Has anyone attempted to ship a pet themselves?

[new horizon]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone on this forum has attempted to ship their pets themselves, rather than going through a pet shipping company. If so, what were the related costs and processes? Would you find doing it yourself is worth it? I'm wanting to ship a 13 pound cat from LA to Auckland.

Thank you!

[Manks]

I would say that professinoal help is invaluable trying to get a pet from the US to NZ. IPT would get involved as much or as little as we wanted, but if you're in the LA area already, that would make things easier/cheaper from your perspective. We had to ship our dog across to LA, they picked her up and boarded her for a night, did the final vet checks etc. All of which you wouldn't need (except you would need to get the final vet check done).

Get them to quote you and ask what you think is the minimum they could realistically do. I found that even having them provide a schedule of when to do vet visits and what to do at each visit was invaluable.

Get a quote from Air NZ yourself regarding shipping your cat, but understand that a company like IPT probably get vastly discounted rates (I think it was about $700 to ship our dog).

It really is a very involved/complicated process towards the end, which is where you'll need their advice.

[dilanium]

A lot needs to be done on the day the cat is shipped and you would likely want to be in Los Angeles and need to drive your cat to and from the USDA facility and the airport.

I used IPT for my cat and when an error was found in the paperwork a few days before the cat was set to leave the US (and I was already in NZ) they helped me apply for an extension on the visa and get my cat to NZ safe and sound. I found they were more than worth the money I paid them.

[Nathan]

It's a months long process and some of the timing is so tight that if you made a mistake you'd have to start all over. It was especially helpful to have someone familiar with the rules at LAX to handle all the paperwork there.

[BkyMonster]

I'd also say get professional help. I found when we shipped our 2 dogs that the pet shippers fee was only around $400 USD (overall the whole process cost well over $1500, not including quarantine). Money well spent to have a guarantee I wasn't mucking something up that meant our dogs wouldn't be released at the airport. I also used IPT.

[girlwithanewf]

I brought in animals from the UK so no advice on specific details, but personally I would advise to seek professional help and use a pet shipper. They do this every day and it is stressful enough shipping pets without worrying if you have got the details correct. Get something wrong, and your pet will not be allowed to travel. I don't actually believe you would be able to do it yourself cheaper, especially not when you factor in the time you will have to spend researching regulations.

[Mgee]

Been there, done that (not by choice), don't recommend.
It is possible, but is one heck of a hassle on top of all other moving arrangements. I just answered this in another thread. Hope it helps.

I sincerely recommend using a professional pet shipping company -the worry of making a mistake and its possible consequences wasn't a good addition to other move-related stress.

[dilanium]

I'd like to add that if something is screwed up with the work before sending the animal to NZ and it gets here, they could either be destroyed or forced to stay in quarantine for extended periods of time.

[new horizon]

Thanks for the information. I think I'll opt to go with the shipper

[cantwait]

Don't do it!!! The couple hundred dollars you save by NOT using someone is just not worth the hassle -- trust me, in the bucket of what you will spend to get to NZ, the agent fee is ...well, "mice nuts" miniscule compared with the peace of mind of getting your beloved there safely.