Bringing my dog from the USA to Singapore

K · Post by K » Mon, 20 Sep 2004 1:52 pm

Hello,

I have been offered a job in Singapore, and am considering to take my dog with me.

If anybody has brought a dog from the USA (or anywere) to Singapore, could you tell me your experiences?

I am particularly worried about the length of the flight. I wonder if the direct flight is better than connecting one.

Thanks in advance.

mm · Post by mm » Mon, 20 Sep 2004 3:10 pm

We brought our dog from the US. We used a pet relocation company for transporting her and she flew from an East coast location to LAX and while at LAX she was taken out and walked. She then went directly from LAX to Singapore. She arrived just fine and was then taken to the quarantine station for a 30 day stay. All dogs coming from the US have to do the 30 day quarantine. Don't worry, though - the workers at the quarantine station are really great and will take good care of your dog. You will be able to visit your dog while it is in quarantine. Do a Google search for The Pet Hotel in Singapore - they run the quarantine station and can answer all of your questions.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon, 20 Sep 2004 3:31 pm

How big is your dog? I heard that if you have a toy dog sized pooch, you can actually bring ur pooch on board with you!. This only works with american carriers, heard NorthWest and American Airlines are quite flexible.

Yutenji · Post by **Yutenji** » Mon, 20 Sep 2004 6:19 pm

Hi, agree with the earlier comments. We also brought our dog into Singapore, (twice actually, but that's a different story). It's best to check early since most airlines will restrict to only having one dog in the passenger cabin.

Also, (depending on where you're from, and the 'sensitivity' of your dog) you might want to get your dog used to storms (heavy rain/thunder). Reason being, although the Pet Hotel/Quarantine is very good, with good staff, for our dog this was it's first experience of Singapore weather. It was away from it's owners, with heavy rain beating on the roof and thunder / lightening outside. Not a disaster, but it took us a long time for the dog to be ok with bad weather even after quarantine finished.

Have a look around on this website, there are several other very good threads about dogs in Singapore.
Good luck.

K · Post by K » Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:22 pm

Thank you very much for the replies! I feel much better now.

My dog weighs 26 pounds. I might be able to take him in the cabin, I will check it with some airlines.

One more question. Did you use tranquilizer? LAX to SIN takes more than 18 hours, and my dog is house trained...

mm · Post by mm » Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:45 pm

18 hours is a long time, but there aren't really any alternatives. There were no tranquilizers used. The pet transport company provided the crate (included in the overall fees) and it was quite large given the size of our dog - she is about 23 lbs., in addition, they had a list of instructions on how to prepare the crate. The main thing is the amount of shredded newspaper in the bottom of the crate - this helps to keep the dog warm as they are often flown cargo and if the dog goes to the bathroom, the newspaper will absorb it. It sounds a lot worse than it probably is - even if you had the dog in the cabin (I suspect 26 lbs. is too big - I think the carrier has to fit under the seat) you still can't take the dog out to the bathroom on an 18 hour flight.

Most people who have brought dogs over will say that the whole ordeal including the quarantine stay is much worse on the owners than the dogs. I have to agree now that we have been through it. We were very concerned about how our dog would handle it, but the alternative was to not bring her and we did not feel that was at all an option - she is much happier with us and we are happier having her. She came through it all just fine

Good luck to you with everything!

K · Post by K » Tue, 21 Sep 2004 1:08 pm

mm, you told me exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks so much!

Yutenji · Post by **Yutenji** » Tue, 21 Sep 2004 2:53 pm

K wrote:One more question. Did you use tranquilizer?

mm wrote:the whole ordeal including the quarantine stay is much worse on the owners than the dogs

Seeing these two comments made me realise ... certainly in my case a tranquilizer for the owners would be a far better idea than for the dog!!

