Advice on taking dog and money to UK!!

[tkknud]

My wife and I are relocating to the Cambridge area in March of 2009 (anybody know any good jobs?). My wife is British. I have already been approved for permanent settlement. I have a couple of questions and would appreciate any advice out there:

1. We are taking our dog, Ferguson Toodles, with us. We are paying a pet relocation service around 3K to handle the paperwork, shots and airline requirements (she is currently in the quarantine period). It seems high but we were quoted upwards of 6k to do this. The company seems very knowledgable and very helpful so I don't anticipate any problems. Is there anyone that can think of anything else that we should do?

2. Since we are moving permanently we are taking most of money with us. Considering the pound is at 1.73 it seems like a right decision to make. If we take it all at once we can avoid paying the high fees associated with currency exchange. Does anyone have any advice on this? What is the best way to transfer money? I have heard HiFx but have never used them. Are there any tax implications?

Thanks,

Harold

Originally Posted by tkknud

My wife and I are relocating to the Cambridge area in March of 2009 (anybody know any good jobs?). My wife is British. I have already been approved for permanent settlement. I have a couple of questions and would appreciate any advice out there:

1. We are taking our dog, Ferguson Toodles, with us. We are paying a pet relocation service around 3K to handle the paperwork, shots and airline requirements (she is currently in the quarantine period). It seems high but we were quoted upwards of 6k to do this. The company seems very knowledgable and very helpful so I don't anticipate any problems. Is there anyone that can think of anything else that we should do?

2. Since we are moving permanently we are taking most of money with us. Considering the pound is at 1.73 it seems like a right decision to make. If we take it all at once we can avoid paying the high fees associated with currency exchange. Does anyone have any advice on this? What is the best way to transfer money? I have heard HiFx but have never used them. Are there any tax implications?

Thanks,

Harold

I can’t help you with any dog issues I’m afraid, but with regards to changing up your money I used a currency brokers called First Rate FX. I found these guys to be very helpful and they were able to give me a few names and numbers to discuss my tax concerns. There were no tax implications for me, but I would always suggest speaking to an expert in this field!

[Minuvweyna]

I don't know about the money matters, but the dog I can advise you about. It is very similar to what I went through to bring my cat with me.

It is good that your dog is already in the quarantine period, since it really does take more than 6 months from the start to end of the process.

I did not use a relocation service, and just did all of it myself (but I did not have to have a service to transport my cat, as I found a way to take her with me in the cabin of the plane.) The actual process is not that difficult, it just is a lot of steps.

Where are you and your dog coming from? It will definitely make a difference. If you are coming from the US, like I did, make sure that you know where your closest USDA office is, you will probably be there at least once and maybe twice. The USDA is also an excellent resource, since they have dealt with this situation very often, and are happy to help.

One extra reassurance. When I was preparing my cat I was warned that the microchips generally used in the US might not be acceptable or readable in Europe. I traveled to both France and the UK and neither country had any trouble reading her microchip (so don't worry about renting a scanner like I did.) Also, don't be too surprised if your airline requires a veterinary certificate, and then do not ask to see it, take the copy intended for them, or in any way make you feel that it was worth the $50. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, some of them seemingly for no reason, but it is better to have too much paperwork than too little.

And a final caveat. Sedatives are sometimes recommended. I would not sedate an animal that is not going to be in cabin since there can be issues with breathing problems. More importantly, not all animals react the same to drugs like valium. I was given some to try before our trip and it made my cat drunk (completely unable to stand or walk properly - I was very worried she would hurt herself) and extremely agitated. She cried and did not sleep for 15 hours straight and was unsteady on her feet for a full 48 hours. I was very glad we tried it before we traveled, because it would have made the trip unbearable for both of us.

Good luck, and if you have any more questions I would be happy to see if I can help. It is a bit of a daunting process but it can be done.


Best Wishes,
Elizabeth

[cjmoving]

Originally Posted by Minuvweyna

I did not use a relocation service, and just did all of it myself (but I did not have to have a service to transport my cat, as I found a way to take her with me in the cabin of the plane.) The actual process is not that difficult, it just is a lot of steps.

Hi Elizabeth,

I'd love to know how you were able to get your cat into the cabin of the plane. I'm planning a move to the UK come spring and am currently going through all of the steps to get my cat ready (microchipped, vacinated, etc.). But I'm so uncomfortable with the idea of cargo. I've heard far too many horror stories, so I'd love to avoid it if possible.

Thanks in advance for replies.

Crystal