Taking My Akita to Korea

Hi,

I have never moved internationally with my pets, just cross country. I do know that my vet said never to sedate. It can be very alarming to the pet if they wake up in the middle of the flight and that can cause more stress. One thing you might want to look into is a company that actually "ships" pets. I used Jet-A-Pet (jetapet.com). What I found is they have representatives at all airports in case there is a plane change. They book the flight for the pet, do door to door service (ie: pick up and drop off at new location). They also let you know what papers you will need to obtain. They also told me the exact type of crate size that I would need for each pet (I was flying 2 cats and 2 large dogs). Also, what I liked is if there was say an unscheduled flight landing or change a rep would be there to take your pet out of the crate, walk it, make sure it had food/water. I really felt good about using them. I am a VERY nervous flyer myself and the thought of having to bring my kids AND pets to the airport did not go over well.

I hope this helps! All the best to you!

You need to contact the Korean embassy for their rules on bringing a dog into the country and you need to contact the airline you're flying and the TSA to find out their particular rules on international animal travel. No, I don't think a passport is required! Yes, YOU will have to sedate the dog.However, many countries do quarantine arriving animals for some time (up to 3 months). It's an INCREDIBLY long flight for an animal to be sequestered in a crate. I know you're moving there, and you probably don't want to do this, but it may be kinder to find a new home for the dog or at least "foster" him with a family member if you plan to move back. Also, double-check that where you're going is dog friendly and that you really will be living in a place with a "dog as pets" culture. Many other places in the world just don't view dogs and cats the way we do -even if some of the more westernized and wealthy people there may -the society as a whole may not.

When I took my cats to japan it was quite a pain. Titer testing rabies, all sorts of stuff. Pets did not need passports, but special permision from host country was needed. Documents were obtained at a special office in LA (I was near enough to go myself..I met a fellow there who had a neat job niche...doing all this paperwork for folks wanting to take pets overseas...he did the shipping too.)
Yes, you have to pay airlines for the pets. Ask the airline you are using. Sedation caries risks. Discuss with vet. I did extra hydration under the skin via injection for my oldest cat. Good luck

Have you found out if he will have to be quarantined when you reach Korea? Many countries require a 3 month quarantine for pets when you travel.

Contact the Korean embassy about what your dog needs and what will happen while you get there (in many countries, the quarantine can be avoided if you have completely followed all of the embassy's instructions exactly), and contact your airline to find out what they will need for you (special types of crates are required, they'll tell you about costs, etc.). Sedation is almost never recommended when flying with an animal unless the animal is aggressive or highly agitated, because it causes the animal's heart-rate to drop (as does flying) and some airlines will not even let you sedate your animals. Please speak to your vet about this once you have made the other calls. Good luck. The first time I moved to Japan, I was unable to take my pets with me, but I know that I would never leave them behind again. I have high hopes of being sent back to Japan, and all 3 dogs will be coming with me when that happens!