Flying to Bahamas

[Ted]

I just got called for a potential flight to the Bahamas soon to pull some dogs. I've done enough international flights this year that I understand the US side of things pretty well. I'd be flying to Grand Bahama International (MYGF, Freeport).

Any tips or tricks on the Caribbean customs? It would literally be just there long enough to pick up some dogs, turn around, and leave, but I'm sure that means I'll have to go through customs.

 

[Mike Boehler]

I just got called for a potential flight to the Bahamas soon to pull some dogs. I've done enough international flights this year that I understand the US side of things pretty well. I'd be flying to Grand Bahama International (MYGF, Freeport).

Any tips or tricks on the Caribbean customs? It would literally be just there long enough to pick up some dogs, turn around, and leave, but I'm sure that means I'll have to go through customs.

Can't help with the flight aspect, but as far as everything else goes, I would NOT be in a hurry. Nothing happens fast in these places.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Have a great trip Ted!
You might check their website for what you can have with you. We had some fruit and veggies they didn't like, but we were staying and brought food to cook. You shouldn't have an issue if just doing a quick turn around. Can't recommend much on this Island. I always have gone to Treasure Cay or Nassau.

Best,

Dave

 

[TMetzinger]

Paraphrasing from something I read somewhere, there are many levels of precision when it comes to time in the world. In decreasing order of precision, it is

US Time - very precise. 5:00 means 5:00 that same day
Manana (latin countries) - less precise
Insha'allah (Islamic countries) - even less precise
Island Time (Bahamas particularly) - the least precise time in the known universe. There is no commitment whatsoever expressed in a time given in the islands.

 

[steingar]

I'm surprised and dismayed that you can bring animals in internationally without veterinary examination or quarantine. A good way to spread veterinary disease around the world.

 

[Everskyward]

I'm surprised and dismayed that you can bring animals in internationally without veterinary examination or quarantine. A good way to spread veterinary disease around the world.

They let people in without veterinary examination or quarantine.

 

[poadeleted20]

I'm surprised and dismayed that you can bring animals in internationally without veterinary examination or quarantine. A good way to spread veterinary disease around the world.

Depends where you're going to/coming from. You can bring a dog from the UK to the US with no quarantine, but it's several months going US to UK. Reason? No rabies in UK, although I think that eventually rats riding the trains through the Chunnel will change that.

 

[Everskyward]

It also seems to me that there is a question about having been on any farms on the inbound declaration form probably because of mad cow disease. I have never had an occasion to go to a farm outside the country and I don't know what happens if you answer "yes". We also went around and around with US Customs about what kind of catering we could bring into the country. After talking to the USDA inspector they finally decided that fruits and vegetables provided by a caterer are OK but not food bought by the crew or passengers in a supermarket. I don't know where they think the caterers get their food. Also it was pointed out to me that most fruits and vegetables coming in from Canada (which is where we mostly enter from) is imported from the US anyway.

 

[poadeleted20]

Good old Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy -- six years in England in the service of the US government, so I can't donate blood.

 

[Ted]

I'm surprised and dismayed that you can bring animals in internationally without veterinary examination or quarantine. A good way to spread veterinary disease around the world.

You are making an assumption, and I don't know what that's based on because it's not accurate.

All animals I have transported (domestic or international) are required to have inspection by a veterinarian. For domestic, the requirement is that a veterinarian has looked at the animals, has confirmed they're up to date on shots, is health to travel, etc., and signs it. Domestically there isn't a quarantine requirement nationally (Massachusetts may be different - their laws on animal importation are pretty strict). However I have a quarantine requirement for puppies as they are particularly susceptible to parvo, and a quarantine helps make sure you don't transport any puppies with parvo.

Internationally a quarantine is required for the countries I've brought animals in from thus far (Mexico and Canada), however that quarantine can be done on the sending side prior to bringing them over, provided you have a suitable facility to quarantine them in. The dogs I brought from Mexico, for instance, were quarantined for several months before coming over, just because they couldn't get a transport arranged any sooner. I can't recall the exact time frame for quarantine, but I think it's two weeks.

Just because I am getting called last minute does not mean that the animals have not otherwise been prepared for transport. Usually, the animals are ready to go as soon as I am. There's just not a lot of people out there who are willing to transport rescue animals, so it's not uncommon for the animals to sit around in quarantine much longer than necessary before they get moved.

 

[AdamZ]

At least the animals from Freeport Bark in english. Who translated for you on the trip from Mexico?

 

[Ted]

At least the animals from Freeport Bark in english. Who translated for you on the trip from Mexico?

Two of the IFAW members on the trip were bi-lingual, so they handled all translation issues.

 

[steingar]

Quarantine on the sending side is ludicrous. You have absolutely no control, and some of the entities you're dealing with are third world countries, which do not have the level of veterinary care found in the US. Again, dismayed. Someone was correct in saying that there are no quarantines for people. That's why diseases like HIV can jump from continent to continent so quickly and infect so many people. Can't easily help it with people, but we could with domestic animals if we had the stomach to do so.

 

[Everskyward]

I don't know about any other countries but I can tell you that there is no quarantine required for dogs or cats going either direction between the US and Canada. All you need are papers showing proper shots.

 

[Ted]

Quarantine on the sending side is ludicrous. You have absolutely no control, and some of the entities you're dealing with are third world countries, which do not have the level of veterinary care found in the US. Again, dismayed. Someone was correct in saying that there are no quarantines for people. That's why diseases like HIV can jump from continent to continent so quickly and infect so many people. Can't easily help it with people, but we could with domestic animals if we had the stomach to do so.

Yeah, because bringing the animals over here (so that the diseases are physically state-side) first is a much better idea.

If you want something that's going to be 100% effective, we'll just do absolutely nothing and stay in bed all day.

 

[Steve Foley]

Manana (latin countries) - less precise

I was told the best translation for Manana is "Not Today".

 

[steingar]

Yeah, because bringing the animals over here (so that the diseases are physically state-side) first is a much better idea.

If you want something that's going to be 100% effective, we'll just do absolutely nothing and stay in bed all day.

Had the guy on the airplane not made it to San Francisco, there would have been no AIDS epidemic in this country. Sometimes nothing is the best thing to do.

Yes, putting animals in quarantine here and thoroughly testing them for their health status is the intelligent way to do things. How do you think I import mice from other institutions? We've got a lot of skin in the game of keeping the animals disease free, and the quarantine procedure works better than anything else.