Cook Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hi there, I am new to the forum but am after any advice on transporting my 2 year labrador from Melbourne (or Sydney) to London. I've been asking for quotes from the various companies, but wondered if anyone had any recommendations of who to go with/avoid/etc and any tips on how to get him there safely. I've got quotes from Jetpets/Pet Express (petex)/pet carriers international/skypets. Still waiting to hear from Dogtainers. The quotes are all roughly the same cost (a lot!!) so I guess I'd like to go with whoever looks after the dogs the best. I called up Qantas freight to see about organising it myself, but they quoted me not much less than the companies to be honest, just for his flight cost. He has had his rabies vaccine. He is pretty good in the car and can easily sleep for a 12 hour car trip. Any advice would be fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolatelover Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hey Cook We moved to London in January this year and ours went with JetPets. I got a lot of quotes but they were the nicest to deal with, rang back when they said they would and were happy to put up with a few changes as it was an Army move and the dates kept being altered. They were about $300 cheaper than any of the other quotes and they threw in a domestic flight from Canberra to Brisbane. I also thought that you had to go through an "agent" but I may have misinterpreted this. It was all surprisingly easy and everything went well. The only thing the price didn't include was pick up from Heathrow and it is very expensive to include a door to door drop off on this end. It was cheaper for us to hire a car and go to the airport but we were able to keep the crate which I think makes it cheaper to go back. I would highly recommend JetPets - everything went very smoothly and I will definitely be using them for our return trip in two years. Your lab will love the weather over here (you may not be so impressed). Ours just loves the cold and had a blast in the snow. It is so dog friendly here and way more time is spent off leash than on! Do you know where you will be living? - we're in SW London. Please message me if you need any other details :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Contact Wayrod on this forum. I can not recommend him highly enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakbelgian Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 We sent a Schipp to Japan a couple of years ago using JetPets. They were great & made the paperwork seem easy, the driver whom collected him was friendly and asked about the breed etc and the van was clean. Good luck on your move. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Contact Wayrod on this forum. I can not recommend him highly enough. Ditto! Best prices and most importantly, best service!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabsRock61a Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Wayrod organised the transport of my Lab from the USA to Melbourne recently (in fact, my boy is due for release from quarantine next week !). Drop him a line, he made it pretty easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loraine Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I have uzsed Jetpets only for dogs coming from the eastern states to western australia. I currently have booked my dog (Iggy) via Dogtainers Perth to London (door to door service). Great service so far. My son took his Weimaraner last year Perth to London with Dogtainers and was very happy with the service. Small change to the itinery - as qantas to longer fly Singapore to London my Iggy has to go with Emirates and they demand that Iggy is off-loaded in Dubai for 6 hours so that he can come out of his crate and have a wander round. As he is very shy of new people, good luck on them getting him out of his crate. When he arrived here from Melbourne it took me 2 hours to persuade him to come out (he didn't know me from a bar of soap). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolatelover Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I have uzsed Jetpets only for dogs coming from the eastern states to western australia. I currently have booked my dog (Iggy) via Dogtainers Perth to London (door to door service). Great service so far. My son took his Weimaraner last year Perth to London with Dogtainers and was very happy with the service. Small change to the itinery - as qantas to longer fly Singapore to London my Iggy has to go with Emirates and they demand that Iggy is off-loaded in Dubai for 6 hours so that he can come out of his crate and have a wander round. As he is very shy of new people, good luck on them getting him out of his crate. When he arrived here from Melbourne it took me 2 hours to persuade him to come out (he didn't know me from a bar of soap). Wow - that is really interesting. I was told that dogs were never allowed out under any circumstances as if they were they would be subject to the quarantine restrictions of that country. JetPets use most direct route possible to minimise time in the crate - we had a 2.5 hour stopover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pollywaffle Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 can I just ask...ball park figure..what it costs to send a dog to the UK...don't need specifics - are we talking hundreds/thousands....? Ta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizabella Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I'm rather curious about ball park figures as well, I'm definitely interested in the possibility of moving to the UK at some point. I assume it would at least be a good few thousand? Hope all goes smoothly with your move and you find a great company to fly your boy with. