Bringing two puppies from Finland

[John1301]

I will be bringing two puppies from Finland to the US in mid-December. The puppies will be 10 and 11 weeks old on that date, and they will each weigh around 30 pounds. They will not be vaccinated for rabies at that time. I plan to have them shipped by Finnair, Lufthansa, or KLM. They will be arriving at either JFK, Newark, or Philadelphia International. These puppies are my pets and will not be used for commercial purposes. I would prefer not to fly with them, but would if I have to.

Incidentally, it appears that the airlines I am considering do fly dogs out of Finland in the winter, even if it is very cold. I know that Finnair has no restrictions on cold weather, but am thinking they might shut it down at some point.

Here are my questions:

1. Is Finland considered rabies-free or not? I have heard/read conflicting statements on this. The CDC seems to say it is, but how can I be sure? Is there someone to call?
2. Is it necessary for me to fly with them considering all the circumstances?
3. What vaccinations are mandatory?
4. Do I need a statement of cold acclimation from the local vet to fly in winter?
5. Aside from veterinary certifications, what other paperwork do I need? I would be happy to use (and pay) for your services!
6. Is there anything I need to be concerned about that I have not touched on?

The last thing I want is to bring these puppies in and have some unforeseen hitch that ends them up in confinement, so I deeply value any advice given.

John

[admin]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

Hi John - see answers to your questions below. Susan
1. Is Finland considered rabies-free or not? I have heard/read conflicting statements on this. The CDC seems to say it is, but how can I be sure? Is there someone to call? FINLAND IS CONSIDERED RABIES-FREE BY THE UNITED STATES - CDC IS THE AUTHORITY ON THIS. YOU CAN CONFIRM BY EMAILING CDCANIMALIMPORTS@CDC.GOV IF YOU WANT TO CONFIRM.

2. Is it necessary for me to fly with them considering all the circumstances? IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR YOU TO FLY WITH YOUR PUPPIES, HOWEVER, OWNERSHIP WILL NEED TO BE CLARIFIED PRIOR TO TRANSPORT. IF THE TRANSPORT INVOLVES TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP FOR MORE THAN DE MINIMUS CONSIDERATION (IE YOU ARE BUYING THE PUPPIES), THEN MAY COULD FALL UNDER THE 6 MONTH RULE. IN THE ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, FURTHER CLARIFICATION WOULD NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. SEE STEP #8 HERE: http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/unitedstates.cfm.

3. What vaccinations are mandatory? CDC AND USDA LEGISLATION REGARDING THE IMPORT OF DOGS AND CATS ADDRESSES RABIES VACCINATION. OTHER VACCINATIONS SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED AT THE ADVICE OF YOUR VETERINARIAN. OBVIOUSLY, THE PUPPIES MUST BE HEALTHY.

4. Do I need a statement of cold acclimation from the local vet to fly in winter? THAT IS A QUESTION FOR YOUR AIRLINES. SOME ACCEPT THEM AND OTHERS DO NOT. GENERAL RULE IS THAT THE AIRLINES DO NOT TRANSPORT LIVE ANIMALS IN THE HOLD BELOW 45 DEGREES F. KNOW THAT THE ISSUE IS NOT WHEN YOUR PUPPIES ARE IN THE AIR BUT WHEN THEY ARE ON THE GROUND BEING HELD, LOADED AND TAXIED.

5. Aside from veterinary certifications, what other paperwork do I need? I would be happy to use (and pay) for your services! YOU SHOULD NEED NO OTHER PAPERWORK TO ENTER THE US. THE HEALTH CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE ISSUED WITHIN 10 DAYS OF TRAVEL. BECAUSE YOUR PUPPIES ARE ORIGINATING IN FINLAND, AN AGENT IN THAT COUNTRY WILL NEED TO BOOK YOUR PUPPIES' TRANSPORT. WE ARE LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU. TRY IPATA.ORG IF YOU NEED AN AGENT TO ASSIST IN FINLAND.

6. Is there anything I need to be concerned about that I have not touched on? YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL ARRIVAL AIRPORTS. HOPEFULLY, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLAIM YOUR PUPPIES AS THE OWNER IF YOU ARE NOT TRAVELING WITH THEM. SOMEONE WILL NEED TO CLAIM YOUR PETS AND CLEAR CUSTOMS. IF THEY ARE FLYING AS AIR CARGO, THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE AIRLINE'S CARGO FACILITY, BUT YOU WANT TO CONFIRM THAT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE ARRIVING OUTSIDE OF NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.

[John1301]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

Hi Susan,

That is extremely helpful. You gave me all the info I need.

Just to let you know, Finland is still considered rabies-free according to the representative I spoke with on the phone.

You perform a valuable service because working through the red tape on these issues is not always so evident.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

John

[admin]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

Best of luck with your puppies. Let us know if we can assist in the future.
Susan

[amyanderson]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

how much cost on bring puppies from Finland to England

[admin]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

Try Finnair into Heathrow. They offer non-stop service.
Jason

[amyanderson]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

It's very difficult to bring animal from Finland tell me how did you bring those puppies

[bettyThePretty]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

6. Just in case that your puppies get lost it would be better to make sure that they are attached with a dog locator, a dog gps tracker of sorts like Trackidog, Tractive GPS Tracker, or any gps tracker that are small enough to be attached to your pups' collars.

And I know that the chances of your dogs being misplaced or getting lost is low but it is better to be safe than sorry.

[admin]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

Good idea Betty. Just know that your pet's collar will be removed and taped to the crate when flying in cargo.
Phil

[bettyThePretty]

Re: Bringing two puppies from Finland

I didn't know they remove the collars when flying cargo thank you admin for the information since I haven't really flown with my pets before so this helps.