Flying A Dog Internationally
Where does one even begin when considering moving a dog overseas? When I decided I was going to keep Milo, I had only 2 months to get him organized before I left Tunisia, which meant Googling the heck out of everything related to international dog travel. I orchestrated this move on my own, here is what I did and what I learned.
*Disclaimer: This move happened in 2014 and travel regulations may have since changed.
International Health Certificate
I was stressing significantly when thinking about how to fly Milo home. I knew of one friend who had flown a few dogs from Brazil to the US, so I looked to her for advice and reassurance that it was indeed possible and that I was doing the right thing. She advised that I try to move him on one flight if possible, but unfortunately there are no direct flights from Tunisia to the United States. She then advised that I look on the Center for Disease Control’s website to find what documents are required for importing a dog, read the current information here.
When bringing a dog to the United States, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) requires that you present customs with an international health certificate which has to be issued by an accredited veterinarian within 10 days of travel. The initial vet I was using did not provide this certificate, so I had to find another vet in Tunis who did. I thankfully found a vet who was recommended to me by a U.S. Embassy staff member. Many foreign embassy staff members will bring their pet with them to their post or take a pet back to their home country, so if you are having trouble locating a vet it can be a good idea to contact your embassy to see what vet they use to transport pets for their staff. This particular vet was able to provide me with the international health certificate, a microchip which is required for international travel and a travel crate for the flight which I had been struggling to find.
Booking your Dog a Flight
Since I had purchased my plane ticket before acquiring Milo, I needed to make sure that the flight I booked would allow pets. I had purchased my flight though Air France, so I went directly to the Air France ticket counter at the Tunis airport to see if I could bring Milo. I was lucky that Air France does allow pets but have company specific regulations. Because Milo was still little, he was under their weight restriction and he was also one of the breeds approved for travel. Click here for the latest Air France pet travel regulations.
*Note: Each airline has company specific regulations related to weight allowance and breed type. Always check with your desired airline before booking a flight to make sure your dog meets their requirements. See here for a list of pet friendly airlines.
Before they could confirm his booking, I needed to provide them with information such as his breed type, weight and weight of the crate as well as his “dog passport”. The passport was a booklet issued by the vet documenting all vaccinations administered and included a passport photo of Milo (a hilarious experience when I went to the photo store and asked the woman to print passport photos of my puppy). I had to make a handful of trips to the Air France counter at the airport to get all of this sorted, but in the end I managed to book him on my flight from Tunis to Paris and then Paris to Boston. They did have to change my second leg as many airlines require a minimum 4-5 hour layover when traveling with a dog. In total, it cost me an additional 400 Euro for Milo to travel with me on both flights.
Rabies and Confinement Agreement
The next step was sorting out the rabies vaccination. The CDC also requires that the dog be vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entering the United States. The problem I faced was that I had already purchased my flight to the US and when I initially brought Milo to the vet they said he was too young to be vaccinated. This meant that when he did get vaccinated he fell short 15 days of the 30 day requirement. Determined to figure out a way to make this work, I once again did some research and found that under certain circumstances the CDC will issue what is called a “Confinement Agreement”. This agreement grants an unvaccinated animal entry into the country when the importer has no other options to delay the import of the animal. It allows for the animal to be quarantined at the location of your choosing as long as there is no contact with other animals or people for the duration of the agreement.
I emailed CDCAnimalImports@cdc.gov explaining my situation and requested a confinement agreement for Milo. I had to fill out a very detailed questionnaire before the agreement was issued, which included my personal information, dates of travel, ticket numbers and the port of entry. I explained that I was planning to quarantine Milo at my parents house as they have a finished basement and big yard, so it would be easy to keep away from other people and animals for the 15 days. My case was reviewed and I was lucky enough to be issued the agreement. I was sent a letter which was also sent to the quarantine station at Logan Airport in Boston, which was my port of entry. Additionally, I needed to have a printed copy to present to US Customs upon arrival. A copy of the agreement was also sent to the New Hampshire Department of Public Health as I was planning to stay with my parents who live in New Hampshire.
