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[traz]

I've noticed several posts in the message board recently with regards to bringing rabbits overseas, hence I've decided to share my experience with all bunny parents here.

It has been 1.5 months since I've arrived in Israel for temporary relocation of 1.5 yrs, and I've not regreted my decision and action to bring along my 2 rascals - Toffee & Genie with me. Bringing them over was the best and only logical option out for me as I do not see myself giving them up after establishing such close relationship with them - they are part of my family.

Upon confirmation of the relocation in August this year, one of the 1st and foremost thing that I did was to plan for the rabbits' journey.

SECTION A - PLANNING:

1. Check out AVA requirements for exporting rabbits out of the country - it's actually very straight-forward for exporting personal rabbit(s) out of the country. You will only need to apply for export permit ($50/permit); +/- vet cert from the AVA (depending on country of destination's requirement). Procedures are clearly stipulated in the AVA website:

http://www.ava.gov.sg/javascript/m7-option8.html

2. Find out the regulatory requirements for bringing the rabbits to the intended destination, which should be easily obtained through internet websites of the regulatory board - in the case for Israel, I tried calling the S'pore embassy but the staff there do not seem to know a thing. I was lucky that a friend in Israel managed to help me find the requirements, which I myself verified the information through an internet search. Nevertheless fyi, one would mainly need papers from the S'pore vet to certify the rabbit(s) health (e.g. history, injection, etc.); certification that the rabbit(s) has been with owner for 90 days prior to entry; & health document from AVA. The website can be accessed at:

http://www.mof.gov.il/customs/eng/pets.htm

3. Visit the vet - appointment was made to bring the 2 buns for a general check, in order to make sure that they were fit to travel. Although I know that they have always healthy, I thought it was best to have a baseline check, at least if fur mites were detected, they will still have time to be treated prior to obtaining AVA certs. Another vet visit will need to be made just prior to arrival in the intended country, as the vet cert is only valid for 7 days. Hence this current baseline visit will also serve to let your vet know of your plans.

4. Decide on the flight carrier that you want to take - frankly speaking, this is the most tedious and headache part of the whole process. As there was no direct flight between S'pore and Israel, hence I would need to transit in Frankfurt. With that, I'm only left with 2 possible carriers to take - either Singapore Airlines or Lufthansa. As I understand from Kapril's article in HRSS that Lufthansa allows pets in the passenger cabin, hence I've checked them out 1st. To my dismay, the airline's website stated that only dogs and cats are allowed in the passenger cabin, whereas all other pets are to be put in the cargo area. I see this as a ridiculous clause, as rabbits do not make any noise compared to dogs and cats, hence will not pose as a disturbance to other passengers. I've called the S'pore Lufthansa office, only to receive the reply that this is indeed the airline policy (the staff was not even sure of the procedure of transporting pets at 1st and had to go around checking it out); the staff even wished me "good luck" (so what was that supposed to mean???). I tried writing to the Germany HQ of the airline, only to get the complaint transferred back for handling by the S'pore office, which advised me to engage the help of a pet handler (I did not, as I don't think it was necessary).

