India2U.S.BRINGING A PUPPY/DOG BACK TO THE US FROM INDIA:–Yvonne de Kock It is relatively easy to bring a puppy/dog into the US. No quarantine. Numerous airlines allow pets in the cabin, including Delta, Air France, KLM, Northwest, Lufthansa etc etc. However, Continental (who is known for their good pet policy) no longer allows pets in the cabin from India to the US apparently due to the length of the flight. Best to check because in-cabin weight limitations differ between airlines. See below for more information. Indian street dogs, known as Indian Pariah Dogs or INDogs (Indian Native Dog) are wonderful as pets and need all the help they can get given their situation on the streets in India. General information on Indian Pariah Dogs (from Rajashree Khalap) -
The Pariah or INDog is the blueprint, the prototype for our best friend canis familiaris. It’s what Nature intended dogs to be. Pariah breeds in some parts of the world have now been selectively bred and are officially recognized by kennel clubs. The best-known are the Canaan Dog of Israel, the Carolina Dog in the US, and the African Basenji. These Indian street dogs, known as Indian Pariah Dogs, or their newer, more scientific name, INDog (Indian Native Dog) are really worth making the effort for!! They are recognized as the most ancient dog in history (specifically the Indian one). It is like having a PURE dog because they have never been bred with human intervention.
From previous experience I would say the easiest is to bring back a puppy that is under 3 or 4 months old, in the cabin, in a soft carry bag, and would highly recommend Lufthansa from Mumbai to the US (via Frankfurt). I can give lots more details and advice if you need, eg what to expect, what to take, where to go at the airport, what to do etc. Airline websites have all the information (usually under Travelling with Pets or something like that) and they have different in-cabin weight limitations. I think Lufthansa’s is around 8 kgs (17 lbs) including the bag. One can now buy soft carry bags in India too I see (I had to have a fellow-teacher bring one from the US in 2006). You can of course use a small cabin-size hard pet kennel and these are available in India at pet stores.
I would be hesitant about trusting the cargo division at Mumbai airport with a puppy (they dehydrate very quickly and it is always hot in Mumbai). I was going to bring Rishi back as cargo because he was older and too big to go in the cabin but in the end I managed to get him into a cat carry-on bag (even though the zipper broke at the airport!). He had been very sick for 5 days preceding my return flight and was emaciated so our only chance was for him to come with me in the cabin. He would not have made the journey in cargo after being so sick. Also, cargo will insist that the dog or puppy be in the facility by 4.30 in the afternoon even though the flight only leaves around midnight or later. That is a lot of extra hours. Continental Airlines, who have a good pet policy, no longer accept pets in the cabin on direct flights from India to the US and they only told me this (after making and confirming the booking for Rishi) once I arrived at the airport to check in. Given that it was their error, they re-booked us on Lufthansa and I will always use them in future. They are so helpful and animal-oriented and kind. When I decided to bring Leela back from Pune in 2006 I had traveled to India on Emirates but they do not allow any pets in the cabin and I did’nt want to take a risk with a small puppy in the hold of the aircraft with all that heat via Dubai so I thought that spending $900 for a new ticket back from India would be worth it in the long run and I am really pleased I did. The puppy’s fare is around $150 or $200 for in-cabin and the rest was for my new ticket. I had to basically throw away my Emirates return. For some reason the drone of the aircraft keeps them sleeping all the way so it was really no problem at all. Both times, with Leela and Rishi, I had a window seat with an unoccupied seat next to me from Mumbai to Frankfurt so they slept on my lap, quietly hidden under an airline blanket, and when the crew did see their little heads they brought all kinds of things they thought the puppies would like to eat. And then both times from Frankfurt to JFK the flights were completely full and Leela and then Rishi stayed in their bag by my feet and slept all the way. They really do nothing but sleep so there was no need to pee or poop on the flight itself. This they did at Frankfurt airport! US does not require quarantine of animals from India. See websites below. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/animal/dogs.htm http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/
Essentially all you need to bring a dog into the US is a Health Certificate issued by a vet, I prefer a private vet and this is mainly required by the airlines, not customs, but seems the customs officials at JFK like to see something! I also called customs at Newark from India in December 2008 to check that the requirements had not changed since 2006 and the guy was very nice and said I did’nt need anything and there was no quarantine. The reason I called Newark was because I was still booked on Continental and they fly into Newark. When in India last month I was doing some internet research for bringing Rishi back and read of some cases of puppies/dogs from Iraq showing signs of rabies on arrival in the US so they may get stricter in future. Our vet has assured me that one can only contract rabies from an animal that is actively rabid so not to worry about the bite I received from Rishi when I caught him in that he had not shown any signs or symptoms of rabies in the last 10 days.