Leaving Tunisia
With all the medical and import paperwork sorted, we were ready to go. For whatever reason, dog crates were incredibly difficult to find in Tunisia. When I managed to find one I received it only a couple days before travel and getting Milo accustomed to the crate was a disaster. He was afraid and didn’t want to go inside, so I knew I was going to have to force him the day of. The night before our flight I prepared the zip lock bags with his food, lined his crate with some towels and one of my shirts. I had read somewhere that your smell can help with nerves and calming, so I put in a shirt and stuffed toy. I got up very early the next morning to feed him a light breakfast and give him a walk before the flight. We said goodbye to roommates and friends and headed to the airport, a little sandwich bag of sausage in tow.
The check-in process was fairly easy, I was instructed that I would need to pick him up in Paris at the oversized luggage station and re-check him in on my flight to Boston. Once that was sorted I was told to bring him to the oversized luggage drop off and wait until someone came to collect him. Waiting until the last minute to put him in the crate, I tried to feed him the sedative the vet had given me with the sausage. Milo was not having it, he was upset, nervous, confused and the last thing he wanted was to eat. Being naïve and uneducated on the matter, I was so worried that he would freak out without the sedative since that is what the vet had told me. He eventually gave in and ate it.
*Opinionated note: I don’t recommend sedating dogs when you travel, I wish I had not given it to him. I have never given him any sort of sedative or sleeping pill since and I wouldn’t recommend it. However, you should always consult an accredited veterinarian with regards to your specific dog.
Trying to get Milo used to his crate. 
On our way to the Airport!
When I finally got him into the crate he cried and cried and cried, it broke my heart into a million pieces. When they took him away I broke down in tears. I was stressed and anxious during the 2 1/2 hour flight to Paris, freaking out evetyime we hit turbulence worrying that it was scaring or hurting him.
When we landed in Paris, I rushed as fast as I could to get to baggage claim. I noticed he was not with the oversized luggage so I went to the counter to ask about his whereabouts. They said I needed to go to the end of the hall and wait at the security belt as he would be coming through there. The poor pup came through the security belt looking scared and exhausted, it was then that I noticed he had thrown up his sedative and tried to collect him as quickly as possible.
Before I could take him out of the crate, I had to pass through French customs. They looked through his puppy passport and scanned for his microchip. Once approved I was allowed to take him out and walk him around the airport. I took him outside to a secluded area and cleaned his crate, gave him some water and a little food as we had 5 hours before our next flight. I tried to give him the sedative again since the next flight was close to 8 hours, this time he did eat it without hesitation with his food. We spent about 3 1/2 hours walking and relaxing outside before I had to check him in. They require that animals be checked-in an hour before the flight. This time when they came to take him he laid down and was quiet, I once again cried.
Arriving in Boston
The 8 hours from Paris to Boston felt like the longest 8 hours of my life. I once again freaked out during turbulence, worrying about Milo and hoping he wasn’t too scared. I was so relieved when we finally landed. I passed through customs, informing them that I had a live animal with me and they instructed me to head to the oversized baggage pick up. I found Milo looking relaxed and lying down in his crate but still alert and happy to see me, a big difference from when I picked him up in Paris. I had to pass through the “Items to Declare” line and check in with the attendants at the counter. I handed them the Confinement Agreement which they already had in their system. They were very friendly and asked me a few question, went over the rules of the agreement and then sent us on our way.
Just like we experience jet lag and exhaustion when traveling, so do our dogs. Milo was tired and groggy for about two days after we arrived home. He had one accident inside the day after we arrived which I attribute to disorientation and exhaustion. After those two days his energy perked right up and he was once again the high energy puppy that I had in Tunisia, incredibly excited that he now had grass to run and play on instead of concrete and broken glass.
Milo’s first night in the United States. 
Sleeping in the kitchen.
While this move was challenging and time consuming, in the end I’m glad I went through with it. As long as you give yourself the adequate amount of time to prepare, traveling with your dog can be relaxed and is well worth it. Milo’s quality of life improved tremendously and he has become an invaluable member of our family.
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Have questions about traveling internationally with your dog? Need some advice or reassurance on what to do? Feel free to send me a message! I’m happy to share my knowledge and put you in touch with the right people.
