domestic pet move

We received a  question from a reader named Rauni regarding her upcoming move from California to Arizona.  She was having trouble finding out information regarding whether she needed a health certificate to enter Arizona with her two cats.

If you are planning to travel with pets within the US, you'll need a domestic health certificate from your local veterinarian. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has issued the template below for domestic pet travel use. Feel free to download and print out the form below to take to your veterinarian.

Health Certificate for US Pet Travel

Pet transport, be it domestic or international, can be very stressful on both pet owners and pets alike. There are a number of things a pet owner can do to reduce the amount of stress associated with their pet relocation. First and foremost, don’t procrastinate. The worst thing you can do is wait until a week before the travel date to research what requirements must be met for your pet’s move and then rush out to buy a crate last minute only to throw your pet into an unfamiliar box for the big day.

Whenever you make the decision that you are going to move there are so many decisions that need to made in what is usually a very short amount of time. Where will you live? What will you bring with you? How will you get there? Usually about half way through this thought process your loyal family pet meanders over to you for some attention, and then it dawns on you, how on earth is your family pet going to make the journey?