Notice to all importing pets to Australia - NB!!!

[Mara]

Hi LuJVR

I suggest you go to the top right of the screen, find the 'search' button, type in "Kookaburra kennels", you will get a stream of posts regarding it!

[Este11e]

We are thinking of our cats visiting my brother in the US for six months, his kids are 12 and 9 so they will get lots of attention and the we will send them to Oz.

That way they are able to have a pleasant quarantine experience (and see more of the world than I have)

If we had that option we would definitely have gone that route.

At least your cats will be with loving family for 6 months – definitely beats 7 months in the kennels!!! Not many people have that option...I'd use it if I were you

[The Fourwegians]

Hi All,

Has anyone taken their pets to Aus via New Zealand?

According to the NZ site they say that "cats and dogs must have been continuously resident in New Zealand for 90 days immediately prior to shipment, or since birth, or since direct importation from Australia. The animal must not have been in quarantine or under quarantine restrictions in the 60 days immediately prior to shipment."

We have friends in NZ that may be able to look after them for the 60 days they need to be out of quarantine.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

B

[Este11e]

The quarantine period for dogs/cats going from Africa to NZ is 6 months. They’d have to do the 6 months plus the 60 days of non-quarantine time. That ends up being longer that the Oz 7 months…

[Donne']

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I don't know what to do !!My parents have gone to live in Tuscany( tough life!!) for 6 months so that there precious baby (Amber -a labrador )did not have to go into quarrantine .We had decided ( as Tuscany was not an option!! ) to leave both our dogs here with my father - in -law ........A very old lab and and my daughters 8 year old minature daschund .The family all agreed and everyone was cool .

THEN ....recently my daughter became very upset and said she has to have her "Bella"( the daschund ) with her !

So ...now ...do we bring her ?We are leaving on the 5th Jan ...

Bella is a vey "adored " dog and spends most of her time indoors with a lot of attention ...I am really concerned about her being in quarrentine for so long .

Also as we were planning to live in an apartment for a while ...how will our "Bella" princess cope without anyone at home during the day ...is this fair to Bella ?

I am really not sure what to do .

Help ....

[The Fourwegians]

Hi Donne',

We had to place our two 12 year old dogs (Amstaff and Staffie) into quarantine last Saturday. As we have had both of these dogs since they were only a few weeks old, they are like our kids. Dropping them off at the quarantine facility and saying 'goodbye' was one of the hardest things I have ever done. My wife and I both cried like little girls all the way home. We went to visit them on Wednesday afternoon and this put my mind and ease. They were happy to see us, obviously, put they ran around the yard, tails wagging, without a care in the world. They seem to have settled in very quickly and seem quite happy.

I think that the 7 months quarantine will be harder on us than on them.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

B

[Donne']

Thanks B ,

That helps !

Donné

Hi Donne',

We had to place our two 12 year old dogs (Amstaff and Staffie) into quarantine last Saturday. As we have had both of these dogs since they were only a few weeks old, they are like our kids. Dropping them off at the quarantine facility and saying 'goodbye' was one of the hardest things I have ever done. My wife and I both cried like little girls all the way home. We went to visit them on Wednesday afternoon and this put my mind and ease. They were happy to see us, obviously, put they ran around the yard, tails wagging, without a care in the world. They seem to have settled in very quickly and seem quite happy.

I think that the 7 months quarantine will be harder on us than on them.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

B

[Tex]

Hi Este11e, thanks for mentioning Keringa. They are not too far from our house. I have sent them an email requesting a quote for managing the quarentine of our 9 year old male cat.

best regards,

Tex

Hi Lori

My two dogs are close to their final month at Keringa – they did their 6 months in SA for the same reasons you mentioned. The Australian quarantine stations do not even compare to the quality that Keringa offers.

I walked past the cattery everyday for three months whilst visiting my two Labradors.

The cats were always sitting outside, very relaxed, baking in the sun. There was always someone around, cleaning or just giving them some attention. Some people provided scratch poles for their cats (the ones with multiple levels). Some even had plants close by – not sure if that’s from an owner or just Keringa décor…I would suggest sending comfortable cat beds and lots of blankets and toys.

The quarantine is dreadful but only because we miss them so much.

Unfortunately I can’t comment on how cats adapt to the change, but what I can say is that your animal will be in professional hands. Keringa has a resident vet that check on the animals daily. Their eating habits and behaviours are monitored closely. They have had over 2 thousand pets through their doors and they know what problematic signs to look for and how to respond to them.

I would not lie and say that the quarantine is not difficult – it really sucks! But I would much rather go through 7 months of missing them than never seeing them again – they are such a big part of our lives. I did most of my crying before they went in, after that it was like “Just get through itâ€, there is no going back now…

Good luck…I really really know what you’re going through…

[Este11e]

Hi Donne' and Tex

I am so thrilled to say that we are collecting our dogs from Eastern Creek Quarantine Station on Monday!!! Whoop Whoop!!!

