Pet owners moving to a rabies-free country are often faced with the difficult decision of what to do with their pets. Because rabies-free countries typically require a six-month quarantine, most pet owners don’t want to subject their pets to the sterile, “doggie jail” that most people associate with the word “quarantine.”

While quarantine facilities for pet travel have significantly improved over the years, now pet owners have another option.  Countries like the United Kingdom and Japan have set up ways for pets to fulfill the quarantine without ever leaving the comfort of their home.  After being fully vaccinated for rabies, pets are given a blood test.  Once this blood test has been approved, the pet simply needs to wait for 180 days (or six months) prior to traveling to the rabies-free country.  This means that, as long as the pet owner has six months to wait prior to their move, the pet can remain in their own home and fulfill all of the import requirements.  Many pet owners are comforted by this, but it still doesn’t resolve the issue if someone doesn’t have six months to wait for their pet.

That’s where PetRelocation.com’s pet travel services step in!  We can assist a friend, family member of even a boarding facility while your pet is prepared for export.  We make sure all of the paperwork is in order, and then take care of setting up your pet’s travel arrangements.  In our Pup in the Air series, Mocha was staying with family friends while he waited out the six-month pre-export quarantine.  After the six months were up, our agent Cara was able to go to New York City to pick up Mocha and then flew with him all the way to Tokyo.  In our upcoming series, you’ll get to see for yourself what kind of work goes into a move like this — and what a great experience your pet can have traveling, too!