spuds

Wow, that would be good wouldn't it though not sure if that would just mean you'd HAVE to do your time in Oz before you could bring them across. Anyway, we've been looking at June next year but maybe earlier than that if we could board them with someone or if they don't come...

JustBecause

For transporting animals around in the UK, if you are willing to foot the cost there are companies that will collect your pet from the airport, board them nearby for however long you need then deliver them on. It is costly but could be worth it for peace of mind & convenience.

If they can't live with you for a bit, you could board them near where you are & visit on a regular basis, take them for exercise etc. They will appreciate it & so will you! Might even be worth contacting animal charities to see if they could board temporarily for you for a "donation" which would be less than a normal boarding place.

Jerseygirl

Did you get your dog from a reputable breeder? If so they may be willing to take care of your dog until her new home is ready.

Dago

Logically the rule would apply to pets coming in from Europe. Can you really see them letting in a dog from Sudan without quarantine - think not!!

No way would they trust a cert from a Sudanese Q centre either so it looks to me by extension that from Oz you'll still have to Q them in the UK.

mike&jo

According to what we were told, that could well be the case though, as the quarantine stations would all be closed. I have to agree that it is a scary thought though!

Jerseygirl

Not all countries are included in the DEFRA scheme. However, Australia is one of them...as long as you ahere to the DEFRA rules there should be no quarantine.

sans

IMHO Animals get as attached to people as people do to animals, and would be more stressed for longer by being left behind with strangers. Sorry i'm not wanting to be unkind but where there's a will, there's away and i personally would find that way.

Sherro

yeah i agree. You cant really put a price on this. I mean, money is money. It is going cost me about $4000 all up to take my two kitties back to the Uk but the thought of leaving them behind is just non negotiable. I took the responsibility of taking them as 4 week old kittens, they are now 2 and I know I can give them a great life, regardless of the fact they might have 48 hours or so of stress. The "stress busting" your animals will do for you and vice versa over time far outweights any financial out lay.

Unless you genuinely feel your pet is too old and wont handle it, i think it is a risk that is worth taking.

Homesickness sucks and there are lots of us who wake up one day in our adopted country and love it and the next day wish we were back in the UK and so begins the cycle.

Being able to cuddle my little cats when I am back in my home country will be not only fantastic but will also give me the best goody bag I could take away from the country I have been in.

dunroving

I think the bill for Suzy is definitely over $10,000 now (shipping and quarantine in 2000, shipping in 2001, PETs process and shipping in 2006).

In 2000, she had only been with me for 8 months and I left her behind with the woman who ran the rescue agency I got her from. At the time she was still a very nervous dog, and I was concerned about her not being able to adapt to the flight, quarantine, new home, etc. After being in the UK for a month, I asked Pat (rescue woman) to drive her down to Atlanta Airport and put her on a plane, which she did.

Apart from that first time, I've been in no doubt about whether to drag Suzy along. I think back in 2000, she probably would have adapted to a new home, but I really, really believe she would have the toughest time living with someone else these days. She's already escaped several times from the pet-sitters and I think it's that she is worried she's been abandoned (even though I come back every day and pick her up).

Dogs are very adaptable (I don't know much about cats) - they can adapt to new homes. But I think the longer you have them, the harder it is for a dog to adapt to new owners. And I think there are some dogs that would simply not adapt to a new home at all.

It can be a real pain dealing with dogs after you come home - the whole pet-sitting thing has been a bit of a nightmare for me, and kenneling her when I go on trips seems to be much more difficult here (they are always fully booked in the summer months, for example). In the long run, though, if you are attached to your dog(s), it's worth the hassle.

Marmalade

Just my 2 cents worth here. My two cats are like my babies, and I would not move back to Scotland without them. They do get very attached as I they. If I couldn't take them back with me, I probably wouldn't move, pure and simple. They are that important to me. I would miss them so much and it would ruin my move back home if I didn't take them. Just my feelings of course