With that, I had to try SQ instead. I called the customer service centre, and was directed to the SQ Cargo Dept for more information - tried calling the number given to me, but was transferred all over the place without obtaining the information I required. I had to call SQ customer service again, and was told that the Cargo dept tel. no. given to me previously was wrong, and thus gave me the "correct" one this time round. So there I was calling the Cargo dept again, and was transferred all over the place without getting the answer I want. The 3rd time I called SQ, I demended that the officer find out the answer that I want, instead of me calling all over the place to seek for the neccesary information. This time round, the officer provided me with the information that I wanted (about 3 hrs after I called her; she also complained that she has got to call all over the place in SQ to get the information). Apparently, one can either bring the pet onto the same aircraft (but in cargo) as the owner, or the pet will have to fly unaccompanied. In my case, there is no doubt that the rabbits will travel on the same aircraft as me, hence I/travel agent (I would prefer to do it myself to prevent any miscommunication) would need to fax in details of my rabbits to the airline, in order to "book" a place for them in the cargo area. The details required by the airlines are: type of pet; quantity; description (name, breed, colour); size of pet carrier; weight of pet carrier + pet; application of AVA export permit & vet cert. The cost for transporting pets in the bulk hold area in the same flight as owner is the same charges for excess baggage (calculated by per kg). The officer also reassured me that the pets will be put in a climate controlled area of the cargo - specifically in the bulk hold area of the plane (check out this website for plane structure: www.sky-cargo.com/fleet_a310300.asp ). BTW, I have also discussed this issue with my vet, and I was reassured that there have been other pet owners who have transported their pets via bulk hold area; furthermore, having your pet in the bulkhold area may be better for them as there's less disturbances (eg. movement, human noise, etc in the cabin), as no one will really touch them during the flight. It will definately not reflect well on the airline if the mortality rate of pets transported via bulk hold area is high - that's the last thing the airline desire.

Just when I almost decided to fly with SQ, my travel agent brought to my attention that it is best that I travel on Lufthansa from S'pore to Frankfurt, instead of SQ, since I will be transitting to another Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Israel. The agent mentioned that there may be a possibilty of miscommunication when transferring baggages from one airline to another in Frankfurt, thus leading to lost pets. Well, this make absolutely sense to me, hence in the end, I took Lufthansa for the whole journey (procedure same as described for SQ - also need to fax in pet's details to book place for them in the cargo bulk hold area).

5. Prepare for a good-size pet carrier (preferbly IATA approved) - I've decided to put my 2 buns in the same carrier, so as to provide companionship & support to each other in a potentially stressful journey. Hence I've got to get a large enough carrier to fit both of them in. I have to literally take their measurements (length when fully stretched & width of them laying side by side), taking into consideration for providing allowances for movement, food & water. I was lucky enough to find Pet Essentials - Chris and Frankie, who provided information to my numerous phone enquires (eg. weight & dimension - for airlines; comparisons between different brands, etc). In the end, I've bought a Marchiorio Clipper 2 (25x17x17 inches). P/s: this paragraph is not meant to advertise for any shop or brands. I'm sincerely grateful to Chris & Frankie for making the whole planning process easier for me, when I have a whole lot other things to look into. Nevertheless, do let your rabbits get accustomed to the carrier - I've put the carrier in their enclosure occasionally, to let them explore and mark their scent on it; I also used the new carrier to bring them to vet, etc.

6. Plan your pet supplies (e.g. food, hay, etc.) - try to do some research into whether the intended destination has the type of rabbit food you require. If not, think of alternative. In my case, as Oxbow does not distribute to any of the middle east country, as I was lucky enough to have relocation shipping allowance, therefore I was able to ship the pellets over. I had to make a calculation of how many packs of pellets I need, based on my 2 bun's usage level plus taking into consideration of the expiry date [Oxbox's expiry date is usually within 1 year of manufacture due to low/non (not sure) preservatives used]. Unfortunately there was no stock for the pellets in August, hence I have to check around to see when the stocks are coming in; is it in time for me to ship them out with the rest of my belongings, etc. Chris and Frankie have been extremely nice to update me very regularly with regards to status of the pellets, etc. Another thing to take note is also whether the shipping company allow any pet food in the shipment. In my case, it was offically not allowed, but we managed to get thru' - as "kitchen ware" ;p Also remember to plan how many packs of pellets you'll need to bring in your check-in lugguage to tide over the initial weeks, as the shipment (by ship) will arrive + cleared (customs) 3-4 weeks after I arrive in the intended country (also depends on how early you ship your things out).

