HeatherGirl

Hello folks,

Has anyone flown their brachycephalic dog from UK to NZ and if so which agent did you use? We've flown our mix breed dog before and he was fine but I know many airlines won't accept some snub nosed breeds and we've now got a wee Frenchie. I'm really worried this may prevent us from coming back to NZ but I couldn't leave her behind.

Did it cost more due to needing a bigger Crate and which are the best routes?

It wouldn't be until next year when (hopefully) there will be more flights running and therefore more options. So I'm not after Covid related advice but more general experiences from a time when things were normal!

Any shared experiences good or bad, gratefully received.

Thanks

Heather

JRB

Hi there
I hope you don't mind if I follow this thread as I was literally about to post the same question. We're Aussie/ UK citizens currently living in the UK. We love NZ and think it may offer a better future for our teenage children. We have a shih tzu and this is the main reason we are not sure either. I did hear that some airlines don't accept flat nosed breeds. Also I heard there is a ship that has a kennels where you can visit them every day. It is a worry. I also don't even know if our dog would survive the 10 day quarantine as he's such a home body, thoroughly spoilt and will only eat his dinner if it has grated liver on it!!! lol!! It's the one thing that's really holding us back too They really are members of the family aren't they. Will be interesting to hear from anyone who has made the journey.

Pollyana

I think you will find the ship with kennels actually sails UK-USA and back, not NZ. Often mentioned on here but no use for you I'm afraid.

JRB

Thank you for the update.

HeatherGirl

Hi there!

It's so difficult isn't it? If it helps, I've put the feelers out to a few companies and had some positive responses and advice, for example some will fly only in cooler months and others via Singapore from Heathrow which is currently not running but will hopefully resume. The quarantine facility in NZ in Auckland looks very nice from their Facebook page as I've heard of quarantine in Oz being outside with no air con!

​​​​I've started Crate training already to reduce stress too...

When we flew our Shitzu/Spaniel/Poodle Cross from NZ to UK he seemed absolutely fine afterwards and he's quite an anxious dog but obviously we were still worried sick about him.

You probably know this but mind and get your dog rabies vaccine at least 6 months before you plan to leave.

Anyway, good luck with your plans. We've got NZ PR and had just starting planning our return when Covid struck It's certainly thrown a spanner in the works!

Heather

Ironbark

Mine flew with Emirates (though none are brachy) and they get them out for a break in Dubai. They all had huge crates, so no problem there, although I'm sure they'd go bigger if you requested it- after all, you pay by volume!
A stopover somewhere hot is pretty inevitable, is your Frenchy BOAS tested? If you could show that she is clear, you might have better luck, not to mention less worry yourselves about how she'll fare.
Your shipping agent should be able to provide you with a list a of airlines. I used Golden Arrow, but they're currently on hiatus.

HeatherGirl

Thanks Ironbark.
Emirates would probably be the better choice due to the fact they fly into Glasgow. But found this on Petair website which sounds like it would be pretty risky to use them.

Emirates Airlines

Emirates airlines will accept snub nosed pets to travel to Australia, but they will only give permission around 14 days before a flight (which is far too late bearing in mind all the preparation needed). Each case is assessed on an individual basis. Emirates airlines often do not grant permission, so this is not a great option.

Pollyana

Not true - especially as temps in Melbourne can reach 40 degrees + !!The quarantine facility is a modern centre with state-of-the-art pet pens. Each animal will is housed in large, individual enclosures. If you are bringing in more than one pet, quarantine officers will try and accommodate pets from the same family in adjacent pens. The centre has around 400 climate-controlled pens for dogs, each with an attached outdoor area and underfloor heating. There are 240 cat pens in the facility.

The dog run has access to exercise yards and the veterinary examination rooms. If a threat of biosecurity risk is detected, the pet is moved to a special isolation suite, away from the other animals in quarantine.

Kooky.

I can't vouch for Melbourne as ours were in the Sydney one (no longer open) but they were very well looked after. They arrived from Singapore at the beginning of May so were given heat pads!