Travel with Pets - Travelling with a Pug to India

We are thinking of taking our Pug to India in March of next year. Any experiences that anyone can share - specially around immigration/customs formalities at BOM?

I am leaning towards flying Lufthansa - they seemed the most convenient and pet friendly based on our research so far. He is just over the 18lb limit to fly in the cabin so will be flying in the hold. We will be flying CLT-MUC-BOM - so in MUC we should be able to go check on him.

Thanks,
MGI

That is an extremely long trip to subject any animal to? How long are you staying in India?

We will be staying at least 3/4 months so dont want to leave him here. He will be okay in India - its really the travel that worries me.

I would recommend that you do extensive research on other international carries that fly to BOM that will allow an 18 pound dog in cabin as opposed to placing your pug in the cargo hold. @:-)

Also aside from the immigration/customs formalities at BOM you need to investigate what immigration/customs requirements you need to meet when you return home.

If your pug can not fit within the weight limits for the cabin, please do not even consider checking him as cargo. Pugs have breathing issues and require frequent hydration. Some airlines will not even permit pugs to travel as cargo during summer months. I believe that a flight to India for a Pug seems quite hazardous. It is not a risk I would be willing to take and I have two pugs.

We will be staying at least 3/4 months so dont want to leave him here. He will be okay in India - its really the travel that worries me.

Some people break up their trip in order to try to make it easier on the animal. It's not a bad idea to consider that.

I was under the impression that dogs born and raised in another country which then come to India sometimes face the same kind of health issues that foreigners visiting India face with regard to water and food.

About government requirements to bring in a domestic pet like a dog to India, it's pretty easy if you meet these standards:

IMPORT OF DOMESTIC PETS IN INDIA

Domestic pets like dog, cat, birds, etc. can be brought in by tourists of whether foreign or Indian origin but import of animals or birds is governed by strict health certificate regulations, which should be fulfilled.

Clearance of one dog and other domestic pets, like cats and birds in a limited number may be allowed without Import Trade Control restrictions on furnishing the following health certificate to the customs authorities:

* A health certificate from a veterinary officer authorised to issue a valid certificate by the Government in the country of export to the effect that the dog imported is free from Aujossky’s disease, Distemper, Rabies, Leishmaoiasis and Leptospirosis and in the case of cats from Rabies and Distemper.
* In the case of import of dogs and cats originating from countries where Rabies infection is known to exist, health certificate containing a record of vaccination, vaccine used, brew of the vaccine and the name of the production laboratory and to the effect that the dog/cat was vaccinated against Rabies more than one month, but within 12 months prior to actual embarkation with nervous tissue vaccine or within 36 months with chicken embryo both the vaccines having previously passed satisfactory potency tests.
* In the case of parrots, a certificate to the effect that the parrots were subjected to a compliment fixation test of psittacosis with negative results within 30 days prior to actual embarkation.


http://www.indembassybern.ch/import.html

Thanks for your responses. I havent been able to find any airline yet that allows pets of more than 18lbs (including the weight of the crate) to fly in the cabin - I think I have checked all airlines that fly into India. We can take a stop in MUC to make it easy for him. We wont take him if his Vet does not think its a good idea for him to fly as well.

You also need to familiarize yourself with the US USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service division of the US Department of Agriculture, who you will deal with at your US POE) regulations regarding importing a pet (assuming your MGI handle is diagnostic). I suspect returning from India after some months you will have some interesting requirements - as if your pet had originated in India, nearly.

Check this website (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports.shtml).

And this US CBP PDF document (http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/publications/pets_2epdf/v1/pets.pdf).

There are three agencies - USDA APHIS, US CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and US Fish and Wildlife Service - the pug will not worry about USFWS.

You may wish to scan all documents (including your passport identification pages and Indian visa) and send them to yourself via an easily accessed e-mail address, such as GMail, so you can easily access and download them as necessary.