see if they even need the APHIS form before you even worry about it.

Yeah, maybe it varies by airline? Call your airline and go by what they tell you - as the UK as far as I am aware doesn't care about the APHIS 7001 form.

I flew with Virgin Atlantic, and they required it to be signed by my veterinarian AND endorsed by the USDA vet 10 days or less prior to departure.

I did the same thing as you Mirrajay, and attempted to get my stuff endorsed months in advance and it was a no-go.

When I last looked at the website with the PETS scheme info, I am required to have my pooch ferried over using British Airways out of Dulles in Washington, DC, and into Heathrow.  It's very confusing, though, because it was the USDA fellow who told me I had to bring along the APHIS form with me.  As if life isn't already complicated enough....

Thanks!  I will call B.A. tomorrow!

Cheers,
~Teddy

I flew my boys last year with BA and all they required was a standard letter from the vet saying they were fit to fly. So you could probably still get the EC 998 form signed off by the USDA vet and then do everything else with your personal vet. The one thing I did do (not sure if it matters) was verify that the final stage vet (in my case this was a different vet than all the pre-bloodwork stuff) was USDA approved. Possibly I could've used any vet, but I figured better safe than sorry.