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Are You Planning To Take Your Pet To The Dominican Republic When You Retire? Read This First!

By Jane Goodwin | June 27, 2007

If you are like me, you couldn’t imagine moving anywhere without your beloved family pets. It’s important to understand, however, that if you move to a foreign country and plan to take your animals along, there might be some hoops to jump through, and some changes in the usual routine once you get there.

In Central America, or any place you might retire, you will probably discover that your finicky pet’s favorite food isn’t available. You might realize, too, that in a tropical country, there are a lot more fleas, ticks, chiggers, and other insects that will torment your pet. It’s just not practical to bring a lot of pet food with you; it would take up space you will need for your own things. Therefore, try to wean your pet to homemade pet food, or a brand you have researched and found to definitely be available in your new retirement neighborhood.

Take your pet to the vet well before it’s time to leave. You’ll need documentation of shots, etc, before your pet is allowed into most countries. You don’t want a traumatic surprise at the border; you want to bring Spot or Fido or Fluffy into your new life with you!

Here are some official rules for bringing a pet into the Dominican Republic. Each country is a little different, so be sure you do the research before trying to bring an animal across a border.

“Immigration of pets DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Embassy of The Dominican Republic
1715 - 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 332-6280
Fax: (202) 265-8057
Pets must have a health certificate issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian. The certificate shall contain the name and address of the owner, and complete identification of the animal (name, breed, sex, and age). The pet must also have been examined within 30 days prior to departure and found to be free of any infectious diseases. The pet must also have been vaccinated against rabies. The rabies vaccination certificate (which should have been given between 1 month and 12 months prior to entry) should include the date of vaccination, product name and serial number.”

The above information is from an article by Jennifer Miller in Caribbean Property Magazine.

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Topics: Recreation, Transportation, Food, Retiring with your pet, Culture, Friends and Family, Destinations, Healthcare, Lifestyle, Travel / Relocation, Retirement Overseas |

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