I would definitely encourage people to take their pets with them. They are part of the family and TRUST ME you need and crave the familiarity and companionship that they so willingly give

Our dogs didn’t have any change in personality nor did they pine away when we left. They were always VERY happy to see us but they are such accepting and adaptable creatures.

Yes, it is VERY expensive but I wouldn’t think twice to do it again.

Tex, Keringa is really great. We had absolutely no problems and they handled all the paperwork and arrangements.

These are the difficulties we faced bringing our 2 Labradors over to Sydney:

- To find a rental home with a suitable yard and a landlord that accepts pets.

- In order to get a place with a yard we had to rent a 4-bedroom house (we’re only two people) far from the city.

- Visitation once they are in quarantine is very limited. That’s why we left them at Keringa for 6 months and only 1 month in Sydney.

They are also not exercised at Eastern Creek unless you get an external company to exercise them.

I can truly recommend Dog Walks (http://www.dogwalks.com.au/)

They operate in all major cities and they visit your dog up to 4 or 5 times a week taking them for exercise runs etc. They’ve sent us email updates and photos everyday. The people from Dog Walks are GREAT!

Although I am not a great fan of dogs in apartments, many Australians have dogs without having a yard. They all take their dogs for walks everyday, some even twice a day! There are huge parks everywhere and in the afternoons you see so many people walking with their dogs. They even have dog parks – which are fenced and safe to let your dog off-leash to play with the other dogs.

Good luck to all of you going through the quarantine thing – it is definitely worse for you than for the animals

Feel free to PM me if you need any further info on Keringa or Eastern Creek!

[catherineg]

Any advice or experiences with Kookaburra kennels?

I used Kookaburra and can only speak highly of them. My two dogs loved Johan (the kennel manager). They were a bit clingy when they first came out of quarantine but otherwise were ok. Johan takes care of all the dogs and cats himself so he knows exactly what is going on with each animal. His children use to play with the animals as well so they got lots of attention. My dogs loved him and use to follow him around when out of their kennel in the run area. I chose Kookaburra as they were smaller. It was the right decision for my dogs.

[Sharon H]

My babies are going into Kookaburra tommorow. Two spanials Molly and Belvedere, I have heard its nice there and I also preffered that it was a smaller facillity. I have been crying my eyes out all week and I am sure they are wondering why all of a sudden they are getting to do what they like and are being showered with extra attention and treats all day long.

I have a boot full of stuff for them and new wicker baskets which I am sure will keep them very busy for the first month or so.

How am I going to live without them in the house - they are spoilt rotten and dont leave my side! I am sure once they have settled in there things will improve but the thought of actually dropping them off tomm makes me feel sick.

Please let the time fly by.......

[Karen-in-Brisbane]

Hi S Hart. I know how you feel. We have two spaniles too and they are booked in next year. We could not get them in before June but hope once we know when and where and IF - we can get an earlier date.

Please keep me updated as to how things go cos I cry just thinking about our two spolit furkids going to fend for themselves. They sleep on our bed!!!

We love them so much!

[Sharon H]

Well I made it through the day... very swollen eyes none the less.

Kookaburra was great. Johan was there to welcome the new recruits and ushered us into their new home for the next few months. Its spacious and clean and after setting them up with their new baskets ,toys, beds, treats,chews etc it actually looked like doggy heaven.

My little girl spanial (Molly) was very friendly and seemed fine and at ease but the little boy spanial (Bel) was anxious and territorial and nervous so I think he is going to take a little longer to settle in. I have been barred from visiting for a week which is going to kill me cos I was ready to camp in their with them but for their sake its better that way as they seemingly settle alot quicker into the new routine etc.

I think the worst part in all this is going home -Its just so quiet and there is such a strong feeling of emptiness. I look for them everywhere I even think i hear them ..how do these animals creep into your heart so easily and unexpectantly? I know it will get better and I think once I see that they have adapted and are okay it will help alot dealing with it all.

Will keep u posted!

[Perth Oost Family]

Hi Everyone

It is so nice to see that we are not the only family that had to plan everything around our four legged babies. We brought our 2 cats and 2 dogs. Keringa was really great and we were able to go see our babies regularly. When we got to Perth we were only able to see them once and although they were well looked after - if I had it to do again - I would leave them at Keringa for six months and only 1 month in Perth. (You cannot go to see them at weekends at the Au end). But whichever route you decide on - they will be well looked after and you will probably end up like us - with a lawn that has seen better days with the dobermann and the fox terrier running up and down all the time but I don't care we are all really happy they are here with us!!!! (And since it is safe for us to go out and about even at night - they have had more walks with us in the year they have been here than they ever had in SA).

