Where can I get the official word on what is officially required to bring my dogs into the Dominican Republic with me as I will be visiting as a tourist for 4 months.
Double check on the 30 days - my understanding is that the rabies vaccine must be given at least 30 days prior to entry....tom
I've been to the DR before, just never brought the dogs. I know that May to September is really hot there. I will be staying with friends in Boca Chica. I would rather wait until the winter to go but I have the opportunity to go now and don't want to pass it by. I've already confirmed my flight plans with AA, taking an evening flight to Miami, and then staying at a hotel overnight, and will take an evening flight the next night to Santo Domingo. As long as the temperature is below 29.4 the dogs can fly in cargo. It is much cheaper to bring the dogs with me than to board them. One of the 2 dogs is actually from Puerto Plata so I'm sure he'll be fine. My other dog is a 60lb German Shepherd/Border Collie/Husky/Lab, brown and white. The one dog from Puerto Plata I'm not worried about getting the certificate to travel for. I'm worried about my other dog that just got his annual vaccines. I'm not sure if I have to wait 30 days before he can be admitted to the DR.
People will do what people want to do. I can understand the economic impact of housing a couple of dogs for four months back at home. I can also understand the reluctance of family and friends to look after someone else's dogs for four months. Pet owners have a responsibility to their pets and when one wants to up and travel for four months, well something has to be done with the dogs.
There is a good chance that this trip will not be all beaches and sunshine. It's going to be hot this summer like it is every year. The dogs will be in a foreign environment and under stress. These dogs have no experience with the cane toads, scaleopendra, mongoose, scorpions or all manners of spiders. They probably won't react well to or come away unscathed from an encounter. Maybe where the OP is staying this won't be a problem if the three of them stay indoors for 4 months.
How much you want to bet that that the OP has a hard time getting them on a flight due to heat when it's time to head north again? Unlike the trip coming to the DR, the trip home is dependent on decision making of local Dominicans not US airline employees. This is not a trip to a neighboring state/province, but to a 3rd world country.
I am sure there will be a need for some sort of unexpected veterinary care at some point for at least one of these dogs. Definitely a couple of trips to the Vet before they go home. The change in diet may be a challenge not to mention the introduction to our great drinking water supply. The dogs will need to be de-wormed before they go home or you just end up putting 3rd world parasites in your yard the first time the dogs dump in the backyard or the local public dog run. The neighbors will love her for this.
Those of us who live here know only too well that the average Dominican does not view a dog the way we do. If these dogs have difficulty settling in and bark too much or show aggression they may be shot, poisoned, run over or stolen.
It will be interesting to hear if the OP will ever do this again after this trip...
I'm quite clear on what the dogs will have to endure in the summer.