ceri75

hi there,
can those of you who exported your pets recommend any pet transport companies?? & what were your experiences with this ? how were they on arrival? cost etc . i'm a bit concerned that the ones ive looked at dont seem to check the animals on the stopover ! is this normal?
thanks
ceri

Squidge

I used Chilworth kennels in Southampton, Christopher Armstrong for my dog, he was 14 at the time. They were great, I would defiantely recommend him, Squidge (my dog) was a bit wobbly and had jet lag but he recovered well. Unfortunately he passed away before Xmas but that was through age and I am bringing his ashes back with me in May for our trip home. I would use Chilworth again I just wouldn't bring over an older dog again, I would have waited to emigrate.

ceri75

thanks , will find their contact details & get some info.
really sorry to hear about Squidge... i couldnt contemplate going to NZ without my 2, Frog & Poppy, where i go they go...very muskateer like! though i worry what i'll be putting them through. however the end result will be worth it for all of us.. long walks on the beach....cany wait !

SirEglamore

What were your vet costs like for blood tests etc??

spackster

So far would recommend Airpets, they've been really good. One of my cats is diabetic and they have reassured me all the way. Will be able to update you better once they are in NZ.
Jac

poppets

we used passports for pets to ship our cats & they was lovely
http://www.passportforpets.co.uk/

RobClubley

We used Golden Arrow for our two cats - they looked after them for three weeks before the flight.

They were great on the phone, patient and helpful when I rang to see how the cats were doing. The crates they built for the cats were great, and most importantly the cats were healthy and happy when they arrived.

http://clubley.blogspot.com/2005/11/...ed-safely.html

I would definitely recommend them.

ceri75

thanks for all these now have loads of contacts to check out.
of those of you who took dogs , can you give me any idea as to complete costs ?! so far i've been quoted just over £2000 per dog....

spackster

Sorry unable to quote on a dog alone but with all three (2 cats and 1 dog), all their tests and extra antibiotics is costing roughly 3K. Hope this gives you a rough guide.

The Spackster

Squidge

Okay, costing all depends on the size of the animal you are shipping and the crate they have to make up. You can keep the crate once you arrive but you cannot use second hand crates due to any contaminations that may have taken place in the past.
I budgeted £2000 for my Squidge, he was a JR/Springer cross, this broke down to £ 1400 for air freight, he went via LA on Air NZ, he was checked by a vet prior to crating and although not taken out of the crate in LA he was checked again and replenished his water. DO NOT sedate, this lowers an animal's temperature which can cause problems 30,000ft up. The veterinary work cost approx £320 which Chilworth Kennels were great with due to a number of problems of shipping an older dog. (14 years old).
We put him into their care for 3-4 weeks (this made up balance to £2000) so we could ship ourselves out and get organised in NZ, although he has never had a problem in kennels before he decided he would sulk big time and he had to have a couple of steriod injections to boost him up a bit. This was not down to Chilworth it was my old boy being bloody minded.
Once he arrived in Auckland we picked him up straight away, there is some paperwork to do this end and an admin fee to pay which I think was approx $30 inc GST.
You have to prepare yourself for a out of sorts animal upon picking them up and some weight loss, but looking into their eyes again was fantastic.
I was lucky in as much as I had done a kennel mangement course in the UK so I knew what to look for as far as a carrier and carer was concerned but I found Chilworth easy to deal with and they were exceptionally good with Squidge.
I suppose having lost him prior to Xmas I wonder if it would have been better to hold off our move until he was no longer with us rather than put him through something he couldn't really understand.
If you need any further info or assistance please let me know.

dlmckay

I used Animal Airlines in Manchester to ship 3 cats and 1 dog (border collie sized) in 2003. Cost was £1,200 to ship the cats and £1,500 for the dog.

Although the customer service wasn't the best, the animals all arrived safely and that's the main part!

The vet bill came to about £500 for all four. They had already been microchipped and were up to date with innoculations before we decided to emigrate, so that cost isn't factored in.

ceri75

thanks to all for info youve given , think ive got it pretty much sorted now! might end up costing a hell of a lot less as one of them could end up in the microwave if she keeps acting the way she has lately

Am Loolah

I'll have no change from £6,000 for my 2 with Airpets!

ceri75

your putting the money frighteners up me now i only had to donate 50 squid for each of them! do you have to fly them into Auckland regardless of where you'll be staying?

cathynclive

Hiya,

We're hoping to come out to live in May and want to take our collie x with us, we've spoken to our vet but the answers he gave were pretty vague. Excuse my ignorance but do they have to go into quarantine for any length of time once they arrive? Reading the replies so far, it doesn't sound like it.