Tips for Relocating with a Pet

When relocating a family to another country, it is important not to forget the family pet or pets. Relocation companies work with specialists in the field of “pet moving” to ensure that the animal is safe and the family is confident that their pet will receive the proper care and treatment prior to the relocation.

Here are a few tips that Human Resource professionals can pass along to employees who are relocating with pets:

Have a veterinarian implant an ISO 11784 or 11785 readable Microchip in your dog and/or cat. Should the local veterinarian not have access to the EuroChip, many professional pet movers will deliver the chip for a reasonable price.

Have the veterinarian, on the same day of implanting the chip, administer a Rabies Booster Vaccination following the micro chip procedure. Be sure to have the microchip number recorded on the Rabies Immunization certificate. The Rabies certificate should be signed in an ink color other than black, by the administering veterinarian -- rubber stamp signatures, veterinary practice signatures, and staff signatures for the doctor are NOT acceptable. The veterinarian administering the Rabies immunization must be USDA accredited.

For those countries whose entry protocols require Rabies Antibody testing, schedule a return visit after a sufficient waiting period -- 14 to 28 days after the chip implant and vaccination, for the purposes of collecting a blood sample (serum only) for a FAVN-OIE Rabies Antibody blood test. The date of blood collection is referred to as the “draw date.”

Pet dogs and cats are eligible to enter the European Community member states in varying periods of time after the “draw date,” assuming the antibody level is reported as above 0.5 I.U.'s. Pets entering many of the EU member states from the U.S. are exempt from this process. But Norway, Sweden, the U.K., Ireland and Northern Ireland do require the FAVN-OIE Rabies antibody test as described on their web sites or in their entry protocols.

New rules for entering Japan have also been implemented. Mandatory micro-chipping, two rabies immunizations thirty days apart and the Rabies antibody test (FAVN-OIE) is now required. The entry protocol also involves a 40 day pre-alert to enter Japan.

Human Resource professionals should check with the relocation company of their choice to make certain that a proper plan for relocating pets is in place. After all, pets are part of the family.

And it would be one more opportunity for parents to make a positive impact and prepare their children for this unpredictable world.

Back to top