Traveling With a Dog From Kenya to the United States

Hi,

I am travelling with my pet for the first time. My husband and I are headed back to America after living in Kenya for some time, we will be bringing back our miniature maltpom (cross between a miniature maltase and Pomeranian )

I have never travelled with a pet before, let alone on such a long journey. A flight from Kenya to California is long for a human, and I can only imagine it for such a small dog.

My questions are as follows...
Does he fly in the cabin with us or with the luggage carrier?
Is there a person assigned to look after him and ensure that he is safe?
Are we allowed to see him during the trip?
Does he get water and food?
Does he need a passport of sorts?
Other than a health certificate and rabies, is there anything else he would need?
If luggage goes missing what are the chances that he will also be missing (from Africa it does happen more times than not) I just want to ensure that he is not classified as “luggage” and will be with the load that will be missing -- again please forgive my question.
How do we collect him once we have reached our final destination?

I would really appreciate anyone’s advice or insight on this.

Many Thanks,
Concerned Doggy Owner

 

Hi Amy,

Thank you for your inquiry -- these are certainly understandable questions!

First, we would like to suggest looking over these frequently asked pet travel questions as well as the pet import requirements for the United States. 

We highly recommend flying your dog via cargo on a pet safe airline. KLM, British Airways or Lufthansa may work for your situation (these are airlines we often use to move our clients' pets). Traveling with pets via cargo is a safe option for pets flying long distances, as they'll be overseen by trained staff and will most likely be given a layover/break during which they can leave their kennel for a bathroom break, food, etc. 

As you'll see from the links above, the United States is one of the easier countries when it comes to bringing pets in. In addition to the outlined health requirements, you'll need an airline approved travel crate -- here's a guide for picking the right dog travel crate.

If you think you'd like some help arranging this move, please contact us for a pet travel consultation. We've helped thousands of pets move safely around the world and would be happy to assist you, as well.

Either way, good luck with your pet travels!

Pet Travel Question Details:

Name: Amy
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Miniature Maltipom
From: Kenya
To: United States