7. Plan how you intend to house your rabbits - As my current cage is already close to 3 yrs old, hence I've decided to ship it over & not bring back at the end of 1.5 yrs, instead of buying a new cage in Israel & ship it back at the end of it. What I've decided may not be the best option, as I would need to consider how to temporary house my 2 rabbits for the last 3 weeks in S'pore prior to departure, and for the 1st 3 weeks upon arrival in Israel, while the shipment is on the way. There's no problem of housing them prior to departure, as I can use my spare cage & play pen. However, I really have to think where I can put them in my apartment, upon my arrival in Israel. In the end, I found a nice little corner for them, and used my lugguage (suitcase) & some boxes to condon off that area for them; the base of the pet carrier was used as their litterpan. The downside for this temporary setup is that I've gotta bear with them scratching the lugguage & tearing the boxes in wee hours of the morning - trust me, rabbits can be very noisy too!

Once the above steps are done (esp. flight arrangement), I can say that 80% of the whole process have been completed.

SECTION B - IMPLEMENTATION:

1. Application for AVA export permit - The export permit can only be applied within 1 month from date of departure. The procedure is simple - I just need to print out the form from the AVA webpage, and fax it to them. The permit will be ready for collection within 2 working days. I had 2 rabbits in 1 permit, and that cost me SG$50 (note: if the 2 rabbits are separated into 2 permits, I will need to pay $100 instead. therefore pls request to consolidate the number of rabbits, max 3., into one single permit).

2. Obtaining vet certificate - within 1 week of entry into the intended country (remember to take note of time differences between countries), I've got to bring my 2 buns to the vet again for a final check prior to departure, obtain a complete medical history iof my 2 buns in case I need it in future, and to obtain a vet certificate. During this visit, you may request that your vet give you some emergency supplies, just in case your rabbits get so stressed up upon arriving, and refuse to eat - I've got some Criticial Care (& syringe, in case I need to force feed), cisapride & Lacto-fort (from pharmacy) carried along for the journey. At the same time, I've also obtained email contact from my vet, just in case I need expert advice in a foreign land.

3. Endorsing/converting vet certificate into regulatory document (+/-) - As I was not very sure if the Israeli regulations require the vet cert to be a regulatory document, therefore out of "kiasu-ism", I've decide to convert my private vet cert into one - I rather pay $21 (can't remember exact amount, but about there) for that regulatory document to have a piece of mind, and to make sure that I can get through the Israeli custom with no problems. In some countries, AVA endorsement (a stamp & a signature) on the private vet cert, or simply a private vet cert will suffice. To get the endorsement / conversion, I just need to bring down the private vet cert and the AVA export permit (preferbly on the same day that the vet has examine the rabbits) to AVA + fill in a form, and the regulatory cert will be ready for the collection the next day (they basically copy what the private vet has written, and print it out on an AVA letterhead + authorised signature).

4. Day of departure (prepare pet carrier) - I've lined the floor of the carrier with incontinence pad (can get from pharmacy), followed by a piece of bathroom rubber mat (thanks to the adivse of Adeline). I've also laid a towel in the cage although I know that they will probably push it aside - at least there's some cushioning. And not forgetting to put adequate food (pellets & hay) & water in the cage. On the day of departure, I've also fed them earlier than usual, so that they will have a full stomach (in case they refuse to eat throughout the journey or upon arrival; at least got more time to play with before I need to force feed them).

5. Day of departure (arrival at the airport) - I arrived at the check-in counter approximately 2 hours prior to take off (I was weighing between reducing unnecessary time that the rabbits have to stay in the carrier, versus the lenghtened check-in procedure for the rabbits). I was pleasantly surprised that the Lufthansa check-in counter staff were expecting my rabbits to be there. When I went to the counter to pay for the "rabbits' air ticket" (they were considered excess baggage - charged at $47.68 per kg, inclusive of pet carrier), the staff were announcing to each other "the rabbits are here". That gives me the confidence that the airline is prepared for their arrival & handling, cos up that moment, I was still a little worried if the airline will take good care of my rabbits. After payment & filling in some forms and stickers for the carrier, I handed my rabbits to the staff, who then carried the rabbits in.

