BajaNomad - Dog food confiscation at Tecate? Answers..

Dog food confiscation at Tecate? Answers..

Jack Swords - 2-5-2010 at 05:37 PM

While passing north through Tecate yesterday I mentioned I had a bag of dogfood. I was sent to secondary by a friendly, helpful officer at the booth to talk with the agriculture officer. He was also very friendly and we looked at the bag's ingredients (chicken and grain). He explained that it was not only mad cow disease, but swine disease, and Newcastle (a poultry disease) that they are concerned about. So beef, pork, and poultry are the problem. He examined the origin of my dogfood and it was from the USA (we brought it in, bringing it out). Since it was from the U.S. we were able to keep it. He said Mexican dogfood cannt be brought into the U.S. These officers were very friendly and we enjoyed talking with them. We were prepared to lose the dogfood and had some stashed at home in San Luis Obispo County for when we arrived, but that was not necessary.

Marie-Rose - 2-5-2010 at 05:42 PM

Dog food is one of the things the US customs ALWAYS ask us about... usually do not ask for health certificates! You are lucky they let you bring an open bag... usually they will not. When we cross from Canada to US and Mexico to US we always make sure our dog food in unopened and made in USA.

Timo1 - 2-5-2010 at 05:47 PM

Makes a lot of sense huh ??
If its made in China and full of lead...Its ok for your child
If its not made in USA...Not good for the dogs

DENNIS - 2-5-2010 at 05:53 PM

A lesson learned. Logic is non-exista........No, wait a minute, that's not the lesson. The lesson is, don't take pet food through the border to the states.

wessongroup - 2-5-2010 at 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Timo1
Makes a lot of sense huh ??
If its made in China and full of lead...Its ok for your child
If its not made in USA...Not good for the dogs

picky, picky, picky :lol:

Jack Swords - 2-5-2010 at 06:06 PM

Dennis, without understanding the situation it is difficult to make such a conclusion as you did. Our dog has pancreatitis and is on a special dog food that we order from the east coast and is by prescription from our vet. Its cost is around $80 a large bag. We normally spend 5 - 6 months in La Paz, but had to return due to an emergency. Therefore we had a full bag that we were returning with. To see our vet, place an order back east and get the shipment delivered to CA would necessitate a time period where we would need to feed our 12 year old dog fresh chicken and rice. That we would do, but are happy that we were able to bring it back in. The posting was not to seek approval for our actions, but to desiminate information on a topic that had been posted previously. Possibly it is helpful to some.

roundtuit - 2-5-2010 at 06:11 PM

Took mine away in Tecate last year also some processed ham from Costco threaten me with a $ 350.00 fine Must of had a bad day. But the drug dog had a good meal and the agent had a ham sandwich , should have left some cheese and mustard.

Timo1 - 2-5-2010 at 06:11 PM

Jack
We also had the same happen but we were crossing Canada-US
We didn't have a dog with us
Once we told the BCP dude that we were taking it to Mexico he was fine with it
The bags were also unopened
He said....I'll just assume this was made in the US

Woooosh - 2-5-2010 at 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Timo1
Makes a lot of sense huh ??
If its made in China and full of lead...Its ok for your child
If its not made in USA...Not good for the dogs

for a third world country, yes- the origin of dog food is a problem from US customs. But they don't stop lead-fouled tamarindo candy and contaminated jewelry- bu those don;t come with ingredient labels.

[Edited on 2-6-2010 by Woooosh]

DENNIS - 2-5-2010 at 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack Swords
Dennis, without understanding the situation it is difficult to make such a conclusion as you did. Our dog has pancreatitis and is on a special dog food that we order from the east coast and is by prescription from our vet. Its cost is around $80 a large bag. We normally spend 5 - 6 months in La Paz, but had to return due to an emergency. Therefore we had a full bag that we were returning with. To see our vet, place an order back east and get the shipment delivered to CA would necessitate a time period where we would need to feed our 12 year old dog fresh chicken and rice. That we would do, but are happy that we were able to bring it back in. The posting was not to seek approval for our actions, but to desiminate information on a topic that had been posted previously. Possibly it is helpful to some.

Well, Jack, I wasn't aware of your personal problem...that's for sure. Perhaps you should have put it out there if you wanted full understanding.
The confiscation of pet food has been discussed here in the past and that's what prompted my reply.
Sorry I seemed insensitive to your situation. It wasn't my intention, believe me.

