Dogs

[bdkbh]

Hi,

Can anyone give me an idea of how much it's going to cost to transport my two large dogs from the US to Brisbane, Australia? I know that I'd need to call the transport companies for a more exact quote but I'm really just looking for a general idea. And what about quarantine fees? What do they average?

Thanks!

[Tiffani]

please see this website for information on import permit, quarantine, and release fees: Category 4: Quarantine time varies in Australia - DAFF

I don't know when you're planning the move here, but either way this process should be started yesterday. There's never enough time and unless you want your dogs to be back home for a while after you leave, start the process NOW. (I learned this the hard way... we didn't have enough time between our job offer and arrival in Australia to fully prepare her, and even when she was due to fly out, there was a last minute glitch with some final bloodwork which delayed her arrival by two months. I'll be happy to discuss this with you further once you've read the materials if you have specific questions).

We imported our Weimaraner and all told it cost about $6K start to finish. Maybe a little more. Importing two will be slightly cheaper because sometimes they can be quarantined together and so on, but expect to spend minimum $10K for the two of them.

What breed are they? They must fit into a crate that allows them complete freedom of movement and their heads cannot touch the top. Silver had to go with a Giant Crate, and even though Weimaraners are large breed, they aren't giant breeds. If you're bringing a couple of Great Danes, you may need to look beyond Petsmart for a crate that will meet all the requirements listed here: Server Error That site is Qantas based but it abides by IATA regulations

Most importantly, they'll be fine To set your mind at ease a bit: IPATA

(PS Ignore the "server error" title of the website, I clicked on it and it took me to the right place... dunno why it was auto-named 'server error')

[bdkbh]

Hi Tiffani,

I just started looking at the various websites yesterday and when I realized the time frame, I started to feel a little panicked! We will be making a decision the first week of December and I'm not sure of our arrival date...but I realize you're correct....we should have started the process before my husband even got the offer! lol.

I'm afraid that the cost of transporting the dogs and getting them admitted to the country is going to be a deal breaker for this job offer. My kids will be heartbroken if we can't take the dogs.

One is a Golden Retriever and the other is a Lab Mix...both are about the same size and I think they're also going to need the largest crate size. The Golden would be fine with the stress but I worry about the other one. She's so nervous anyway.

Do you recall how much just the air freight charges were?

Thank you so much for the links. They were very helpful!

If we end up going...I hope it will all be worth it!

Thanks again,
Deana

[Tiffani]

I remember the air freight from LA to Melbourne was around $2500, so you'll be doubling that for your two (which will have to be in two separate crates). Are they crate-trained already? The nervous one might struggle a bit if she's not. I would think that a Golden and a Lab would fit into the Giant crates but check at PetSmart before you buy!

Your husband should negotiate removal into the job offer. My partner's company didn't pay for Silver (we should've asked!) but they did pay for our tickets and to move all of our furniture, so Silver was the only thing we had to pay for out of pocket.

The rabies titre is extremely important as you can probably imagine, but the problem we had at the last minute was that she tested positive for Lepto (completely asymptomatic, and at Kansas State she tested positive at a 1:40 dilution but my vet's lab tested her negative at a 1:20 dilution which makes no sense). I'd go ahead and have them both tested for all those things listed on the form so that if you have to start Antibiotics to treat them, they can begin and their arrival won't be delayed any more than necessary.

I wouldn't have considered coming here without the dog, so I understand completely where you're coming from.

[molly_n_schugger]

Hi Tiffani -

Thanks so much for your informative replies (even though I'm not the OP). Can you tell me a little about dog culture in Oz? Are dogs typically welcome in public parks, beaches, hiking trails, city sidewalks, etc? Are leash laws strongly enforced? Are the public dog parks? As you said, I wouldn't consider moving without my pup, and I'm just curious to hear how the Aussie dogs live. Thanks!

[bdkbh]

The golden is crate trained. The other one....only slightly. She doesn't like it but she has been in one a few times. We'll need to work on that for her, I'm sure.

Do you know of other people who were able to negotiate the dog's relocation into their offer? My husband is going to give it a shot. I'm hoping it works out because this is the only thing that's keeping me from being really excited about moving.

I'll be sure to have them tested for that and anything else that is on the list....the fewer delays and complications the better as a move like this is bound to be complicated no matter what!

Thank you so much for the advice!

Deana

[Tiffani]

Hi Molly,

In order to answer your questions, the best thing first would be to know where you plan to live. The Dog culture seems to vary from place to place so let me know where you plan to be and then I or someone else can answer those kinds of questions. It really is very hit or miss and determined a lot by the council regulations of the municipality you live in, but for sure having a dog will NOT make you a social pariah

Deana,

I haven't heard of anyone negotiating dog shipment into their contract, but your husband could talk to the company about just being given an allowance (of whatever it would cost to move your animals, yourselves, and your furniture) and then you can decide what to do with the money yourselves. We weren't given that option; we were told that we would receive reimbursement for all of those things, minus the dog of course, and so it just depends on your husband's company I guess. We did negotiate for MORE reimbursement money than was originally allotted on the first copy of the contract, but we found out later that there is some wiggle room in the university regulations on that so it was still within the limits of what the university allows.

I would definitely start doing some crate training, especially with the Lab mix. They are going to be crated for sure for a LONG flight and, depending on where you're coming from, they may have to spend a couple of days in kennels away from you in LA to finalise the paperwork before flying out. So they need to get used to that before you leave.

complicated is an understatement! But if you're living close to one of the quarantine facilities, you can go and visit them twice a week while they're in quarantine and that definitely helps (quarantine, for what it's worth, do a FANTASTIC job of looking after the pets)

[molly_n_schugger]

Hi Tiffani -

I'm looking towards the greater Adelaide area, more specifically the Barossa Valley. Thanks so much for your insights!

[Tiffani]

Hi Molly, I am in Melbourne so I really couldn't say. Perhaps our SA people can better explain the doggy situation in the Adelaide area.

I would imagine that there would be lots of rules and regulations about having your dog under control at all times, registration, microchipping, etc, but as long as it's well-behaved it should be pretty well-received by the community. That seems to be the general idea but it varies from place to place slightly. Some country towns are more amenable to dogs than large cities, for instance.

[cloud9]

Thanks for the info and prices....didn't realise it was so expensive!

Good luck with the doggies move.