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Wow - that is really interesting. I was told that dogs were never allowed out under any circumstances as if they were they would be subject to the quarantine restrictions of that country. JetPets use most direct route possible to minimise time in the crate - we had a 2.5 hour stopover. Maybe they have some kind of quarantine station rest area, similar to the one they have at Heathrow. The dogs are still under quarantine laws and restrictions but are only handled by certain people and are kept within a "sterile" complex and environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolatelover Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Ok - I thought the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow only let dogs coming from outside the EU out of their kennels once they had reached their final destination, since the releasing process took 4 to 5 hours. I got five quotes and was told by all they could not be let out but good to learn something new for the way back. Range for me was $3700 to $4700 but apparently much more expensive to come back (quarantine costs probably pay a part in this). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cook Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 I have uzsed Jetpets only for dogs coming from the eastern states to western australia. I currently have booked my dog (Iggy) via Dogtainers Perth to London (door to door service). Great service so far. My son took his Weimaraner last year Perth to London with Dogtainers and was very happy with the service. Small change to the itinery - as qantas to longer fly Singapore to London my Iggy has to go with Emirates and they demand that Iggy is off-loaded in Dubai for 6 hours so that he can come out of his crate and have a wander round. As he is very shy of new people, good luck on them getting him out of his crate. When he arrived here from Melbourne it took me 2 hours to persuade him to come out (he didn't know me from a bar of soap). Thanks everyone for your input for this. Ball park cost= I have had quotes of between $3700-4000 for one way from Melb to Lond. I doubt I've ever paid that much for myself to fly- gives an indication of how spoilt Cook is!! Loraine- I too haven't heard that they can get out of their crates?- every company I've spoken to says they are not allowed out at all in transit becasue of quarentine. I'd love to know if this has changed for Dubai? However jetpets told me they are now only using the qantas flight through Dubai to get to London (as Qantas has now joined up with Emirates, so the previous Singapore/HK routes are no longer an option as they were BA codeshares). She told me they definitely didn't get out of the crate in Dubai.. but I might check again with them to be certain, as I'd love him to be able to get out for a pee. Coming back costwise, I've been told to allow 'at least double' and then quarentine kennels is about $40/day for a month on top of that.. I am so massively saving up at the moment! If anyone had any views on the new plastic big crates over the wooden ones, I'd love to hear? I've heard wooden maybe more sturdy for the bigger dogs (our choc lab is about 1m long)- however from our perspective, if the plastic ones can halve into 2 sections, then would be SO much easier to get into the car at the other end... Dogtainers told me they would use plastic, but jetpets wooden. Any thoughts on that?? Cheers all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Wooden crates are generally a lot heavier than plastic too so take that into consideration. I have imported a number of dogs over the years and would always give preference to varikennels which are very easy to adapt to a "quarantine approved" crate and which are more practical after the importation as well. The wooden crate that came from England became a white elephant in the corner of my grooming room and was used as a cupboard whereas the varikennels saw lots of other use at home and at shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolatelover Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 And if you keep the crate for your return it will make it a little cheaper :) We had wooden and now wrapped in a tarp around the side of the house. I would be wary of anything that could collapse or fold but only cause of a few horror stories I have heard. Cook I am going to ring JetPets to ask about the going back part. They told me that we could use them to go home as well but to be aware that there would also be costs for quarantine so I am a bit worried about the double bit! I'll let you know what they say :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayrod Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 (edited) With regard to crates leaving the UK the current stipulation in the UK is that: All Kennels must be either ISPM15 compliant wooden kennels or made of plastic. Depending on where the crate has been, it may be required to be fumigated before being allowable for re-export. Most timber crates cost around $200-300 mark. I have two dogs (Shih Tzus) coming back from Scotland (been there for 9 month stay) and their cost for return is around 2500 pounds using existing PP30 crates, includes transit permit in Dubai and out of hours vet sealing at Heathrow, collection and deliveries at Heathrow, paperwork and agency fees plus import permit fee and quarantine. Both dogs had their rabies and RNATT tests before leaving Australia and are still current with their rabies. No need for waiting, so as soon as client sets date, obtain import permit and they come back to Australia and do 30 day quarantine (as it currently stands!). Edited March 27, 2013 by wayrod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cook Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Thanks Wayrod! So can they get out of the crates in Dubai? Is that what the transit permit is for? Chocolover-we may find that exchange rate being so rubbish at the mo will work in our favour for the way back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brookestar Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 If there is any chance of you returning keep up to date with rabies vaccinations and titre testing as that makes it much easier to return to Australia. Get the dog used to the crate for as long as possible before the flight, not just sleeping in it, but also travelling in the car in it. Put simpy every time the dog goes in the car, it should be in the