If you didn’t know yet, I own 3 cats which I consider my children. The first one is my first ever cat Aoife, which is the Mama Cat; and then her 2 babies Nekochan and Makuchan.
In this entry, I’d be talking about how I exported Nekochan to the US from the Philippines. It’s quite a tedious process and I’m going to be as detailed as possible 🙂
FIRST: PET VACCINATIONS
Not because your pet’s vaccinations are already complete means that everything is good. This process is so tedious and “maarte” that the vaccination dates are very important.
A. Anti-Rabies vaccine should be at least 30days before your flight.
Let’s say your flight is on July 15. Your pet’s latest anti-rabies vaccine should not be later than June 15. It can’t be on June 16, nor June 17. It has to be on June 15 just to be sure.
B. Other vaccinations should also be updated.
Make it the same date as the anti-rabies to make things easier.
C. Bring your pet’s health card and get a Health Certificate from a Vet AT MOST 3 DAYS BEFORE YOU GET AN EXPORT PERMIT FROM BAI (Bureau of Animal Inspection)
I went to MACE Clinic because I trust their vets with all my heart. Below are their details in case you want to go there too
Mandaluyong Animal Care (MACE)
155 Boni Avenue, Plainview
Mandaluyong City
Telephone Number: 904-6356
Mobile: 0917-331-6623
Once all the vaccines are updated, ask them for a Health Certificate. Other vets charge for the certificate, but if you get your pet’s vaccines at MACE, they’ll give it to you for free.
Vaccine prices at MACE are as follows:
Anti-rabies: around 400 pesos (I forgot the exact amount haha!)
4-in-1: 750 pesos
This is how their Health Certificate looks like:
Again, THE HEALTH CERTIFICATE DATE SHOULD BE AT MOST 3DAYS OLD ONCE YOU GO TO BAI (Bureau of Animal Inspection) OR BAI WON’T ACCEPT IT!
DATES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESS, I tell you. BAI is not as accessible as Megamall or Trinoma and unless you know how to get there via jeepney, you’d have to spend at least 100 pesos for a cab to get there from Trinoma. So you have to be really careful.
THE PERMIT BAI WILL GIVE YOU IS ONLY VALID FOR 10 DAYS.
It means that you have to get it 10 days or less before your flight, or you have to get another one. Which means, you need another health certificate. So much of a hassle, right?
SECOND: GET AN EXPORT CERTIFICATE FROM BUREAU OF ANIMAL INSPECTION (BAI)
I keep on mentioning BAI because it’s an important part of the process. BAI is a section of Department of Agriculture, along with Bureau of Plant something lol. I was actually surprised that we have one in the Philippines, to think that the country seems to not care about animals and nature at all.
BAI is located in Visayas Avenue in Quezon City, near the City Circle. Google maps is really useful when going there, especially if you have data on your mobile phone. Just search for Bureau of Animal Inspection while in the cab, and lead your small dot on the map to the point where Google says it’s located lol.
Sorry, I don’t know how to get there via jeepney or bus ahahahah!
Here’s the map just in case:
Seriously, just take a cab and tell them to go to Visayas Avenue and although the said avenue is long, just pay attention to the right side where BAI is located. Once you see other agriculture-related bureaus, that’s already it! Have the cab drive inside the gate so you don’t have to walk anymore. Ask the guard where BAI is, and I think it’s in Duck or Swine street. I’m not joking. They really have streets inside, named after animals too.
Going back to the dates, your vet health certificate should only be 3days old at most once you go there. Bring the health card too. If your certificate is more than 3days old, they’ll have you get a new one. They will also tell you that the permit they will give you is only valid for 10days so your flight should be in less than 10days when you go there.
The export permit is for free. You just have to present your pet’s health certificate and health card. After they gave you the permit, you just have to go to another building (don’t worry, they’d tell you where) and have the permit dry sealed. Again, it’s for free.
This is how the permit looks like:
The permit doesn’t have the handwritten note at the bottom left of course. The representative of BAI at the airport will be the one to do that. Yes, they have a representative at the airports and you have to present the permit to them, along with the health certificate and health card, and they will get the pink copy of the permit, leaving the original copy with you. KEEP EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU NEED IT ONCE YOU GET TO THE STATES!
THIRD: CHOOSING AN AIRLINE
You can actually have this as your first step, especially since flights are cheaper if booked earlier. I just made it the 3rd step in this guide in case some of you prefers to book a flight all of a sudden lol.
Based on my research, only Delta Airlines and Korean Air allows you to bring your pet as a carry on baggage, while the rest will have them stay at the cargo area together with your check-in items.
A. What’s the difference?
A LOT. Have you ever experienced taking a plane and having one of your suitcases broken due to mishandling? They just throw away the baggages regardless if they’re fragile or not because they’re assholes. Plus, you’ll be coming from the Philippines where “Laglag Bala” came from, and where the world’s worst airport is. You wouldn’t want your pet get tossed around carelessly while being placed in the cargo, right?
As I love all my cats so much despite only being able to afford to bring just Nekochan for now, I want them to be beside me in the plane.
Expensive as it is, I chose Delta.
B. Why Delta and not Korean Air?
I haven’t flown both, but I know Delta better. I also checked the flights and Delta’s lay over are in Japan and other parts of America, while Korean Air’s lay overs are in China and Korea. I personally prefer Japan over Korea and I am more used to the Japanese language having studied a little of it. And nope, no China for me despite being Chinese lol
But you know, it’s your choice! Whichever is more comfortable to you!
