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Elise9 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 32 Location: Celaya, GTO

Hi everyone. I've tried searching for this information but mostly find stuff about bringing dogs into Mexico.

I have aquired a dog here and am researching about taking her back to Canada with me when I go. I know that it's possible, or I wouldn't have got her in the first place. But what I'm worried about is getting the appropriate health certificate from a vet - which I hear has to be no more than 72 hours before I depart - then having time to get it translated, as I read that Canadian customs obviously want documents in English or French.

Anyone done this? How hard is it? Do I need to get her rabies and health certificate translated?
What I read at the Canian Food Inspection agency was that if you don't have these papers, all they do is order you to et it done by a Canadian vet within a certain period of time. That almost sounds easier than getting papers done here.

Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks in advance...

notamiss · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject:

I'm sure this topic been discussed before, but I can't find the thread. Did you know that the words "dog" "returning" and "Canada" coexist in a huge proportion of threads on this board?

This: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/dog_chien_3e.shtml doesn't mention 72 hours but does say that the certificate has to be in French or English. Perhaps you could avoid having to get a certified translation by printing up your own letter certifying vaccination in English (the url above specifies what the certificate has to include (I would also include the veterinarian's data including c�dula number)) and getting the veterinarian to sign and stamp it if he or she is willing.

FAQ #11 here http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/dog_chien_queste.shtml says that although Canada doesn't require a health certificate (assuming your dog is older than 8 months), the airline might, so the required language of the health certificate would be up to the airline. And #8 mentions 72 hours, but it only applies if the dog is younger than 8 months and traveling separately from the owner.

Elise9 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 32 Location: Celaya, GTO

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

When I was living in Torreon I flew down with Tequila and then drove home with her. Before driving home, I had her rabies updated (as it was due that spring/summer) and I think I had a certifcate from the vet as well. However, I left it in Spanish. Crossing the border, no one asked a single question about Tequila, let along asked to look at her papers.

Flying would be a different question for sure.

I originally brought Tequila to Canada from Honduras where I adopted her. I had papers in both English and Spanish (I think...I will see if I have them at home and double check) because she was checked over by a vet at the airport (there were none where I lived). Getting into the country was easy as well. Just need the certificate (which was from that day of flying) as well as the paper that verified she had her shots.

Really, it�s all quite simple as long as you have the shot records and a health certificate. You will be fine, fear not! And if worst come to worst, make sure you have a little extra cash on you to pay for the airport vet to check your pup out and then wave you through!

Elise9 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 32 Location: Celaya, GTO

Thanks dixie....
It never seemed too complicated when I first looked into it, which is why I actually adopted my dog, but as the possible day draws closer, I tend to over-worry.

Thank you again.

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

I was the same way, and still worry (mostly just in general about Tequila making it to the same place as me, and the quality of her trip when seperated from me).

All will work out. What kind of dog do you have?

gypsygirl1475 · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 78

Reposting this link http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Mexico.cfm

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I bring my dog into Canada from Europe and from the States frequently.

If you're driving, there's likely to be zero to very little issue on the border.

If you fly, there will be a fee, and they're likely to check papers. You should be prepared to go through customs, and there will be a fee called something like 'import fee' or 'inspection fee-' though, here in Calgary, they never allow me to take the dog out of his crate, so I'm not sure how they can call it 'inspection fee!"

As you know, your vaccination records need to be up to date, and the health cert is also useful.

The fee seems to vary depending on the customs official Shocked

I usually pay somewhere from 36 - 50 CAD.

Elise9 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 32 Location: Celaya, GTO

Well I've done it - so thought I'd write about my experience for anyone else who may be thinking of or needing to take a dog out of Mexico.

First of all - size of dog, and time of year seem to be the biggest hurdles. If the dog is too big to travel "in-cabin" there are restrictions on all airlines I came across with regards to the time of year/temperature during travel. The only airline with heated baggage compartments on all types of aircraft is Japan Airlines - very expensive, and also make you pay for their own staff to "inspect" the dog before travel.
So if you try to fly home to Canada, say, in January like I did - it's not possible if your dog must travel in cargo.

However, if you have a dog under 20 lbs that can fit into a carrier that will fit under the seat on the aircraft, you only have the problem of selecting an airline that allows this (Air Canada no longer does). I flew the cheapest rout from Mexico City to Calgary on US Airways and had absolutely no problems taking my smallish mini schnauzer with me. I had originally thought she was too big for in-cabin travel, but quickly realized that even the dimensions given by the airlines are not accurate, and my dog was quite comfortable on both flights. I will also mention that US Airways has the lowest fee for taking a dog - $80 US each way.

After much research and many phone calls - I also found that the "health certificate" that is often mentioned is purely a per airline requirement - not a customs one. US Airways did not require such a certificate.
Customs Canada (and US, had that been my destination) only requires a rabies certificate - and a possible "inspection" as mentioned above by spiral78 - however I paid the $31 CAN for the inspection and don't think the customs official even looked at my dog, though he did ask me to take her out of her bag so he could "take a look at her".

So all in all - I did a lot of research and asked for a lot of advice, and ended up with a very easy journey with my pup - thank goodness. Had she been any bigger though, I would have been out of luck totally trying to travel with her at this time of year.

Long post - but hopefully it's helpful to anyone else who is looking at travelling home with a dog from Mexico.

Thanks again to all who offered help and advice!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Elise, I'm also traveling with a miniature schnauzer - and he's been as far East as Moscow, North as Alaska, and South as Atlanta. So far!

He's comfortable travelling in the cabin for shorter flights, but the intercontinental hop he always goes in the cargo area. Mainly because he's not allowed in cabin on long flights, but also because 9 -11 hours would be uncomfortable for him.

I can clarify how flying underneath works - you haven't actually got quite all the info. I have access to the details, having a spouse and many friends in the industry.

First, dogs don't go in cargo with luggage. There is a compartment under the pilots, which is automatically pressurized, but not automatically heated on all jets.

ALL Boeing jets do have heating in this space, and all big Airbusses have as well - but smaller Airbusses do not. This is why some charter carriers, in particular, won't take a dog without the owner signing that he/she knows the dog may be in hot/cold situations.

I would never fly my dog on a small airbus except in the cabin with me, but he has flown many times on big jets in the area under the pilots - no problems.

A couple of keys to flying safely:

don't change planes. fly direct. if you have to change, stay over one night. the airlines won't give you your dog for transfers, and this is where dogs can get lost. if you stay over, they will give you the dog.

always ask the air host/ess to confirm with the pilot that your dog is indeed on the flight. this alerts the pilots to the fact that live animals are on board, and they will ascertain that the temperatures are suitable.

Even if you do everything right, there's still a small chance of problems. My dog once was 'mislaid' at Schipol in Amsterdam, and the airport's so monstrous that it took me a couple of hours to get someone to locate him. It was pretty horrible. But we have had no big problems so far, thank goodness.