BajaNomad

Health Certificate for dog?

socalrat - 12-4-2010 at 05:29 PM

Anyone ever asked for a International Health Certificate either crossing into Mexico or back into the States? Have a Belgian Malinois and don't really want any trouble.

gb3

bajaguy - 12-4-2010 at 05:35 PM

If you don't have a health certificate, be sure to have copies of all of the dog's shot records from your vet

DianaT - 12-4-2010 at 05:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by socalrat
Anyone ever asked for a International Health Certificate either crossing into Mexico or back into the States? Have a Belgian Malinois and don't really want any trouble.

gb3


Yes---for the first time ever going south into Mexico, Baja and the mainland, the last trip down a couple of months ago we were asked for a health certificate for the dogs.

We do not have them and showed the lady their rabies tags, and we explained that since we live there much of the time, it would be next to impossible for us to get a new Health Certificate every time as they are only good for 72 hours. She suggested that we at least have the rabies certificate next time and sent us on our way.

Now when we were traveling back and forth from Central America, the Mexican's always asked----we had a 72 hour International Health Certificate for the dog we had then that managed to last for a few years. :biggrin:

mcfez - 12-4-2010 at 05:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
Quote:
Originally posted by socalrat
Anyone ever asked for a International Health Certificate either crossing into Mexico or back into the States? Have a Belgian Malinois and don't really want any trouble.

gb3


Yes---for the first time ever going south into Mexico, Baja and the mainland, the last trip down a couple of months ago we were asked for a health certificate for the dogs.

We do not have them and showed the lady their rabies tags, and we explained that since we live there much of the time, it would be next to impossible for us to get a new Health Certificate every time as they are only good for 72 hours. She suggested that we at least have the rabies certificate next time and sent us on our way.

Now when we were traveling back and forth from Central America, the Mexican's always asked----we had a 72 hour International Health Certificate for the dog we had then that managed to last for a few years. :biggrin:


Checks on this seems to be picking up a lot. Yeah....get the pets stuff in order.

Woooosh - 12-4-2010 at 05:40 PM

If you really don't want trouble, just get the certificate and you won't have to worry. The rules are not always enforced, ok- rarely enforced. There are some active threads here on the topic with responses ranging from "always get your dog the Health Certificate to "screw the system, print your own certificate".

My assumption is you are driving across both ways at Tijuana as you are located in LA county. If you are flying down- your dog def weighs too much ;)

socalrat - 12-4-2010 at 05:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
If you really don't want trouble, just get the certificate and you won't have to worry. The rules are not always enforced, ok- rarely enforced. There are some active threads here on the topic with responses ranging from "always get your dog the Health Certificate to "screw the system, print your own certificate".

My assumption is you are driving across both ways at Tijuana as you are located in LA county. If you are flying down- your dog def weighs too much ;)


Taking the i-10 to the 86, then down through Mexicali. TJ is just insane and I really don't want to cross baja pulling a trailer if I have a problem.

I'll get the health certificate (then maybe scan it and gen up my own going forward).

thanks all!

gb3

mcfez - 12-4-2010 at 08:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by socalrat
Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
If you really don't want trouble, just get the certificate and you won't have to worry. The rules are not always enforced, ok- rarely enforced. There are some active threads here on the topic with responses ranging from "always get your dog the Health Certificate to "screw the system, print your own certificate".

My assumption is you are driving across both ways at Tijuana as you are located in LA county. If you are flying down- your dog def weighs too much ;)


Taking the i-10 to the 86, then down through Mexicali. TJ is just insane and I really don't want to cross baja pulling a trailer if I have a problem.

I'll get the health certificate (then maybe scan it and gen up my own going forward).

thanks all!

gb3


Exactly what town are you leaving from....there ARE great short cuts as one drives towards Mexicali. Takes me 11.5 hours from Sacramento to the gates....

Oh....make sure that you indeed have ALL the legal docs. for the trailer, car, and anything else that rolls on wheels or floats.

Entering Mexicali is a piece of cake BTW
Leaving.....well....take magazines to read while you wait in line to go home.

nbacc - 12-4-2010 at 08:36 PM

I always have the health cert. Just in case. It is a small cost for peace of mind.

woody with a view - 12-4-2010 at 08:38 PM

Quote:

Leaving.....well....take magazines to read while you wait in line to go home.


or teach the dog to drive....:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

karenintx - 12-4-2010 at 10:51 PM

When flying the "Health Certificate" is a three page form. One page is keep by your "Vet", one page is giving to "Mexican Customs" and the last page is "yours"...is it the same when driving?

dtutko1 - 12-5-2010 at 06:48 AM

Never been asked, but get health certificate each year as insurance. As I get older i get more conservative, but i'm still a nomad at heart.

