Prior to a move into an EU country (Switzerland adopted the EU regulations), one must have a sheaf of paperwork and some advance work.
In this case, there are bordatella, typhus and rabies shots, as well as an ISO microchip, a vet visit within 10 days of departure to receive an international health certificate and acclimation certificate (allows dogs to travel within a certain amount of heat/cold), and a stamp on this paperwork from APHIS.
As a detail oriented planner, I thought I had all of my boxes checked... until I was at the vet's office 8 days prior to departure. My very nice and smart vet, who had been out the day of my previous visit, indicated that Desmond had the wrong microchip. Until that moment, every conversation had indicated that he needed an ISO chip, to which I'd responded that he was microchipped. No one caught on to mention that there is more than one type of microchip in the U.S. Apparently, some entrepreneurs tried to corner the market by creating a chip on a different frequency.
One might ask why I couldn't simply add a new ISO chip to Desmond. Apparently, the chip needs to pre-date the rabies vaccine... and the rabies vaccine must pre-date entry into an EU country by 21 days.
In the end, I decided to take my chances by taking Desmond with the wrong chip and renting a universal scanner from the Pet Travel Store. Leaving the vet's office, I went directly to the post office to priority mail the papers to USDA in Richmond, VA. Mistake #2: Since the surly postmistress was not terribly helpful (not the case with my delightful former postman John), I didn't include a self-addressed pre-paid return envelope. This added 3 days to processing, since several detailed voicemails and the accompanying letter failed to help the APHIS employee in sending back the paperwork for an additional 2 days.
What else? One must have a kennel of a proscribed size that allows one's pet to stand and move around. Instead of the $400-$600 advertised price, I went to the Arlington Animal Rescue League and bought one for $50 at the same time I donated extra leashes, collars, and dog-a-phenalia. The dog must also like his kennel. Desmond and I played the "where is the cheese?" game for the week prior to our departure. Several times a day, cheese would appear in the back corner of the magic kennel (which had been sprayed 10-15 minutes prior with Dog Appeasing Pheremone). Sometimes, I asked him to lie down while I closed the door and sat next to the kennel, speaking calmly and happily. This worked; he even accepted Benadryl wrapped in cheese at the departure terminal. Benadryl makes dogs slightly drowsy - check with your vet regarding titration. I also placed an old blanket and an old t-shirt in which I had slept, as well as more DAP spray.
Lufthansa was nice, albeit a bit slow, when I checked in the recommended 3 hours early. I usually arrive about 45 minutes before a domestic flight, but I highly recommend making the extra time. Your dog, in addition to baggage, is bulky, and there are additional freight charges for larger dogs, which can only fly as cargo (Oprah's dog excepted). They kindly recommended that I walk around the airport and take Desmond outside prior to the flight, then bring him back for TSA inspection about 1.5 hours prior. Cheers to the very nice EWR TSA official and to the lead Lufthansa agent!
Following a flight from New York-Frankfurt-Geneva, Desmond actually arrived safely, much to my relief, having heard the warnings that he could have a heart attack in flight. He's a rescue and is timid (as indicated on the three English-French-German signs I taped to the kennel), so he did bark a bit at the men who pushed him out of the special cargo area on a trolley.
Somehow, I managed to push a trolley with three suitcases and a large kennel, pull a suitcase and carry-on, and hold Desmond's lead as I went to Swiss customs. By this point, Desi was hiding behind my legs and trying to avoid the Swiss policeman with the "stick" (aka scanner). I pulled out my scanner, which absolutely refused to read Desmond, and interestingly, the Swiss scanner did read Desi's chip. I also showed my paperwork (rabies certificate, international health certificate, acclimation statement) and paid the 85CHF fee. Next step: vet visit and international passport so Desmond can travel around Europe with me. I have a list of recommendations from the very helpful Erik (of Christy & Erik fame).
Special thanks: Dr. Cruz from Caring Hands, who carefully explained and explored the options; Mom, who played chauffeur and friend after Jimmy and Dad loaded us into the car; and Christy & Erik, who on only slight acquaintance picked me up at the airport, loaded the myriad baggage, took me for groceries (right at the airport!) and delivered me to the temporary accommodation. I cannot think of a more delightful welcome wagon and look forward to offering the same assistance to others coming to Geneva in the future.
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