Importing a Dog into Australia & Exporting from the US

My experience:

There is no doubt about it, bringing a dog into a country that has quarantine restrictions is a lengthy, complicated, and expensive procedure. When I first started looking at undertaking this venture one year ago, I discovered that it was very difficult to find out the facts. The paperwork provided by Australian Quarantine was complicated and long. I sought a lot of help from other people who had done it before. I made a commitment to myself that at the end of the process, I would set out a web page explaining the process I went through, so that other people could learn from my experiences. Hopefully, after reading this, you will be better educated, and better prepared for what you have to do.

The topics that I will cover include - what it cost for me, health testing (and why it was important), how to best protect yourself as an importer, how to mimimize your costs, using an agent, major steps you need to take, and where to go for more information.

Australia is a rabies free country, and naturally, wants to keep it this way. So while the quarantine regulations are still complex, they are a necessity to keeping this country free of some nasty diseases.

In the last 18 months, quarantine restrictions have been lifted to make it a little easier to bring a dog into the country. As long as all the quarantine prescribed tests have been done and passed in the required time frames prior to the dog leaving the US, the quarantine period now in Australia can be as little as 30 days.

How much does it all cost?

There is no doubt about it, bringing a dog into Australia from the US is an expensive exercise. Here is a list of most of the costs I had to budget for:

Airfare - International: $1150 US for a 20kg (44 pound) dog + crate
Airfare- Denver to LA: 120 US
Crate: $70 US
Quarantine required testing and vaccinations: $500 US
Import Permit:$60 Australian
Quarantine (1 month) in Australia: $821 (Australian)
Transit Permit for New Zealand: $300 US
Agent's fees (to handle last part of process): $575 US

You also need to budget for:

Health testing such as for HD, CERF, ERG (where possible). There are a myriad of health conditions that you should be aware of in your breed. It is too late when the dog arrives in the country to find out that it has an easily testable genetic condition which will preclude it from your breeding program. Don't wait until the dog arrives to test. Many preliminary tests can be done before the dog leaves its homeland. And good breeders from the dog's homeland will actually insist on them being done before they leave.

I have heard some stories of dogs getting exported to distant lands that have a range of problems that should have been identified before the dog left. These include HD, PRA, having only one testicle, being too small or too large (according to the Australian standard for that breed).

Now, while most breeders will replace a dog or refund money for a dog that is not fit to breed from (if that was the intended purpose), I haven't heard of one yet, that is prepared to pay all the auxillary costs associated with importing a dog. And for me, those costs were greater than the actual purchase price of the dog. Caveat emptor - buyer beware!

How do I best protect myself then

As I learned more about the risks associated with importing, I knew that I had to make sure that I minimised my risks as much as possible. Luckily I found a breeder who acted entirely ethically towards me and my dog. Even though, I made sure that I did several things:

I did a lot of research, and a lot of planning.
I found a couple of mentors in the US through the internet who provided invaluable information.
I subscribed to a breed magazine in the US (about $100 a year subscription)
I joined the breed email lists through the internet. These cost no money to join, apart from your internet connection
I learned a lot about type, movement, and particularly about health. Don't fool yourself - every single breed has health problems. If you seriously believe that your breed does not have health problems, email me now!
I visited the US and attended the specialty. Not only did I get to see 500 PWD's in the one place at the one time, but I also got the opportunity to meet a lot of breeders, and do a lot of networking. It was there that I found the type of dog I liked, and then found the breeder. Yes, it's an added expense to head to overseas to find a dog, but it is a very worthwhile investment that should pay off. As luck would have it, I saw the pup of my dreams there - a young PWD who the breeder said was not for sale. (Yep - that's the one I got! I wonder if the breeder regrets taking Shelly to that show!)
I spent a lot of money on phone calls building a relationship with the breeder. I not only wanted to become good friends, but I also wanted her to trust me implicitly.
I made sure that I had a written contract with my breeder. (In fact, she instigated this). This contract protects not just me, but also the breeder, the dog, and the breed itself. Interestingly, the contract also includes a clause that the dog must not be bred to any dog unless that dog has passed all the required health testing. I endorse this 100% and had no problem at all signing the contract. Indeed the contract also stated that if the dog did not pass all of its health testing prior to leaving the US, then it would not be leaving. Protect yourself, protect the breeder, protect your dog, and protect the breed. I was once taught that a verbal contract is worth the paper it's written on. Keep this in mind if you just want to have a verbal agreement! (Can I be more clear here?)
I became very familiar with the quarantine regulations. I made it a point that I had an intimate knowledge of the health requirements so that I could tell the breeder what steps to take next, and within what time frame.
I also sought advice from other people I trusted in the breed. I asked them what they knew about my dog, what problems did they know that existed in the line, what did the dog look like.
I ensured that this dog was of export quality - this means of a better standard than a dog that is of show potential. My breeder was 100% behind this too. She knew that it was essential that we start the breed off on the right foot here. The breeder was prepared to tell me if Shelly did not meet the grade.

