At Loving Family Animal Hospital, we have veterinarians that can complete international health certificates for your pets. Traveling to a foreign country with a pet can be a very stressful event, and we are happy to serve as a resource for you during this time. However, in an effort to make this process as smooth as possible, please review the following information:
1) As the owner, it is your responsibility to obtain the appropriate document(s) needed for travel and to understand the time frame outlined in these documents. For instance, it is common for specific tests, vaccines, etc. to be performed in an exact time frame relative to your intended date of travel. The requirements and documentation needed are determined by the country you are traveling to (not by Loving Family Animal Hospital or the United StatesGovernment) and are subject to frequent change. The best resource for this information is the following website:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/export
Please review this information and email all necessary documents to the doctor a minimum of 24 hours prior to the appointment. This will allow him/her to review the document(s) and to make sure we are able to perform all of the necessary services, that the time frame for the appointment is appropriate, and that we have all of the past records necessary to complete the document(s) needed in their entirety. Please send these documents to the following address:
doctors@lovingfamilyanimalhospital.com
2) Although our veterinarians have the authority to act as a representative of the federal government (as designated by their active, federal accreditation status) they ARE NOT official USDA veterinarians. For certain countries, there is an additional step of having the documents our veterinarians sign reviewed by an official USDA veterinarian. The USDA veterinarian assigned to Colorado physically resides in California, so all paperwork must be overnighted to them, reviewed and signed, and then overnighted back to you. If this step is required for the country you are traveling to, please plan your travel and your appointments with us accordingly to allow enough time for this to occur. Additionally, the USDA veterinarians are your best option for many of the detailed questions that often arise when reviewing the paperwork. This is their contact information:
Phone: 916-854-3960
Email: sacanimalexport@aphis.usda.gov
Physical Address:
10365 Old Placerville Rd., Ste. 210
Sacramento, CA 95827-2518