Moving pets to Canada for newcomers can be a tedious task. Yet it is essential because they won’t certainly leave their pets afar while immigrating to Canada.
Overall, Canada consists of some requirements, while only a few rules are associated with moving pets to Canada. This will primarily rely upon the reason behind bringing the pet to Canada and the country from which the pet will arrive.
Moreover, the regulations associated with pets arriving in Canada might modify based on a few circumstances. Furthermore, this implies whether the pet belongs to the newcomers or a rescue organization is a part of this. It could also mean that the pet will be arriving in Canada for breeding and depicts that it’s intended for sale.
For instance, if an animal doesn’t fall under the category of a domestic pet, it will be referred to as a Commercial Pet. Hence, the commercial pet will be subject to separate entry conditions.
Individuals trying to move their pets to Canada will experience a convenient process with accurate documentation. They must essentially submit this documentation to the Canadian Border Services Agent when they arrive in the country. In such a scenario, visiting the vet to begin the process is best.
Document requirements from the pet
Rabies vaccination proof
Canada is free from Rabies disease and certainly would like to continue the same way in the future. Moreover, bringing each cat or dog will need some sort of documentation in the form of rabies vaccination proof. The pet owners might as well prove that their pets belong to countries from the list of rabies exemptions. Also, without demonstrating these types of pieces of evidence, the pets will not get entry to Canada.
Additionally, the rabies certification of vaccination must adhere to the following key points:
- The certificate must be either in French or English language.
- A veterinarian must ensure he signs the license.
- An animal’s identification is based on its weight, age, sex, breed, tattoo, microchip, color, or any other markings (only if required).
- An animal’s rabies vaccination.
- Vaccination date.
- The licensed vaccine’s trade name and serial number are to be mentioned.
- Indicating the immunity duration. Not mentioning it will only hold it valid until one year from the vaccination date.
- The veterinarian must hold the license, and his name and signature must be visible on the certificate. The signature date must also be present.
Also, cats and dogs must fulfill the age condition and must be at least three months during their rabies vaccination. Moreover, puppies and kittens must present their age proof even if they aren’t three months and haven’t been vaccinated.
Moving pets to Canada for newcomers – a requirement of a microchip from the pet
Canada doesn’t essentially demand that personal pets possess a microchip or a tattoo. However, it is more of a suggestion for imported personal pets. Usually, a microchip is mandatory for scanning the pets, specifically in the case of being lost, and proven as a source of identification for them. Furthermore, the chip provides vital information regarding the pet owner through the municipal database.
Also, dogs below eight months must possess a microchip in case of commercial importation. Adoption dogs must adhere to this condition.
Reptiles and rodents
The Canada Food Inspection Agency monitors the importation of animals. This agency further restricts the importation of turtles, turquoise, reptiles, or amphibians because they could carry out the Salmonella Viruses. Additionally, the CFIA monitors the admissibility of pets, livestock, and plants to Canada. On the other hand, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats don’t have any restrictions as they’re considered a severe threat. This indicates that they don’t require any certification. The categories also include capybaras, beavers, and leavers.
Moving pets to Canada for newcomers- what about the import fee?
Moving pets to Canada for newcomers doesn’t demand any import fee. However, the CBSA agent might demand certain documents related to the pet and verify the pet’s health. The first pet will have an inspection cost of around $30, and $5 for any other pet. Also, the fee will not apply to animals admitted to Canada from the U.S.
Supposedly, if a border officer determines that the pet isn’t healthy, he might further interrogate the matter. After his verification, he might ask a CFIA to evaluate the pet for an extra fee.
Transportation regulations
Irrespective of an animal’s type, importing them with the utmost humanity is crucial. A majority of the rules revolving around animal transportation concern livestock animals, such as pigs and cows. For instance, if a CBSA official believes that the pet owners are not moving their pets safely to Canada, they will deny their entry.
In the case of the pet arriving via air, airlines might have their own criteria for the transportation of pets. Therefore, it is essential to analyze and follow these requirements much earlier.
Recap
The chief parameter of moving pets to Canada for newcomers is to analyze that the pets’ native countries don’t have existing or established communicable diseases. This means that animals must not be in a condition to spread those diseases in Canada. For instance, bird owners must ensure that their pets are not from countries with Influenza.
Reportedly, CFIA imposed a ban on the import of commercial dogs from specific countries falling under the higher-risk rabies category (in September 2022).