B.1 Only for those who are in a budget: But Delta is expensive!
Yes indeed! Whenever my fiance visits me in the Philippines, he always looks for the cheapest deals in flights. Most of the time, his round trip ticket costs less than $800 all in. With Delta, that’s just one-way. Since I’m on a fiance visa, I really just need a one-way ticket anyway. We got mine for $780 dollars via Priceline.com. It’s way cheaper to book flights there compared to the official website!
B.2 Things to take note before booking a Delta flight:
You can’t just choose the cheapest flight and get on with it. When exporting live animals, there are only a few types of Delta air crafts that allows it.
Pets are not allowed in the following Delta air crafts:
- In any air craft, as long as you’re in First Class of Business Class and have an international flight.
- 767 Aircraft
- Air bus 330-200
- Other restrictions may apply, so please read everything carefully
How to check the aircraft type?
If you’re booking via Delta.com, this is where you can find it:
Click on details as encircled above, then you will see the flight details along with the aircraft type.
If you’re booking via Priceline.com, click on View Flight and you’ll see this:
FOURTH: RESERVE A SLOT FOR YOUR PET
Already booked a flight?
Good.
Now, call Delta and reserve your pet a slot on the plane 🙂
DO THIS ASAP. Delta only allows 4 pets per plane. One of the reasons why you’re booking via Delta is because of their pet-friendly policy. For sure, you’re not the only one choosing Delta for the same reason. So you better make sure that your pet gets a slot.
A. Once you call Delta’s customer service in the Philippines, you need to have the following information on hand:
- Pet’s breed
- Pet’s color
- Pet’s age
- Pet’s weight along with the carrier
- Size of the carrier (must have the following dimensions MAX: 10 inches width, 13 inches height, 15 inches length)
B. Find a carrier for your pet
DELTA DOESN’T ALLOW HARD CARRIERS
Example of hard carriers:
Hard carriers won’t fit under your seat in Delta aircrafts. The space is too small that it’s hard to move even without a pet with you. What more if you do?
Remember the dimensions I mentioned above?
10 inches width
13 inches height
15 inches length
Honestly, it’s hard to find a carrier with the said dimensions. If you have relatives or friends in the US and you have enough time to order stuff there and have it shipped to the Philippines, better do that fast.
There’s a brand called SHERPA, and it’s Delta’s choice of carrier. It’s a soft carrier and it looks like this:
You are lucky if you can get a hand on one of those, because it means no headaches for you! As for me, I don’t have it. So it took me a trip from Olongapo to Pasig City where I used to live (Olongapo is my hometown and I already left my Pasig apartment since I’ll be leaving for the states anyway) to get that pet carrier at the pet store near my apartment in Pasig Rotonda. As for the reason why I didn’t just get the said carrier while I was still in Pasig, the carrier is bigger than the maximum dimensions allowed. I tried looking for a smaller one at other pet stores, but even Pet Express doesn’t have one.
Here’s how my pet carrier looks like. I have also included the dimesions
As you see, the dimensions are more than what’s allowed. But I was willing to take the risk because it’s already the next best thing. It’s a soft carrier and using common sense and logic, this could still fit under the seat even with the few inches in excess.
Once you call Delta customer service, they will send a request to the US office to have your slot approved. If for example you bought a carrier that is bigger than what’s allowed, your request will never be approved. So just to get on with it, just tell them that your carrier size is 10 inches in width, 13 inches in height, and 15 inches in length even if it isn’t, just to reserve your slot. Is it illegal to lie to them? No. Why? Because the airport staff at NAIA Terminal 3 (yes, that’s where Delta flights are weeee!!! I freakin hate the other terminals lol) won’t even measure your carrier!! Seriously!! They will just weigh it and that’s it! As long as it’s a soft carrier, they will allow it. Of course, make sure that it’s not really THAT far from the allowed measurements. A few inches is ok. Remember, you will be sitting with other people on the plane and they may not appreciate it if your carrier is too big. Be considerate.
A closer look at my carrier which I’m very proud of. Sometimes, taking risks are really worth it. Of course, you also have to use logic lol
I really love that they have it in BLUE! My favorite color! (They have it in pink and green too!)
This is the side where you can place your pet in. It’s very comfy inside compared to the hard cases because they can freely move inside.
As you see, the Delta tag is still attached hahah!
By the way, in case you didn’t know yet, you have to pay $200 for your pet. They are counted as excess baggage, and I don’t know if you could really add more baggage because of that. I didn’t know that they’d be counted as excess baggage actually. I thought that the $200 is a pet export fee exclusively. You better call Delta if you could actually maximize the weight of the things you could bring since you’re already paying the excess baggage fee. If I had known, I would have brought more stuff to the states!
Once done with everything, you’re good to go! Of course it’s your duty to make sure that your pet is well fed before the trip, and also pack some food for them just in case. Water is free in the plane so you don’t have to worry about that. Make sure that they also have a diaper to avoid “accidents” XD You can also give them a blanket or use the free blanket from Delta because it’s cold inside the plane.
As to where I purchased the awesome carrier, don’t worry! They have a Facebook page!
Please don’t forget to check Delta’s Pet Policies because like any others, they are subject to change!
I hope that my guide, albeit too long, was a bit of help! Please feel free to ask me if you have questions 🙂
Now, our Nekochan is already stateside, and her Daddy bought her a lot of stuff!
SPECIAL THANKS TO CAT CARE PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK GROUP FOR ALL THE HELP FROM VERY NICE AND SWEET FELLOW FURPARENTS ❤
A Red Rose in the Black Darkness 