6. Arrival at intended country - throughout the journey, I was a little worried how my 2 buns will be handled (esp. during transit - worried that they will get lost); do they tolerate the long flight (almost 24 hrs in total) and occassional air turbulences well, where will I be collecting them at the Israel airport, did I miss out any necessary documents, etc. All these worries were unneccessary as my 2 buns seems to be tolerating the 24 hrs flight time (inclusive of transit) better than me. They were left beside the baggage belt together with the rest of the fragile baggages (phew, luckily no one stole them away!) and I was really happy to see them safe and sound. These 2 rascals appeared alert & looking around, as compared to the half dead me; they have also finished 3/4 of their pellets & most of the hay (luckily they ate!). When I brought them through the customs, the officer just glanced thru' my documents briefly, said "hi" to my buns, and waved us through - the whole process in less than 2 minutes!

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After 1.5 months in Israel, my 2 rascals are settlng in very well. In fact, they seems to be more sociable now, as I'm having more guest at my place now than in S'pore - they (esp. Toffee) are sniffing around my guest's shoes and feet, and sometimes nudging their legs requesting for a head rub. Here's some of their pics taken when they're still in S'pore:
http://community.webshots.com/user/tracythia

I must agree with Kapril in his article
( http://www.hrss.net/aar/aar_travel.html) that if you plan properly, the whole process of bringing your pet rabbit(s) overseas is not that difficult (although I must admit that there's some airline staff who do not know their stuff & it's really frustrating to get different answer every time you call). I do hope that by sharing my personal experience with all of you, it will serve as an encouragement to those who are contemplating whether or not to bring their bunnies along with them to other countries.

[Hashbrown]

traz> Your article is indeed extremely useful for any pet owner who wants to relocate overseas. I, myself am such an owner.

I innitiallly planned to bring my two rabbits, hashbrown & chocolate with me to Australia as I would be studying there for 6 yrs (starting feb 2005). Transportation, housing and food for my rabbits can all be obtained. However the recent spread of ERE (a disease if I'm not wrong) which has wiped out a large portion of the rabbit population in Europe and has a great chance of spreading to australia is preventing me from taking my rabbits with me.

Firstly, as the Australians would not want the disease to affect their rabbit populations, no pet rabbits or...well, rabbit meat can enter their country except those from Newzealand. Secondly, I would not want my rabbits to catch that disease if it is present in Australia. Lastly, many people over there seem to be concerned that the disease may spread to them. Thus, I can no longer find housing for my rabbits even if I suceed in bring them over.

Faced with such a situation, I have no choice but to leave my rabbits with my parents here in Singapore. I'm worried about this because I've always been the one doing everything for my rabbits. Thus my parents know little about rabbit care. I've tried to tell them the right food to give and the right amount. I also shown them how to clean up after my rabbits. However, they seem to be uninterested. Moreover, I am afraid that even with me gone, they will have little time to spend with my rabbits. I do not want to give up my rabbits. Not ever! Can anyone advise me?
_________________
I'm a bunnie cute & cuddly,
Will u still love me when I'm old & 'ugly'?

[maggielop]

Hi Hashbrown,

You may have to check with the particular Aussie state you're planning to stay, cos some states (eg. Queensland) are more strict than others (eg. NSW or Victoria).

Good luck!

[sh00puff]

I'm facing the same problem with bringing my bunnies to Australia in the event I do return home in the future. I made my inquiry before and it was possible. Now with the European virus wiping out rabbits, as Hashbrown mentioned, I've been told by my Australian company contact that it's very strict and not possible.

Australia will only accept rabbits from New Zealand. Even so, your bunny must be a resident of NZ for more than 6 months. And NZ is tough on quarantine also. *sigh*
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[Hashbrown]

maggielop> I'm going to Perth and it seem's impossible to take my rabbits with me due to the spread of the disease.

Heard that it's similar to GI stasis, affects young rabbits and old rabbits are the carriers of the disease.

sh00puff> Although it's not possible to relocate our rabbits now, maybe if we wait for the scare of this disease to blow over, it might just be possible to bring them over safely.

I wouldn't want to bring my rabbits to Aussie right now also because of the fear that my rabbits might catch the disease themselves.
_________________
I'm a bunnie cute & cuddly,
Will u still love me when I'm old & 'ugly'?

