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Posted by: MMD on 2010-02-04, 11:54:36
I brought my dog from MN to El Salvador in October 2009. It was super hard to find information on what to do. First y ou will need to check with the airline. I flew on Continental, and they charged me $150 extra each way to bring my dog. If your dog is under 10 pounds, it can ride in the cabin with you. If it is over 10lbs, it will have to go under with the baggage. My dog was able to ride in the cabin with me. If your dog is over 10lbs, the prices/ regulations may be different. Next, you have to get an International Health Certificate filled out by your vet within 10 days of the flight. My vet charged me $50 to complete this form. Before you go to the vet to get the form filled out, contact the USDA animal health office. El Salvador requires a paragraph to be written on the form by the vet. The USDA will tell you exactly what you need to have written on the form. Here is a link to find the office in your state: aphis.usda.gov/ animal_health/ area_offices/ After the form is completed by the vet, you need to schedule an appointment with the USDA in your state. They will review the form, and a copy of the rabies vacination, and if everything is correct, they will stamp it. Then you are ready to go to El Salvador Make sure to bring all vacinations history and copy of medical records, along with the form stamped by the USDA. ONce you get to El Salvador, you will need to see the department of agriculture in the airport. I waited in the airport for 3 hours for this. They will then review the paperwork and give you a permit for your dog to enter the country. This costs about $10. The airline requires all health certificates to be completed within 10 days o fthe flight, so you may have to have another one completed by a vet in El Salvador prior to going back to the US if your form was filled out over 10 days prior to your return flight. This is a very expensive and time consuming process. I have heard it is hard to get the pets back into the US as well. Once the pet leaves the US, it is as though it never was in the US and you have to follow all the processes that the US requires. I am still here with my pet so I don't have much advice on that. If you are only going for a week or 2, I would leave the pet at home! |