Good luck
P.S. Yes, 26lbs is way too heavy to go in the passenger cabin.

spencerz · Post by **spencerz** » Mon, 27 Sep 2004 12:32 am

er, yutenji,
did u bring in ur pet as accompanied baggage? or as cargo?

questions posed to anyone,
have anyone sent their pet to singapore as cargo by a relative/friend?
cause i want to know, what u do once ur pet arrives into singapore.

like u 1st inform changi a day before ur pet is going to arrive.
then u have to go to the airport to like pick him up?
then wait for the quarantine personnel to send ur pet to the quaratine station?

er. could have some help here.

spencerz.

mm · Post by mm » Mon, 27 Sep 2004 8:56 am

spencerz -

We used a Pet Transporter service in the US to ship our dog to Singapore. We actually shipped her 2 weeks prior to our own departure so she could get a 'head start' on the 30 day quarantine stay. You can arrange for the Pet Hotel (they run the quarantine station in Singapore) to be your 'agent' and when your dog arrives at Changi Airport, one of their representatives will be there to receive your dog and take him/her to quarantine. Take a look at this page from The Pet Hotel's website: http://www.pethotel.com.sg/quarantine.htm

Either call or email them, they are very helpful and can answer all your questions and help you through the process of importing your dog.

Yutenji · Post by **Yutenji** » Mon, 27 Sep 2004 5:59 pm

spencerz wrote:er, yutenji,did u bring in ur pet as accompanied baggage? or as cargo?

Hi, first time into (and out of) Singapore was in-cabin with us (carrier under the chair in front). But, those trips were so stressful for us & the dog, that the second time into Singapore was accompanied baggage.
Cheers

spencerz · Post by **spencerz** » Mon, 27 Sep 2004 7:18 pm

yutenji. whats the difference between the in-cabin and accompanied baggage.

just wondering, anything that is accompanied with the pet will be disposed off?
like the kennel, its toy, etc.

Yutenji · Post by **Yutenji** » Mon, 27 Sep 2004 11:04 pm

spencerz wrote:difference between the in-cabin and accompanied baggage.

Hi, In-cabin means the dog is actually in the passenger cabin with you. He/she needs to be in the carrier all the time, but at least you can keep an eye on him/her. Some cabin staff will let you have the dog half or even fully out of the carrier, but strictly thats against the rules. DON'T take any chances if the cabin staff tell you to put the dog fully in the carrier. They are permitted to take the dog away from you if you 'cause trouble' and that's really upsetting for all involved.
Accompanied baggage means you check-in the animal almost like it's a normal bag (not quite as simple as that, but you get the idea). But then you don't see dog until the other end (Singapore). They (airport team in Singapore) will transport the dog to the holding area, over near the cargo part of the airport (get good directions otherwise taxi driver can't find !!). That's where you meet the dog, and then he/she gets transported to the Pet Hotel (=Quarantine).
If I understand right, your dog is too big to go in the cabin. In which case, you might be happier to pre-send your dog earlier (like I saw in someone else's reply). The Pet Hotel people are very good and can handle all the airport procedures easily, and you may just be putting yourself/dog through more stress by seeing (and then leaving!) your dog so often during the quarantine period.

spencerz wrote:just wondering, anything that is accompanied with the pet will be disposed off?

not in our experience. But remember though that the dog will be in the cage/carrier for a relatively long time, so it's going to get 'messy' in there. A favourite toy in there may not be very nice at the other end of the journey, if you get my meaning.
Good luck

spencerz · Post by **spencerz** » Tue, 28 Sep 2004 1:15 am

any experience in quarantine?
what type of kennel did u book to?
any problem like bathing? etc.
visiting out of the visitation hrs?
the cost? inclusive of gst?

mm · Post by mm » Tue, 28 Sep 2004 8:24 am

The people who work at the quarantine station are really very good. They take excellent care of the animals and there is no need to worry. Our dog stayed in an air-conditioned kennel which basically consists of an indoor, air-conditioned area and a covered outdoor area. The dog can go in and out as it pleases. I don't remember the exact costs, but if you contact the Pet Hotel they can get you all of that information. They will bathe your dog as often as you like (there is a fee) and they will take your dog out to 'play' in addition to regular walks for a fee as well. It's basically like the services you would get if you took your dog to the kennel while you went on vacation. They have daily visiting hours which I think are in the late afternoon-early evening during the week and there are longer hours on weekends - again, when you talk to them, they can give you all the details. They do have a veterinarian on staff, so no need to be concerned about health issues. Our dog even requires a special diet and they were able to get the correct food for her when she arrived so I did not have to ship a bag to them.

Like I said in an earlier post, I think the whole quarantine stay is harder on the owners than it is on the dogs! The staff will encourage you to visit as often as you can.

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