By Jason Holland for International Living
I'd never traveled with a celebrity before.
When we arrived at the airport in Costa Rica, it was a madhouse.
People kept coming up to take pictures with my companion. Customs officials
rushed us through the line after a cursory check of our documents. Baggage
handlers competed to grab our luggage.
It got to be a bit much when a police officer stalked over
determinedly as we waited outside for our rental car to be delivered. "All
our documents are in order, right?" I thought to myself nervously as he
reached us and then stooped down to give the "celebrity" a scratch
under the chin… and then asked me to take a picture with his cell phone.
The celebrity in question, if you haven't guessed, is not human.
It's my silver-haired standard poodle. And thanks to a trip to the groomer just
before we boarded the plane in Miami, Jester was quite a sight when we arrived
at our new home in Costa Rica.
It helped that poodles aren't all that common in the country – so
everyone was curious.
Now, if you're considering a move to Costa Rica and have dogs (or
even cats), I can't promise they'll get the "star treatment." But I
can say that the process of bringing them over will be easy and hassle-free.
First off, there is no quarantine here. Your pets come off the
plane and are immediately in your hands.
But you do have to take care of a few things before you leave. Go
to your vet for a clean bill of health within two weeks of your departure date.
And make sure they are up to date on their vaccinations for rabies and some
other common diseases. You probably already have most if not all these shots. (The full list is here.)
Your vet should give you a health certificate indicating your pet
is healthy and has all their shots. Then you get it endorsed by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture for a nominal fee. Just send (or bring in person) a
copy of the vet's health certificate to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service office in
your region.
Once you have their sign off, you're set. No need to contact the
Costa Rican consulate. Just make sure you have four copies of each document
just in case any official wants a copy during your trip.
Small dogs can go in the cabin with you if they can fit in a
carrier under the seat – be sure to let the airline know before-hand.
But larger breeds will have to go with the checked bags in a non-collapsible
kennel with food and water.
In both cases, the airline will usually charge an extra fee.
American Airlines, for example, requires $175 per animal.
For the health of your pet, most airlines will not let them travel
when the temperature is forecast to be above 85 degrees anywhere on your
itinerary. That's usually not a problem at Juan Santamaria International
Airport in Costa Rica's Central Valley, where the temperatures usually stay in
the 70s during the day.
But keep an eye on the temperatures in your departure city or at
any connections. If it's summertime in Miami, for example, you might have to
fly out early morning or at night to stay under 85 degrees.
Of course, check with your airline for their specific policies and
restrictions before buying your tickets. For their safety, some breeds aren't
allowed to fly during summer as checked baggage, including short-nosed
varieties like pugs or boxers. And most of the "budget" carriers do
not allow pets at all.
Another option is to ship your pet as "cargo." You don't
even need to be traveling with them. It's great if you have a pet in the States
but can't fly back. You can handle this through individual airlines or through
specialized services that charge a premium but handle everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment