Traveling with your pet
requires preparation prior to your departure. This can take 1-2 days
or several months depending on your final destination. Regardless of
whether you are traveling nationally or internationally your pet
will need a health certificate. The clinicians and staff at the
KSU-VMTH Pet Health Center are available to help you with this
process.
Interstate travel
Most states require a current health certificate for your cat or dog
to enter the state. The following USDA-APHIS web site will connect
you with individual state requirements:
www.aphis.usda.gov/
*Click on the travel with my pet
link under related topics.
Your pet will need to have a physical exam and be current on its
vaccinations (the minimum requirement is rabies) for the health
certificate. If the veterinarian issuing the health certificate is
not the one who vaccinated your pet, you will need to bring copies
of the rabies certificate and proof of any other vaccines that were
given. Please be prepared to give us the name and phone number of
the veterinary hospital where the vaccines were given if you do not
have the proper documentation. Your pet will have to be vaccinated
at the time of the health certificate appointment if documentation
is unavailable. Vaccine information including manufacturer, type of
vaccine and date given all need to be recorded on the health
certificate. You will also need to provide your current address and
final destination address for the certificate. Lastly, you must sign
the health certificate. A health certificate can not be issued if
your pet has evidence of a contagious disease. Severely debilitated
animals may be declared unfit for travel and denied a health
certificate.
The USDA considers a health certificate valid for 30 days; however,
many airlines require the certificate to be issued within 10 days of
travel. Please contact your airline for specifics on their
requirements for pet travel. Airlines may also require a certificate
of climate acclimation to accompany your pet if traveling in the
cargo area.
***Hawaii
has its own unique set of requirements as they are a “rabies-free”
state. Traveling with your pet to Hawaii requires several months of
advanced preparation. At a minimum your pet will require:
You are strongly urged to go
to the Hawaii Rabies Quarantine website and review their regulations
for specific details and updates:
www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info
You can also E-mail them at:
RabiesFree@hawaii.gov
International travel
International travel often takes several months of preparation. In
general, rabies-free countries have more requirements for entrance.
Some countries also require a special notarization by a USDA
veterinarian on the international health certificate in addition to
your veterinarian’s signature. It is important to locate the nearest
USDA veterinarian who can assist you with this as the notarization
process may take a few more days after your veterinarian has signed
the health certificate. It is prudent to check with the foreign
consulate and embassy to get specific requirements for entrance into
their country.
This website can link you to most of the agencies from which you will need information: www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/pet_travel/pet_travel_websites.shtml
Traveling with you pet can be
both rewarding and frustrating. Thorough, advanced preparation will
mitigate some of these frustrations. Please feel free to contact the
clinicians at the KSU-VMTH should you have questions concerning
health certificates or to schedule an appointment. We can be reached
at the number below from 8-5, M-F.
785-532-5690