crate, so that it becomes used to the crate moving, and being comfortable with that. Anything that can be done to make the dog more comfortable is going to be better for the dog. Fast the dog for at least 12 hours before you drop them off, that will mean they are much less likely to need to defecate. Take them for a walk beforehand to try to ensure they do defecate, they are much more likely to do that while walking than at home in the backyard if you take them out. Don't assume the dog will not pee in the crate. The stress of flying can make dogs do anything. The more you can do to make the dog comfortable and as empty as possible the better. There are specialised mats you can buy to line dog crates with for flying that will not only soak up any accidents, but also soak it all away and keep the dog dry and comfortable. http://www.dryfur.com/category/pet-airline-travel-supplies/dry-fur-travel-pads There are also now water dishes you can buy for crates that have splash sides on them to stop the water from spilling out of them. Most water dishes would be empty by the time the dog is loaded onto the plane, as the movement of simply getting them onto the plane is enough to make enough spillage, to basically empty it all. If necessary freeze the water dish to provide the dog with access to water for as long as possible. http://www.dryfur.com/airline_food_water_dishes.htm You can also provide a water bottle on the side, a bit like a ginea pig bottle that they can suck out of. Simply put some vegemite on the end of it, and the dog will learn to suck on it and realise that water will come out of it. You can also buy jelly like substances that are basically water and provide hydration for the dog without it spilling out of the container. But with labs or other food obsessed dogs they could very easily just eat the whole lot at once and then be ready to pee for the whole flight!! The most important thing is for you to be happy with who you are placing them with, as you will be calmer when they are handed over to them, and that will help the dog to cope better. The less stressed you are, the better the dog will cope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolatelover Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 The dog is picked up the day before the flight and boarded for a night as they need to be vet checked and approved for released so the pet agent will do most of this. Actually your info is spot on as they pretty much did everything you recommended. They even mentioned that food takes around 16 hours to go through a dog's digestive system and so if they are not feed for this time and then walked prior to crating they will not normally need to poo on the trip. Mine didn't poo and they put down this fleece material so you can't even tell if there is a wee. They give them breaky at Heathrow which I thought was really nice. We never practised with the crating but there is no way it would go in the car or even fit in the house!! And the agent provided the travel water bowls as well ???? Cook - got AUD$5000 for return (plus quarantine) so not double but a little more expensive. You had me a little scared there ???? Wayrod looks much better priced though. And fingers crossed that the quarantine period is reduced while we are over here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loraine Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I have uzsed Jetpets only for dogs coming from the eastern states to western australia. I currently have booked my dog (Iggy) via Dogtainers Perth to London (door to door service). Great service so far. My son took his Weimaraner last year Perth to London with Dogtainers and was very happy with the service. Small change to the itinery - as qantas to longer fly Singapore to London my Iggy has to go with Emirates and they demand that Iggy is off-loaded in Dubai for 6 hours so that he can come out of his crate and have a wander round. As he is very shy of new people, good luck on them getting him out of his crate. When he arrived here from Melbourne it took me 2 hours to persuade him to come out (he didn't know me from a bar of soap). Thanks everyone for your input for this. Ball park cost= I have had quotes of between $3700-4000 for one way from Melb to Lond. I doubt I've ever paid that much for myself to fly- gives an indication of how spoilt Cook is!! Loraine- I too haven't heard that they can get out of their crates?- every company I've spoken to says they are not allowed out at all in transit becasue of quarentine. I'd love to know if this has changed for Dubai? However jetpets told me they are now only using the qantas flight through Dubai to get to London (as Qantas has now joined up with Emirates, so the previous Singapore/HK routes are no longer an option as they were BA codeshares). She told me they definitely didn't get out of the crate in Dubai.. but I might check again with them to be certain, as I'd love him to be able to get out for a pee. Coming back costwise, I've been told to allow 'at least double' and then quarentine kennels is about $40/day for a month on top of that.. I am so massively saving up at the moment! If anyone had any views on the new plastic big crates over the wooden ones, I'd love to hear? I've heard wooden maybe more sturdy for the bigger dogs (our choc lab is about 1m long)- however from our perspective, if the plastic ones can halve into 2 sections, then would be SO much easier to get into the car at the other end... Dogtainers told me they would use plastic, but jetpets wooden. Any thoughts on that?? Cheers all. Iggy is an Affenpinscher and weighs 9 kilos. Travelling in a plastic crate and the whole thing is costing me $3080.00 Perth to LHR. My sons' big Wei cost $10,000.00 as he had to have a big crate made specially for him ($5K) and his fare was $5K. I think the Wei's crate was wooden. Rule is they have to be able to stand freely, turn around and snooze, my PP32 was considered too small for an inernational flight. UK say it is OK for dogs to be off-loaded in Dubai as they are in a special area and not mixing with any other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now