Today I will share with you something that is valuable than gold to me!
It is my experience of traveling with my beloved Chica to Tanzania. Chica is my 3 year old Shih Tzu daughter.
Staying in Malaysia for 6 years, we decided to adopt this 2 month old little fur-ball of a baby who soon became the highlight of our days.
After 3 years with Chica in Malaysia, I decided to move back to Tanzania. There was no question about giving her away. Chica had to come with me!
I had a few annoying people suggesting to me to give her away or asking me to get another puppy back in Tanzania. I asked those people to give their babies away and make new ones at their new destination. Yeah, THAT shut them up!
Snub-nosed breeds have been banned from most of the airlines due to health risks in flight. They can only be permitted in-cabin if they meet the weight and height requirements of that airline. Shih Tzu's are usually medium-sized and unless they are very small puppies, the chances of meeting with the in-cabin requirements are very low.
I inquired with nearly ALL airlines. KLM, Thai Airways, Ethiopian airlines, Kenya airways and all those that travelled from Malaysia to Tanzania. NONE of them gave any positive response about in-cabin travel, and must I add that all airline companies in my experience give the worst customer service!
I finally got some hope from Thai Airways. Their seat dimensions were slightly bigger than other airlines, but due to the absense of a connecting flight, I would have to get permission from another airline (Ethiopian airlines in my case) to carry my baby with me in flight.
The agent for Thai airways asked me to get all the vaccinations done, while they got the approval. Ethiopian airlines (Bangkok office) on the other hand took 3 weeks to respond to a yes or no question, and the answer was a last minute no. He said only the ground staff in Bangkok could decide whether Chica could board the next flight or not. I hated the thought of being stranded in the middle of a strange country with Chica.
My only option was Cargo.
From online reviews and friends' suggestions, the recommended one was KLM-Air France cargo. They have the reputation of being the most pet-friendly airline with the biggest airline animal hotel.
That started another stressful journey of getting all the documents ready. After getting 90% of it done, I discovered Cargo could only be arranged by an agent. So I had to pay a hell lot of money to an agent for work that was mostly done.
It was however all worth it if it meant my baby could be in Tanzania with me.
Basically, the whole process requires following a tight timeline and the following steps:
- Firstly, Your pet must be vaccinated against all the diseases that are mentioned in the importing country's regulations. In my case it was Rabies (not given more than 1 year back), DHLP, and deworming. You can get this information from www.pettravelstore.com
- Try to get the vaccination done at least a month and half before the flight.
- 2 weeks before the flight, you need to apply for an import permit from the destination country with the attached inoculation record, international health certificate as filled by your licensed vet, and import permit application.
- The import permit has to be attained from the Ministry of Water and Livestock Development, through the Director of Veterinary services. This import permit is only valid for 2 weeks. So once you have that scanned document, you have to proceed to apply for the export permit from your departing country. The export permit is only valid for 5 days and that includes the flying time.
- Getting the export permit requires another check-up of your baby, together with inoculation record.
- Please note that it is best to have a friend/family member/agent visit the Director of Veterinary services in Tanzania personally as phone calls/emails will not be answered (at least not in my case).
- Get an airline approved carrier and make sure your baby can stand, sit, sleep and turn around comfortably in it. Make sure it is comfortable in it before its flight. It is going to be in there for a long time. You can get lots of advice from the link I posted above.
- Get your baby microchipped for safety. Tanzania doesn't require microchip, but some airlines do. In my case, during my attempt to travel with Thai Airways, I was told Chica would need it, so we went ahead and got it.
If you are sending your pet through an agent, the agent will send a vet over to pick her from your residence on the day of the flight, do one brief health check up, check her in at Malaysia's animal hotel, and the agent will then check her in at the airport.
It is advisable for you to attach your baby's mugshot together with all the documents.
Below is Chica's :) haha!
I was lucky to get updates on Chica every few hours as I was going crazy with worry. I could also track her status through the KLM-AF cargo website.
The first picture the agent sent me of Chica made me burst into tears as she looked really scared and lonely (below). If only I could travel with her :(
Below was the overall setup of her crate.
The base of the crate contained her favourite blanket, a Spongebob toy she loves and 2 layers of wee wee pads in case of accidents.
Unfortunately it all got crumpled up on her way to the airport.
There was a water bottle attached to the cage, as well as two additional plastic containers inside the crate, one containing dry kibble and the other extra water.
The top of her crate had some extra wee wee pads, dry food and treats in case she ran out of them and the animal hotel in Amsterdam would feed her.
Chica arrived perfectly in Tanzania. My family was there to receive her while I prepared for my own flight the next day. I was overwhelmed by the news, and so was her daddy through Skype, who was equally anxious to hear the news from Germany.
I am proud to say this has been the best decision for all of us, especially for Chica, who now has a bigger family, larger space to run around in, lots of love and kisses from everyone.
I would like to thank the following people for making it all possible.
1) Chica, for agreeing to make this big move with me and for being such a good sport. God bless you, my baby!
2) Mostafa for all the research, help and moral support while preparing for the move
3) Meera and Mom, for all the hard work and running around to make this possible from Tanzania side.
4) Bandar Puteri Veterinary Clinic and Surgery Team, for being so gentle and loving to Chica as she went on a weekly vaccination spree.
5) CTI Logistics (the agent), for making the final move possible
6) KLM-AF Cargo for their lovely animal hospitality.
7) Nadiya Paramayuda for all her tips and advice as she went through exact same phase with her Shih Tzu baby at the same time :) (what a coincidence)
8) Just Pets grooming (Ken and team) for making Chica look so pretty before her flight :)
This post was meant to be written over a month ago so it's long overdue, but it was important for me to share this whole experience. You never know who might need it :)
Please do leave your feedback or inquiries in the comments below and I will be glad to answer them all or add on additional information to the already long (boring?) post.