Dr Pardeshi (at Sakal Nagar on the way to Aund) did Leela’s health certificate and a vet in Colaba (Bombay) did Rishi’s a month ago. The Health Certificate has to be done within 10 days of traveling, not more. Pardeshi Dr Narendra maps.google.com C-3/4,Baner Road Leela was around 6 weeks old when I found her in November 2006 and Dr Pardeshi did her first set of vaccinations then (DHPP: distemper, hepatitis, parvo etc) but I decided to have her rabies vaccination done in the US because firstly she was too young to have it done (best at 4 months of age) and secondly the US vaccine is probably a superior one. It is NOT a good idea to have them done at the same time. Many puppies both here in the US and India die after having vaccines so be really vigilant. A dog does not have to have a rabies vaccination to enter the US but it has to be done once here and the puppy or dog should really be quarantined at home from other pets according to the USDA policy but I did’nt separate cats and dogs at home and our vet here in NYC thought it totally unnecessary. You have to walk the puppy on a leash outside though until that month is over which we do anyway here in NYC. Rishi was older and feral so I had to corner him to catch him and he bit me!! But I held on and knew that was our only chance. Because he was older and I wanted to cut down on the month of ‘quarantine’ here in NYC (even though no one checks) I decided to have his rabies done in Mumbai because I still had time in India, but I had his DHPP vaccinations done once here, again because of the superior quality vaccines. Both Leela and Rishi were dewormed with Drontal in India and were free of any parasites on arrival. With Leela and Rishi I went straight from JFK to our vet and dropped them off for a full examination and health check. Both were fine. Rishi was a bit undernourished. Seems Rishi is around 5-6 months now (21 January 2009) so he was around 4-5 months when I decided to bring him back. He recently lost his baby teeth and has most of his adult teeth now. You can also use one of the animal transport agencies to make all the arrangements but that is quite expensive and I don’t quite trust them to do what I would to make sure the puppy isn’t freaked out. It is safe to use Rescue Remedy or homeopathy. NEVER sedate a puppy or dog for airline travel!!! No one can predict the effects of altitude on the drug and a specific animal and many airlines (Continental is one) will not even accept an animal that has been sedated. Sedation accounts for numerous unnecessary deaths in flight. (contrary to what they state on the website below). See http://www.idaindia.org/taking-pet-overseas.htm
Government of India export permit/health certificate: (I did go through the huge hassle of getting this for Rishi last month and it is only valid for 7 days) but then brought him in the cabin after all. I did not do this for Leela and there was no problem and a friend of mine who also brought a puppy back from Karnataka flew back via Israel with no problems or export certificates etc. Seems that getting the permit applies more to pets booked as cargo and not necessarily on flights leaving late at night – as a vet told me in 2006 “they don’t check late at night”. Some additional points re export permit in Vashi if you get it: photos have to be identical and dog or cat has to remain in car so someone needs to be there to watch over them because car cannot be closed due to heat and no-one tells you that. They say “give money” including the man at the gate even though the permit is free of charge. Have to use cargo agent to clear customs etc and it is expensive (over $1,000 for bringing puppy back as cargo):
Vashi Quarantine Station for export papers: Dr Bosele 022-27552021 Dr Tina Rustomjee 022-24931105 * (good person to contact) US Consulate in Mumbai: 022-23633611 www.lufthansa.com Mumbai: Phone: 022-22023430. Additional Phone/Mobile Number …yellowpages.sulekha.com/mumbai/travel-transportation/airlines-airports/nariman-point/lufthansa-2.htm – 64k – Cached – Similar pages – http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/us/info_and_services/baggage?l=en&nodeid=1769643 http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/default.aspx
Continental Reservations in Mumbai: 022-40908000 (after hours no = US); 022-22182628; 022-22181431; Continental CARGO: Mr Dipen: 9820997696; 022-26828681 (cobom@globalaviationindia ) Continental Pet Safe: US: 281-5535052 (QuikPak: US: 281-5535050 Continental Live Animal Desk: 800-575-3335 BE AWARE: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/continental_dogs.htmlHorrible things do happen. Also read: www.petflight.com Lots of good information and details of incidences every month on all US airlines. Newark Customs: 609-259-8387 (Dr J. Zack) NYC/JFK Customs: 718-553-1727 (Dr Ahmad) NY Animal Import Center 845-564-2950 Import Animals Program 301-734-8364 CDC 404-639-3441; 800-232-4636 CHECK THEIR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS USDA Import Permit if necessary: 301-734-8145 Animal Welfare Board of India: www.awbi.org http://www.petnamesworld.com/meaning_of_Akuti.html
—We thank Yvonne de Kock not only for giving loving homes to two of our Indian dogs but also for taking out the time to write about her experience and all the information related to taking a pet from India to U.S. |
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