How can I reduce my costs?

Do your homework.

Do not make any quick decisions

Don't just talk to one person and buy the first dog off them

Plan well

Let the breeder know that you are on a budget

Using an agent

One option you may choose to explore is using an agent. I did explore this option. An agent will do all of the quarantine work for you, or just parts of it.

It is very expensive to use an agent, and while you don't have to use one, they can make the job much simpler for you. If you are organized, and if you have a breeder who will do a bit of running around for you, then you can do it yourselves.

However, if you are disorganized, cannot manage details, have a breeder who is unwilling or unable to work with you, and you have money to burn, or feel completely overwhelmed by the whole thing, then an agent may be your best option.

I was quoted $5500 US for an agent to do the work for me. This did not include the cost of the import permit, or the cost of quarantine on the Australian end. You do the sums - is it worth this much? Basically, it was going to cost 3-4 times as much to use an agent, as what we could do it for ourselves.

I have heard, however, that there is a good agent on the West Coast of the US, that will do the final bits of paperwork and testing for you for a fairly reasonable price. I will note though, you can still this final bit much cheaper yourself.

I ended up using an agent for the final parts of exporting Shelly because:

1. it was very difficult to book the flight without an agent

2. when the dog comes through New Zealand, apparently when you use Air New Zealand, they refused to deal with anyone except an agent.

Can I travel with my dog?

Yes and no. The dog travels as manifest live cargo only. It cannot travel in the cabin with you. And you can't take it as an extra baggage allocation. My understanding, at the time of writing this, is that dogs can only be brought into Australia with Qantas and Air New Zealand. However there's nothing stopping you from travelling on the same flight as your dog - and you can't use your frequent flyer points for your dog! Also - you will not have access to your dog at any time.

Major Importing Steps to Take

Obtain all the necessary paperwork from Australian quarantine.

Read the paperwork 4 times from start to finish until I understood it 100%

Write out the steps needed to take, in plain simple English

Send a copy of all the paperwork to the breeder, plus your version in plain English

Dog must be vaccinated for rabies and other things.

Dog is microchipped

Dog has the rabies titre test (if you want your dog to have the minimum time in quarantine, this is done 5 months before the dog leaves the US)

Apply for import permit

Order approved type crate

Wait three months

Start other testing procedures for quarantine as laid out in the quartine papers

Ensure that blood samples etc, and sent express post to the labs, and tell the labs that time is of the essence

Also try and use a vet who has had some experience in exporting

Organize any transit permits (if required)

Book flight (Shelly came from Denver to LA - to Auckland - to Perth)

Confirm with quarantine in Australia the time, date, and flight arrival details for the dog.

Note: The reason why Shelly came through Auckland is that we were advised by several different people that we could not guarantee if she came through Sydney that she would continue onto Perth straight away. Apparently there was a risk that the quarantine people in Sydney would take her there, rather than immediately send her on to the quarantine station in Perth.

Also note: it is imperative that you keep up to date with all the quarantine paperwork. Keep on top of any changes that may happen. Also, these steps are the main ones, and there are some other bits and pieces you will need to do.

Who should I contact to find out more information?

The people in Australian quarantine are fairly good. However, I did get the feeling when I spoke with them that because they have done this so many times, they certainly don't see it as an overwhelming exercise, like I did. Make sure you get all the up to date information from quarantine, and all the paperwork. Also, check with quarantine every three months or so to get an updated copy of their regulations. I found out just before my girl was due to leave that the regulations had changed slightly. We lost about 3 weeks because of this.

Speak to other breeders who have exported dogs from the US, and breeders who have imported from the US. They will be able to give you extra information and help.

Speak to agents in the US, and get them to send you a copy of their costs. Get them to give you a quote for their services - and insist that they itemise their costs. You need to see exactly where your money will be spent.

I went and visited the quarantine facilities in Byford (south of Perth, Western Australia). Not only was I able to inspect their excellent facility, but I also got a lot of hints and tips from the staff there. The staff were excellent and very friendly.

In conclusion, I hope this page has been of interest and/or value to you if you are considering importing a dog from the US to Australia. Please let me know if it has been.

For further information, please email me .

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