Marc - 12-5-2010 at 07:28 AM

While waiting in the return jam in TJ I noticed that two vehicles came through the side gate on the left near the booths. This returns from the southbound flow. Both had dogs. I wonder if they were turned back for lack of paperwork??

Internation Movement of Small Animals

Marla Daily - 12-5-2010 at 07:45 AM

We always travel with International Health Certificates for our dogs. In our experience (since 1996 when our first street dog found us), we have never been asked for them when crossing north or south by car; we have been asked every time when entering or leaving by plane (Loreto and Los Angeles airports). We never intended to have more than two dogs—we now travel with four—the one who adopted us in Loreto who is now 14; one from Cataviña; one from La Purisima; and our US-bred Aussie. So much for intentions. As we all know, in Baja California sometimes situations just happen.

If someone can tell me how to post an attachment from my desktop, I'll be happy to post the blank certificate.

bajaguy - 12-5-2010 at 08:51 AM

Mexico requirements:

http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Mexico.cfm

Certificate:

http://www.petrelocation.com/pdf/APHIS7001.pdf

socalrat - 12-6-2010 at 06:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez
Quote:
Originally posted by socalrat
Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
If you really don't want trouble, just get the certificate and you won't have to worry. The rules are not always enforced, ok- rarely enforced. There are some active threads here on the topic with responses ranging from "always get your dog the Health Certificate to "screw the system, print your own certificate".

My assumption is you are driving across both ways at Tijuana as you are located in LA county. If you are flying down- your dog def weighs too much ;)


Taking the i-10 to the 86, then down through Mexicali. TJ is just insane and I really don't want to cross baja pulling a trailer if I have a problem.

I'll get the health certificate (then maybe scan it and gen up my own going forward).

thanks all!

gb3


Exactly what town are you leaving from....there ARE great short cuts as one drives towards Mexicali. Takes me 11.5 hours from Sacramento to the gates....

Oh....make sure that you indeed have ALL the legal docs. for the trailer, car, and anything else that rolls on wheels or floats.

Entering Mexicali is a piece of cake BTW
Leaving.....well....take magazines to read while you wait in line to go home.



We are coming from Los Angeles area. I've driven to San Felipe once, down the 405/5 to the I-8 and across into Calexico. The hills east of San Diego were very windy, so I'm taking the Highway 86 route this time.

Any thoughts?

gb3

nbacc - 12-6-2010 at 10:52 PM

You know it is Murphy's law that if you don't have the health certificate they will ask for it!! I always have mine(oops, I mean the dog's) and to this point have never been asked.

makana.gabriel - 12-7-2010 at 05:39 PM

Does this apply for cats also? We are driving to Cabo the day after Xmas and bringing our 2 house cats. Haven't done this in about 6 years but prior to that, we always had the animals and never once were asked for, or for that matter, knew about health certificates.

nbacc - 12-7-2010 at 09:14 PM

Have the certificates...........safer for the animals and makes the humans less nervous.

Marla Daily - 12-8-2010 at 07:56 AM

Yes cats also need health certificates. The State of California Department of Food and Agriculture certificate is called:

Certificate for Interstate or International Movement of Small Animals

dtbushpilot - 12-8-2010 at 08:21 AM

I travel with my 2 cats regularly. I've never been asked for their papers but I usually have them. It is best to always have the current papers for your pet, you will have a better trip not having to worry about it. The certificates are much cheaper in MX than the states, $30ea MX vs $100ea US. There are probably vets in the states that will fix you up for less but I haven't found them.

Don't forget that rabies vaccinations are only good for 1 year in MX regardless of what it says on your certificate. Lots of people have flown into Cabo with current US health certificates only to have to pay for a MX vet to come to the airport to give their pet a rabies shot. As usual in MX the enforcement seems to be hit and miss, perhaps it has to do with the time of the year (holidays) or the attitude of the traveler.

When traveling by car (or plane of course) you should transport your pets in a carrier especially cats. If you have an accident, even a minor one, they will be gone. If I let my cats free in the car they usually wedge themselves in under the seats or under the gas and break pedals, not good for any of us....dt