There are many things to consider when planning to transport any live animal by air either domestically or internationally, especially if you are not traveling with it or if your destination country requires that your pet arrive as air cargo.

 

• What are the regulations of the destination country?

• What equipment do I need for my pet?

• What veterinary procedures must be done?

• What is the best airline to transport my pet?

• Who will be responsible for dropping off and picking up my pet from the cargo facility?

 

If you need assistance moving your pet on the ground, then you will need a transporter who is familiar with the techniques involved in handling animals and an appropriate vehicle that will keep your pet comfortable and hydrated during its journey. You will also need a good pet crate to keep your pet safe.

 

In either case, a pet transporter can alleviate a lot of pressure that pet owners can have when traveling. These professional pet transporters facilitate the process with their knowledge and expertise in flights, flight regulations, flight container requirements, pickup and delivery arrangements, quarantine, boarding, import and export arrangements, veterinary requirements and proper identification. And, as requirements, regulations, and restrictions change, a professional stays abreast of these changes and makes the necessary adjustments to your pet's travel arrangements.

 

You do not need to have a professional pet shipper in your city or even in your state or country. Through their international network, professional pet shippers can handle any and all arrangements to ensure personal care and handling of your family pet from the time it is picked up at your home until it is delivered to your new home - wherever it might be.

 

Most important of all, these transporters love animals and your pet' safety and welfare is their first priority.

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Services We Can Provide

• Veterinary requirements

• Document preparation

• Government endorsement

• Kenneling

• Equipment provision

• Pick-up

• Drop off

• Customs clearance

• Door to door services

• Courier services

• Ground transport

 

 

FOR GUIDANCE ON GENERAL REQUIREMENTS BY THE USDA, PLEASE SEE BELOW.

 

 

FOUR PROGRAMS – WHICH FITS YOUR PET? 

 

1. Full 120-Days Commercial Quarantine: If your pet is not arriving from an exempt country or area (see below) and if your pet fails to pass or complete the FAVN testing and other requirements, then your pet will have to complete 120-days of commercial quarantine on Guam. There are no other options or exceptions. 

 

2. Calculated Quarantine: If your pet has completed all of the requirements and has a rabies FAVN titer of at least 0.5 I.U to 0.99 i.u, then your pet will have to spend only as many days in commercial quarantine as required to reach 120 total days since the FAVN blood sample reached the laboratory. 

 

3. Five (5) Days or Less with Home Quarantine on Guam: This option is available to animals originating in the mainland United States for 120 days or more and military personnel located on military installations ( proof of supporting documents must be submitted for review). The entry requirements for the Home Quarantine option are, with a single exception, no different than those of any less-than-120-days quarantine. The pet still requires vaccinations, microchip, FAVN test, etc. But if the FAVN titer meets or exceeds 1.0 I.U. (twice as high as the 0.5 I.U. required for the Calculated Quarantine), after the five days or less of commercial quarantine the pet can be transferred to home quarantine for the remainder of the 120 days of total quarantine.

 

4. Exempt From Quarantine: If your pet is coming from an “exempt” country or area such as Japan or Hawaii and has been there for at least 120 days, then there is normally no commercial quarantine required on Guam. The entry requirements can be completed prior to arrival and the animal may be allowed to leave the airport with you. Your veterinarian can help you with the pre-arrival requirements as detailed below. Owners with pets arriving from Exempt areas must contact Guam.

 

Exempt Areas: Animals originating from the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Hawaii on direct flights to Guam may be exempt from quarantine requirements after meeting shipping and veterinary examination requirements. 

 

 

PRE-ARRIVAL STEPS COMMON TO ALL PETS

 

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1. APPLICATION FOR ENTRY PERMIT – Pet owners or their authorized representative(s) (authorization letter must accompany application) are responsible for submitting a completed application with the payment of a non-refundable fee of Sixty Dollars ($60.00) per animal permit, $5.00 per pet license per licensed year. Money orders or certified checks should be made payable to “Treasurer of Guam”. Please do not send cash. Puppies and kittens must be at least nine (9) weeks of age prior to any request for an entry permit. If an animal produces a litter while in quarantine, the offspring shall remain with the mother for the duration of her quarantine period, and additional fees may be charged by the commercial quarantine facility. 

 

2. AFFIDAVIT FOR EXPORT – Pet owners with animals originating directly from a designated rabies-free area must submit an affidavit for export or certificate of origin. The affidavit certifies that the dog or cat was not outside the area of origin during the 4-month period immediately preceding the date of shipment. In addition, the affidavit shall certify that the animal has not been vaccinated with a modified live rabies virus vaccine during the 4 months immediately prior to the date of shipment. Affidavits of this nature are generally issued by a government entity (i.e. state or National Department of Agriculture veterinarian or U.S. Army veterinarian) in the jurisdiction of origin. 

