Preparing in Advance for Dog Travel to Australia

Name: Jennifer
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Dogs (Summit and Daisy)
Pet Breed: Mixed (one a Boxer/Lab, the other a Carolina dog/Greyhound)
From: Seattle, WA, USA
To: Brisbane, Australia in May 2016

Hi There,

I know it is quite far away, but my family is looking now to move my two dogs with us when we move to Australia next May. I am very nervous about moving them (as most dog moms probably are)! I was reading that Australia limited their quarantine from 30 days to 10 days, however with no visitation allowed. How is this possible? I also read that there are only two quarantine stations available in Australia.

How have you seen the conditions of the quarantine? Will my dogs make it and be safe? What is the most economical way to get them there with the least stress for my two dogs? Also, one has special eating needs -- how will I be able to accommodate that?

If you could provide an estimate and some information it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

These are great (and understandable) questions to have, and you're very smart to be starting the process so early. It takes several months to properly prepare for a dog move to Australia, but when the right steps are taken it can be a safe and smooth process.

To start, we'd like to recommend that you take a look at the official Australia government website, where you'll find everything you need to know about import requirements and quarantine facilities. There is also a timeline calculator that will tell you what you need to do and when.

Of course it's normal to feel nervous about the quarantine part of the process, but in our experience pets do fine while staying at either of the two available facilities (one is in Sydney and one is in Melbourne) and tend to behave like their normal selves once they are home with their family. Again, on the site you'll find an explanation of quarantine procedures, including instructions for requesting permission to feed your dog special food (it can be done).

When you have some time, feel free to read a few of the stories submitted by some of our past Australia clients: here is Elvis's story, here is an account of Jack's relocation to Brisbane, and here is a video of Tilly in Sydney quarantine. As you'll see, these pet parents started out feeling pretty anxious and were glad when the move was all over, but ultimately found that it wasn't as scary as they thought it would be.

If you think you'd like some help with your move, please take a look at the services we offer and consider filling out our consultation form. With a few more details, we'll be able to provide more information about your move options.

Hopefully this helps, Jennifer! Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.