Twist on Tecate

DERN - 2-5-2010 at 07:50 PM

Jack,

Been there, done that, on the whole dog food thing. When I come up to the booth (in Tecate), I tell them that I'm not bringing anything back, including dog food (as the dog is hanging out the window.) They typically look/think at me as "where did that come from?" These guys are funny. Hello!! This isn't my first rodeo!! They read your plates and know who you are and your whole life story even before you get to the booth. I Know that my dog is hungry but I'll get food for him in Lemon Grove or some other location close by. SLO County is a long distance to travel without feeding your companion.

Unfourtunatley your dog has diet issues that are beyond what the Border Folks can comprehend. Not your fault.

On another note, crossing through Tecate heading North, Feb, 5th SUCKED!!!! We hit the Border around 10am. 1hr.10min. wait-ish. The whole hang up was that they were gathering up all cars that they could fit in Secondary until it was totally full. Once full, they broke out the DOG to sniff every vehicle. That took another 20 min. That made for a long day heading for SLO County. 13 hrs-ish.

Has this happened to anyone else in the recent past?

Saludos,

DERN

Howard - 2-5-2010 at 08:18 PM

On the other side of the coin, I flew into Loreto with my dog and a small bag of sealed dry dog food and it was confiscated. "Mad cow disease" and he showed me, sure enough, that one of the ingredients had beef. I told him that I would throw it away and he said he would throw it away.

I guess the esposa told him to pick up some dog food on the way home.

woody with a view - 2-5-2010 at 08:42 PM

Quote:

Has this happened to anyone else in the recent past?

2 outta 3 last trips....

DENNIS - 2-5-2010 at 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Howard
I guess the esposa told him to pick up some dog food on the way home.

I hope they had a lovely dinner. :lol:

Enlighten Me?!!

DERN - 2-5-2010 at 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob

Quote:

Has this happened to anyone else in the recent past?

2 outta 3 last trips....

So does this mean the whole "Dog Food Thing?", or the, "Wait in secondary while the DOG Sniffs the entire convoy of cars?"

Thanks in Advance,

Dern

LancairDriver - 2-6-2010 at 07:50 AM

Jack- Appreciate the information. I have a dog with a similar problem requiring the spendy dog food. This helps in dealing with the situation on future trips. So far I have never been asked- just lucky I guess.

BajaWarrior - 2-6-2010 at 08:39 AM

Tecate has been hit and miss lately. The line is either 3 cars in front of you or an hour and half wait.

We travel with our dogs so the dog food question does come up however we are able to leave it at our vacation home or give it to the camp dogs on our way out.

Jack Swords - 2-6-2010 at 09:36 AM

Talking about being sent into Secondary at Tecate: a friend in La Paz, returning to the states last April, had a blowout S of Ensenada. He bought a used tire from a local tire shop and the drug sniffing dog at the Tecate border sounded off on his tire! He was sent into Secondary, searched, placed in a room for questioning. His truck was taken away, then returned when nothing was found in the tire. He was sent on his way, but purchased 4 new tires when he arrived home. The used tire must have had some interesting history.

jahImpala3 - 2-6-2010 at 10:10 AM

Have traveled with our dogs for years. This January was the first time we had been pulled into secondary. The agent asked if I had any Mexican dog food. I was surprised by the question, told him that as a matter of fact we did, grabbed it and gave it to him. We were on our way again with only a 5 minute delay. No mention of any health certificate, or concerns of any other matter.

[Edited on 6-2-2010 by jahImpala3]

DENNIS - 2-6-2010 at 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by soulpatch
Oh, and Dennis, don't be such a succinct and nasty prick

Thanks for the "Succinct" part. As far as the other one, it wasn't my intention, as I explained.

suc·cinct (sk-sngkt)
adj. suc·cinct·er, suc·cinct·est
1. Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words; concise and terse

Salsa - 2-6-2010 at 10:29 AM

You need a bigger meaner sounding dog!!!!!!!!!

Don

DENNIS - 2-6-2010 at 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by soulpatch
that is all respect! I am very at home with your humor. You know how we are.

Very insensitive at times...........much better face to face.

Thanks, Frank...I'll buy all of that.

skipowell - 2-6-2010 at 03:10 PM

I found this interesting and appreciate the heads up.
We too travel across the board frequently with dogs (5-6 times a month) and always cross at Sentri in SY
yet have never asked about dog food.
Good to know as Sentri card holders we are supposedly required to KNOW all the forbidden items
Would hate to lose my card over a bag of dog food!

dtbushpilot - 2-6-2010 at 06:56 PM

Crossed North this morning around 10am at TJ, 25 minute wait, 2 cats in carriers on the back seat, they didn't ask anything about the pets or food....dt