 

3. VACCINATIONS – All dogs and cats entering Guam are required to be vaccinated against rabies and other common infectious diseases prior to release on Guam. This also applies to animals arriving from exempt areas. These vaccinations are best completed prior to arrival. A document attesting to the administering of the vaccinations must include the name and address of the pet owner, name and description of the animal (indicating its age, sex, breed, color, body weight, and markings), dates of vaccinations, (rabies certificates must include: manufacturer, serial/lot number, discard and expiration (duration) dates of the vaccine) and certified with a printed full first and last name, clinic address, license number, and legible signature of veterinarian who administered the vaccinations. Health Certificates or other documents cannot be substituted for the actual Rabies Vaccination Certificates (copies are acceptable). 

 

For the other required vaccinations, the attending veterinarian must sign a letter or other document that details the date and types of vaccinations administered. Your pet requires certification of current rabies vaccination with an approved monovalent inactivated rabies vaccine administered not more than 365 days prior to the animal’s release from quarantine on Guam (36 months if vaccinated with an approved 3-year vaccine). Do not vaccinate your pet for rabies after blood is drawn for the FAVN test (if performed). Also, the use of a modified live rabies vaccine is strongly discouraged and can require quarantine periods for as long as six months after that vaccination. 

 

b) Any subsequent rabies vaccination shall be administered not less than 30 days following the first vaccination and not more than 365 days (36 months with an approved 3-year vaccine prior to release on Guam. Each pet must have completed at least two rabies vaccinations in its life prior to release from commercial quarantine, and the most recent rabies vaccination must still be current).

 

 

POST-ARRIVAL REQUIREMENTS 

 

1. Post-Arrival Health Examination 

 

a) Any dog or cat eligible for less than 120 days of quarantine shall be transported directly to a commercial quarantine facility where a post-arrival examination by the quarantine veterinarian must be completed. This same examination must be completed for all dogs and cats arriving from EXEMPT AREAS too, but that examination shall be arranged and completed by the owner/agent within 72- hours of pet arrival, and any veterinarian licensed on Guam can complete this examination. No animal can be sold until this examination and any required treatments have been completed. Failure to comply can result in the full 120- day quarantine at the owner’s expense. 

 

b) The veterinarian responsible for the post-examination must submit a health examination certificate to the department verifying the health of the dog or the cat and provide his/her recommendations for the animal’s early release or continued quarantine status as deemed necessary. The examination certificate along with the attending veterinarian’s recommendation must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture prior to approval and release of any dog or cat. A certificate of completion must be obtained from the department prior to release. 

 

c) The post-arrival examining veterinarian may require quarantine for observation for animals that show signs of illness or disease during the examination. * Animals eligible for Calculated or Home Quarantines that are held by the quarantine veterinarian during post-arrival examination due to any health anomalies must be cleared for release by the Territorial Veterinarian. Quarantine issues not specifically addressed by this document will be resolved by the Territorial Veterinarian. 

 

 

PLANNING YOUR PET’S MOVE – HOW MUCH QUARANTINE?

 

a) If your pet is not coming from a country or area recognized by Guam as rabies-free, then your pet will have to complete commercial quarantine on Guam. The length of that quarantine varies. 

 

b) Regardless of quarantine status, the entry requirements must be completed prior to arrival. Animals originating in non-exempt areas shall be transported directly to a commercial quarantine facility where a postarrival examination by the quarantine veterinarian must be completed. 

 

c) If your pet is coming from a non-exempt country, you still may be able to reduce the duration of commercial quarantine potentially to as little as a single day, if you have the time and the resources to meet the requirements. This is the least expensive way to bring a dog or cat to Guam. Those people who have less than 120 days of preparation time can still endeavor to minimize the commercial quarantine duration on Guam. This can result in an individualized quarantine period on Guam that will be explained below. Pets that have not initiated the laboratory testing prior to arrival on Guam must begin the full 120 days of commercial quarantine. However, this period can be shortened if the FAVN testing and other requirements are completed during the commercial quarantine. After successful FAVN testing is completed in quarantine it should be possible to release the animal into home quarantine for the remainder of the 120 days. 

 

d) The other potentially significant difference regards the number of required rabies vaccinations. Animals participating in quarantines on Guam of less than 120 days will have had their rabies titers tested and a minimum of TWO rabies vaccinations (lifetime) required before release. The most recent rabies vaccination cannot be more than 365 days old, unless it is an approved 3-year vaccine. In that case the vaccine must have been administered not more than 36 months prior to arrival. Animals participating in the full 120 day commercial quarantine on Guam will not require laboratory testing and must show proof of at least TWO completed rabies vaccinations (lifetime) prior to release from quarantine, and the most recent one must still be current at the time of release. 

 

e) If your pet uses United Airlines to travel to Guam you will be required to use an IPATA pet transporting company. Many are available. 

 

Visit https://www.ipata.org/ipata-pet-shippers-air-and-ground to learn more. 

