Moving Exotic Pets: How to Relocate Fish

For the most part PetRelocation.com handles moves for standard pets like cats and dogs, but occasionally a more exotic situation comes along. Recently we (or specifically Kayla, one of our hard-working Pet Relocation Specialists) handled a six-pet move that included two fish, a bird and three lizards.


 

Getting ready for the move to Canada

This menagerie moved from Austin, TX to Toronto, Canada, and as you can imagine it wasn't the most straightforward relocation. Non-traditional  pets require different paperwork and must meet specific travel requirements (you can't exactly put a lizard or a fish into a soft-sided travel crate and carry them on the plane, for example), and so it was necessary to consult CITES regulations and jump through a few hoops before this crew was allowed to fly.

For the fish, Kayla brought the little guys (Beta fish named Fineas and Phyre, by the way), to an aquatics specialist where they could be properly packaged (oxygen, a heat pack and an airline-approved container are all necessary), and once the Canada pet import rules were consulted, the fish were cleared to fly.

Almost ready to fly!

As it turns out, right now fish don't require extra paperwork for Canada, but after December 10, 2011 aquatic pets will need an import permit. Every country is different, so that's why it's important to do a bit of research or hire a service like PetRelocation.com in order to make sure your fishy friends will be safely and smoothly included in your travel plans.

Read more about importing exotic animals and check out a great story about moving fish on our blog (Francesco the Siamese Fighting Fish!). Finally, don't forget that Facebook and Twitter are great resources when it comes to crowdsourcing your craziest pet questions. You're always welcome to give us a call, too!

Here's wishing all our non-furry friends happy traveling, and stay tuned for more info about the rest of this motley group of exotic traveling pets!