Happy Fall to all!

I am happy to announce the arrival of Amy Sears Hatfield to our family! She arrived on Tuesday October 12, 2004 weighing in at 7 pounds 1 oz.

We are all home and doing well. We stopped by the office on Monday to say hello. I will be back to work more next month but have been able to check in frequently while settling in to our new routine.

Traveling with your pet

With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us will be traveling. For those that like to travel with their pets, there are a number of things that you need to be aware of.

If you are planning on flying with your pet it is important to plan ahead! For air travel within the United States, you must check with the individual airline. An examination by a veterinarian and a health certificate must be issued prior to travel. Usually this needs to be done 7-10 days before travel. This varies depending on the airline. Be sure to also check requirements about carrier size/type and proper identification of your pet.

Travel outside of the United States becomes more complicated due to concerns with rabies and other diseases. Each country has their own requirements regarding vaccines and tests that must be done prior to travel. Be sure to plan in advance so you are not rushed at the last minute. Some of the requirements can be very time consuming and may take weeks to meet such as rabies titers which are required for Hawaii and England.
Requirements for entry to another country with your pet can be found by contacting the USDA office in Sutton (508-865-1421) or by searching on the internet for that country’s requirements.

An appointment must be made with your veterinarian so that an International Health Certificate of export may be issued. This certificate may require federal endorsement at the Sutton office. You can make an appointment to have this done (508-865-1421) or the form can be FedEx-ed. There is a small fee (around $20.) Again, you need to plan ahead to allow yourself time to get the form endorsed if required by your destination country.

Some countries require the International Health Certificate to be endorsed by an accredited veterinarian. This is a veterinarian who has attended special state seminars on animal travel. We are not accredited at the Beverly Animal Natural Health Center, so your pet may need to go to another clinic. You can call us at 978-927-3622 to find out if accreditation is needed for your destination country.

If you are driving to Canada, you do not need an International Health Certificate, but you do need a signed rabies certificate to take with you and your pet.

You may also check out these websites:

www.dogfriendly.com

www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/petravel.html