 

Please be aware that Island Pet Movers out of Hawaii does not work with the Andersen Air Force Base Pet Lodge. If you are a military dependent and desire to use the Andersen Pet Lodge, you will need to choose a different pet transporting company. 

 

1. Q: WHEN AND HOW DO I SEND IN MY DOCUMENTS? 

A: Documents should be sent in as soon as possible for review. Preferably 2-3 months prior to arriving is best. Please allow ample time for documents to be reviewed. Documents may be sent by fax, email, or snail mail. 

 

2.Q: HOW DO I SEND IN MY PAYMENT? A: Payments may be sent by cashier’s check or money order made out to the Treasurer of Guam. You may send the payments by FEDEX or USPS. NOTE: Payments are NON-REFUNDABLE. 

 

3.Q: WHO CAN I TALK TO ABOUT GETTING AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS EXPLAINED IN THIS BROCHURE? 

A: Most of these procedures and policies are based on explicit Guam law, and there are no exceptions to Guam law granted. 

 

4.Q: WHAT IF MY PET ARRIVES ON GUAM WITHOUT A VALID ENTRY PERMIT? 

A: The pet will be placed in a 120-day commercial quarantine at the owner’s expense or returned to origin at owner’s expense. Additionally, the transporter is subject to a fine for each pet that shall not be less than $500 nor more than $1,000. 

 

5. Q: WHY ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS DIFFERENT FOR A PET FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, LIKE THE PHILIPPINES WHEN COMPARED TO ARRIVAL FROM AMERICA?

A: In different countries there can be significant differences in the incidence of rabies, the types of vaccines used, and many other parameters. The quarantine laws of Guam are designed to jealously protect the rabies free status of Guam. Countries other than the United States and Exempted Areas would fall under the Calculated Quarantine or the 120-day Program. 

 

6.Q: WHAT IS THE FASTEST WAY TO GET A PUPPY OR A KITTEN HOME ON GUAM? A: A puppy or kitten could arrive from an exempted area like Hawaii or Australia at 9 weeks of age. If the pet arrives form America or a non-exempt country, the pet would be at least 5 (five) months of age before it could be released into home quarantine on Guam. If the origin is an exempt area, date of birth must be on all documents. Pets may enter Guam from sixty-three to eighty nine (63-89) days of age without a rabies vaccination. At ninety days of age proof of one rabies vaccination must be provided. 

 

7.Q: WHAT IF MY PET BECOMES ILL WHILE IN COMMERCIAL QUARANTINE? A: After obtaining permission from Agriculture, the pet can be removed by the quarantine veterinarian for treatment in an isolated area of the clinic operated by the quarantine veterinarian. 

 

8.Q: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CALCULATED AND THE HOME QUARANTINE? 

A: There are two important differences. The Calculated Quarantine allows the animal to complete the FAVN testing and spend only the remaining days in commercial quarantine on Guam. For example, if the pet’s passing FAVN sample arrived at the laboratory on 1 October, and the pet arrived on Guam on 1 January, then it would only have to remain in commercial quarantine on Guam until 27 January. If it arrived after 27 January then it would only remain in commercial quarantine long enough to be examined by the quarantine veterinarian – usually only one night. This is the best option if there is enough time to complete the preparations. The Home Quarantine applies only to pets originating in the United States or US military installations and requires the pet to remain in a strictly enforced home quarantine on Guam for the days remaining to complete the 120 days. The second difference is that the Home Quarantine requires a titer that is twice as high as the minimum required for the Calculated Quarantine. 

 

9. Q: HOW DOES THIS WHOLE PROCESS WORK IN SHORT? 

A: You may take this brochure to your veterinarian and go through it together. The first step is to make sure that your pet has two rabies vaccination certificates (if arriving from a non-exempt area) that follow the Guam Department of Agriculture’s (DOAG) requirements. If it is the initial rabies vaccination at 12 weeks, wait 30 days to get another rabies vaccination, and then wait 10 days to do the FAVN. Email rabies vaccination certificates, current immunizations, and request an entry permit. You will receive additional instructions. Once you get clearance, make flight and kennel reservations and forward that information to the Department of Agriculture. When your flight and kennel reservations have been made, you are now able to obtain and send DOAG a copy of the health certificate. Health certificates expire 10 days from the date of issue. DOAG will then in turn, send by email, (an) Animal Entry Permit(s) that you will attach to the kennel(s). Check with your airline on the requirements. Permits are $60.00 each per pet, plus $5 per year for a pet license. When your pet arrives on Guam from a non-exempt area, the licensed commercial kennel quarantine facility that you have registered with will pick your pet up from the airport. The quarantine veterinarian will administer a post-arrival examination and verify the microchip of your pet to determine release. The owner or the agent has the responsibility of making contact with the quarantine facility. When the pet has cleared post-arrival examination, the owner/agent would proceed to DOAG to obtain a copy of the release and obtain a pet license. And it should be clear that any changes to the flight itinerary MUST be cleared through DAG and the commercial quarantine facility.