How to move pets to Canada

When planning to immigrate to Canada with your pet, be aware of the rules for transporting pets, which vary depending on the country of departure and the specific airline.

In this article, we will explain in detail how to prepare your pet for the flight, what documents need to be collected, as well as what rules are worth learning before the move. The transfer process can be broken down into 5 main steps, which we will talk about below.

Step 1: Prepare your pet for the move

Before taking an animal to Canada, the following procedures must be carried out:

1. Animal identification by branding or microchip. Animals born before 2011 can be identified by distinct branding. Those born after 2011 must have electronic identification, a microchip that is implanted under the skin. This procedure is identical to a subcutaneous injection and is painless for the animal, as the chip is slightly larger than a grain of rice.

2. Rabies vaccination. Vaccination against rabies is performed only after electronic identification (chipping) of the animal. The animal should be vaccinated from 3 months of age and 1-12 months before travelling abroad.

3. Comprehensive vaccination against infectious diseases (parvovirus enteritis, coronavirus enteritis, plague, infectious hepatitis, adenovirus infection type 2, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, bordatheliosis, Lyme disease, dermatomycosis).

4. worming and external parasite treatment. Deworming (worming treatment) and insecticide treatment (external parasite treatment) are carried out with certified preparations 24-48 hours before departure. Also deworming should be carried out systematically every 3-4 months.

It is not advisable to give sedatives to the animal unless the medication has been prescribed by a veterinarian. Blood pressure drops during flights and tranquilizers lower blood pressure even further. In addition, sedatives are dangerous for old animals, animals with chronic diseases and those who are under stress. To reassure your pet, it is advisable to place the container in a dark, cool and quiet place before the flight.

Step 2: Collect documents

You will need the following documents to take your pet abroad:

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1. Copy of the pet owner's passport.

2. Veterinary (veterinary and sanitary) passport of international standard in English, issued by the veterinarian. The passport must contain:

pasted full-length colour photo of the animal (if it is at least 1 year old);
information on electronic identification (chipping) with the date, signature of the veterinarian and stamp of the veterinary institution that performed the procedure;
information on at least two vaccinations against viral diseases and one vaccination against rabies. The relevant vaccination labels must be affixed to the passport and certified by the seal of the veterinary institution that administered the vaccination and the signature of the veterinarian;
marks of worming and external parasite treatments on the animal.

3. Veterinary certificate (Form No.1). Veterinary certificate according to Form № 1 can be obtained only in state institutions of veterinary medicine in the presence of the international veterinary passport. The Form 1 Veterinary Certificate shall be exchanged at the airport by the Veterinary Medicine Service for an international veterinary certificate. The veterinary certificate should be obtained 3 days before departure, as it is valid for 3 days, including the day of issue, before departure.

4. A certificate that the animal has no pedigree value in any form. For a dog such certificate must be obtained in advance from a dog expert in an officially registered cynological organization (for example, in the Cynological Union of Ukraine or in the Russian Cynological Federation). For a cat, the certificate must also be obtained in advance from any cat lover's club.

5. Certificate of determination of rabies virus antibody titre in the animal's blood (made after rabies vaccination). The animal's blood test for antibodies to rabies virus is carried out only on animals with a microchip vaccinated against rabies. Determination of antibody titre is possible not earlier than 1 month and not later than 1 year after the last rabies vaccination.

Only an accredited laboratory may issue a report on an animal's blood test for antibodies to the rabies virus: