paranoidandroid

It's not harsh at all. Read the way the post was worded and you'll see that it was perfectly polite, reasonable, and informative.

If she has a complaint with regards to what I said, I'm sure she's quite capable of voicing it herself.

paranoidandroid

Thankfully, a voice of reason.

Poppy girl

larrabee

Even though I was told that our vet had done this before, I took the step of providing the forms myself and the really super-helpful examples of how to correctly complete them which I had found on the APHIS/USDA website.

Also, when it comes to the final vet appointment and time to fill them out, make it for first thing in the morning then have your practice fax the forms to the USDA for checking. Then call the USDA to make sure that they have received them and let them know that you're sitting at the vet waiting for approval. They will call you back and if there are any corrections to be made then you can have the vet do that while you are still there.

After that, it's just a formality to take the paperwork to the area vet for certification.

A word of warning though, check which hours the area vet is available to do the certification as it is not necessarily the same as the opening hours of the office.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/library/fo.../APHIS7001.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_hea...001_SAMPLE.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulation...n_com_pets.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulation...n_no_le_fi.pdf

The above links are to the official forms and examples, the USDA will also need to see the rabies certificate but your vet should have that one!

larrabee

I forgot to mention that I also got in touch with the pet reception center at the airport that I was to be flying in to.
I emailed the paperwork to them so that they could give it the once over, so I knew before I left that it was all in order from the UK as well as the US perspective.

ElizabethK

I'm not expecting my vet to know all the ins and outs of either DEFRA or USDA requirements, however, having been told by him that yes, he is the one vet at their practice who signs the health certificates, I'd have thought he may have at least seen one before and know that both forms will require information pertaining to the animals.

When asked, he admitted to never having seen any of them before nor did he know where to get them. (with respect, I do know where to get them)

The shipping of pets is worrying enough without having the one person you hope might be your ally in all of this, look blankly at you when you ask questions.

paranoidandroid

Perhaps the content of my post went over your head, and you took no positive information from it, at all. I can't work out whether it was because I was objective and didn't choose to sound overly sympathetic that you decided to take the points I made as some kind of personal attack.

There really is no valid reason to suggest that your vet isn't an ally just because he doesn't know DEFRA's requirements inside and out, no matter how stressed you are about things.... Unless he actually told you he didn't care.

I'll stand by what I said regarding knowing all the rules, and regs yourself, and not trusting anyone else to do it, and that's for your own peace of mind, in case you have any problems at the POE in the UK. As much as you want to trust your vet in the US, he won't be there to help when you land.

Larrabee made some excellent points in their post, points which would seem to be extremely valid for anyone wishing to take their animals back home.

windsong

That's a great idea!! I think I will do that, too, because this has been my major concern - getting to the other side and finding out something is not in order.

MoshiMoshi

I sympathize with this. I switched vets because our original vet clinic had no idea what they were doing with the international paperwork, and -- worse -- didn't much care. They made an error on the rabies certificates and were very blase about it, saying 'no one checks those kind of details'.

I agree with knowing everything about the process yourself, but, yes, it is stressful when you have to explain it all to the vet, let alone convince them it's important!

I've heard getting USDA-accredited actually just involves a very short course, so it's definitely not a given that the vet will know about international shipping in general, or UK requirements in particular.

If you can, get a personal recommendation for a vet from someone else who's been through the process. I found a new clinic via this site, and it made all the difference. Even if you've done all the research yourself, it's lovely to speak with someone who's a total pro and can confirm and explain things to you, rather than vice versa. Very reassuring when you've got a million other moving-related things to do.

It did cost a hell of a lot more, though. And it is possible to manage the whole process yourself, so long as you're scrupulous about double-checking paperwork and your vet is prepared to make the minimum effort!

ElizabethK

Thanks Larrabee, the examples are excellent.

I rang both DEFRA and the ARC at Heathrow last week just to get help on filling out their forms and they all were very helpful and also quite laid back about it which put me more at ease

ElizabethK

Well, I finally got to the end of all the paperwork and preparations and my pets are now halfway through their flight to Heathrow (I'm tracking them as I type)

It was a lot easier than I had anticipated and am very happy I decided to do it on my own rather than through an animal transport company. The paperwork, although a little tedious was actually relatively easy to complete in reality in comparison to reading what needed to be done. ( the lady who checked them in was very impressed with my organizational skills re: the paperwork )

Both of my cats were very well behaved on the journey to the airport, however my dog did not like being in her crate at all and was very stressed

I waited with them for about 2 hours after I'd reached the BA Cargo office as my poor dog was so upset being there. I am hoping that on the flight she will have calmed down somewhat and is asleep for the most part.

Anyway, coming back home to an empty, pet free house made me realise that there's no way I can ever live in a home that has no animals.
I keep thinking I see them out of the corner of my eye, and didn't consider before how much I actually talk to them

I just hope that they're still the same Bonnie, Cooper and Libby that left the USA when they've settled in England

ElizabethK

Update on the animals. They arrived safe and well in Heathrow, HOWEVER, the tapeworm treatment administered by my vet was not the approved product containing praziquantel that I had told her (more than once) it needed to be.

So, now my pets have to wait for 24 hours in the ARC so the vet in UK can give her the correct product.

I've left a message for my vet to call me as soon as she gets in because if nothing else, I'd at least like a refund of the cost for the tapeworm treatment she gave.

So, to all of you who are doing the same thing and getting your pets prepared, make 100% sure it is the right product and even if your vet thinks they know best or it won't be picked up on if they give a different type of treatment, it will.

Another 24 hours wait now before they arrive in their new home ( but apparently they're all doing really well and are happy )

gailc

So glad to hear it
It is a shame they all have to stay up there because of the vet here. I certainly would get my money back.
I wouldn't worry - I am sure they will be the same after a few days, and especially once you arrive - they will soon forget all about it and settle in. Animals are very resilient.
At least now you can relax knowing that part (or most of it) is over. The rest will be easy
I know what you mean about a pet-less house - Even though there are times they drive you nuts and cost a fortune - they are what has kept me sane over the years.

Poppy girl

Fantastic news shame about the tape worm saga, but they are home and well thats all that matters, well done girl you did it

Savvydog

Be careful, depending on where you are bringing them from, the process is not that quick. I looked into it and 1st had to microchip, then rabies shot next day (even if previous one hasn't expired), then wait for 1 month, then take rabies tider and wait for 3 months for result! I was so glad we didn't take tat job in Europe, we would have had to leave our pets here for at least a month or 2 before we were able to take them out the country. And shipping them out is way more expensive if you don't fly with them.