Good luck to you all.

Debby

[Johnny & Rene]

Please read my thread KERINGA, were I sent regular e-mails regarding our beloved dog Snippie.

She flew out to Melbourne on monday and I received the following e-mail

"Dear Ms Clark,

Just emailling to inform you that Snippie has arrived with us safe and sound. The manager, who collected her from the airport last night, said she was very happy to get out of her crate. I have just been to visit her and she jumped all over me so it looks like she is settling in well. Snippie has been placed in Pen 3 and her release date is Thursday 18th December.

Please do not hesitate to call or email for further information. However, if you are planning on emailling again please direct them to Spotswood.Quarantine@aqis.gov.au as I am on holiday in Africa for a month from the end of this week.

Kind regards,

Joanne Johnston | Quarantine Officer | p (03) 9391 1627 | f (03) 9391 0860"

Enjoy your day / night and good luck with the whole quarantine process

Rene

[zoot]

Has anyone used Paws Resort Quarantine Kennels I see from the Australian Quarantine website that they are a Government approved quarantine kennel?

[Chantelle]

Hi Zoot

We are using paws resort. Our babies are going in January. Must say, they were VERY helpful to book a spot for us ASAP. Waited 2months for a date. I also asked on another post if anyone had used them before, but still no reply.

They seem very well organised, and what i've heard from them, their kennels are bigger than the other stations.

And also, they are a bit cheaper than the others

[Sharon H]

Hi All

A bit of a update.....

Our doggies Molly and Bel have been in Kookaburra for a month on Saturday - where does the time go. We see them for an hour every Sat and they tear around the enclosure and we get licked from head to toe. I am also allowed to sneak in a huge bowl of rice and chicken livers which they wolf down.

They have settled in so well and seem to be very content and happy in fact they pay Johan more attention than us sometimes which is great (I suppose). They are eating well and they love their time out barking at the cats and chasing the odd bird and cooling off in the water troughs. I really did not believe what people said about animals adapting and now I have seen it with my own eyes and it makes the whole process even more worth it.

You spoil them so much and then think they are completely dependent on you when actually they are very resilient and tough little guys! I am just so proud of them both.

I miss them at home every day but I feel at ease knowing that they are getting excellent care and love and thats all they really need. They even got there teeth cleaned last week which is a first

So if any of you are stressing out about doing it - don't it is worth it in the long run!!

[Chantelle]

Hi S Hart

Thanks for the info regarding your pups adapting in quarantine. We were really worried that our babies would struggle to adjust. Your post makes us feel at ease.

Thanks

[Karen-in-Brisbane]

Thanks so much for the update on your beloved family members..... Please keep us posted as it is so great to read about other's experiences.

K

[The Fourwegians]

Hi all,

We have arrived in Sydney already and our dogs arrive on Saturday. Fortunately we don't live too far from the quarantine facilities here in Sydney so we can visit them like we did in SA.

In terms of your dogs being in quarantine, our two doggies are also at Kookaburra. Johann from the facility is absolutely FABULOUS with the animals. He treats each animal as if they were his own.

Our dogs are quite old already, but after being a Kookaburra, they seem to have a new lease on life. We also laugh and say that it looks like they are staying at 'The Centurion Spa' for animals. They have learnt to adapt to other dogs. They were never exposed to children at home, however now after being at the facility and playing with Johann's two kids during the day, we have found that they seem to love children.

Also another thing.. Johann plays classical music to the cats all day long..how cool is that !!!

Well to all those parents out there that are worried, I hope that this has put your minds to rest. We were extremely concerned about our two babies and this whole move. The dogs going into quarantine was definitely the hardest thing that we had to deal with when moving here but we looking back we know we did the right thing as they are really looked after in the facility.

Cheers

Di

[catherineg]

Ditto what Fourwegians says. My two were in Kookaburra and had also not been exposed to children. But after playing with Johan's children they are now great with kids, very tolerant and affectionate. I was always nervous of my dogs been around children but since they were in Kookaburra I am no longer nervous.

[CapeTownToolNut]

And in case any of you think YOU have it hard, the "official" instruction from the DeFacto wife/partner/girlfriend is...

The following animals WILL go across:

3 x Cats

3 x Large Dogs

2 x Small Dogs

1 x HORSE...!!!

Not open for negotion... They are the "children".

Wish someone in immigration would allow me to put them on "family immigration" then...

Norm - If your wife's prepared to foot the animals' quarantine bill FULLY, upfront, in cash, out of HER savings from HER income and without "borrowing" the funds on credit (thereby compromising your and your human kids' needs), then let her.

Failing that, put HER in quarantine, then go to Oz and move in with Nicole Kidman.......

[KirstyP]

Hi guys! Any idea who to call regarding shipping our cats from the USA to Sydney? Any word of mouth companies?