[clover]

A very detailed article, traz!! Wow, am really impressed by what some of you go thru, just to keep your rabbits with you.

Feel sorry for hashbrown and shoopuff. I'm sure it's really painful and difficult for you 2 to leave Sg without your rabbits. My bro jus came back from Taiwan (he works there) and keeps pushing me to go and study in Australia. His gf is a PR in Australia and she can look after me, so all he has to pay are school fees. I keep turning him down, and he asks me everytime he comes back from overseas.

I read these threads and really feel sad for the problems you 2 face. I admit that 1 of the reasons I turn him down is I cannot imagine leaving my pets behind and going there to study. Plus I'm a little phobic, I like to stay in Singapore. lol

Anyway, I sincerely hope that after the outbreak is over, you 2 can bring your bunnies over to Oz and have a reunion!
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[sh00puff]

Hi everyone,

you can refer to this thread posted by miffykid previously:

http://www.hrss.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1652

In my case, it's not immediate so I'm hoping the situation will turn for the better. I'm just preparing myself for the future when I first got my bunnies earlier this year as pets are a lifetime commitment. There's no way I'm leaving them behind.

I hope we can bring them over eventually too Hashbrown. I'm pretty used to the strict quarantine when bringing in and out items for my family. *sigh* They're not flexible.

This is the official statement:

Following the outbreak of Epizootic Rabbit Enterocolitis (ERE), the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) suspended its policy to import rabbits from all countries other than New Zealand. Australia's rabbit population is not affected by the Epizootic disease and AQIS intends to prevent it from entering Australia.

At this stage the causative agent of ERE has not been identified but researchers believe it is a virus and it is contagious. The disease can cause hight mortalities in young rabbits, but older rabbits may be infected and not show signs of the disease. Diagnosis of this disease is based on autopsy.

Researchers in France are continuing to try to identify the causative agent of ERE. If this succeeds, and it has not to date, a test to detect animals that have been exposed to this disease may become available. It can take considerable time for tests to be developed following isolation of the agent. If a test for the diagnosis of ERE becomes available, Australia would look at reviewing the suspension on importation of pet rabbits from the EU.

If you would like to be notified of any changes in import protocols for pet rabbits, you may register as a stakeholder at www.affa.gov.au/stakeholder
_________________
Our New Arrivals - A Photo Diary

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[sh00puff]

Traz:

I'm glad to see your bunnies are adapting well over there. They look like such darlings in the pics. It's always a tough decision but I think most of us would bring our pets in the event we ever have to re-locate.

Thank you so much for the detailed info.

Now for the ones amongst us who wish to bring our bunnies to Australia, let's hope hard for the virus to be eradicated or controlled soon.

Hashbrown:

I'm sure with time and help from you, your parents can be fosterers of your babies while you are away studying, and take very good care of them. And they've each other for company, although I'm sure they'll miss you very much.

Maggielop, you're right.

Well, at least we're not in Queensland :

"Queensland has revised its regulations for keeping pet rabbits in Queensland.

It is unbelievable that Queensland has increased the fine for keeping a pet rabbit in Queensland from $3,750 to $30,000. In all other States of Australia, the keeping of pet rabbits is virtually deregulated."
_________________
Our New Arrivals - A Photo Diary

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[Hashbrown]

Oooo...$30000 just for keeping pet rabbits? That's overly strict in my opinion.

sh00puff> There no way I'll give up my rabbits too. Since I'm taking vetinary studies over in aussie, I'll may have many chances to study the ERE virus and various other animal diseases. Hope that it lets me see what the researches are doing about the virus and perhaps a chance for me to do something about the ERE as well.

It's good that you are already preparing for future changes/moves. That way, when you really have to move, your bunnies have a much lesser chance of being left behind.

clover> Thanks for your concern and symphaty. It really will be hard to leave pets, and many other things behind. I will not got to aussie if I can find a school offering classes in my area of interest. However, I can't seem to find anything to study for here, and I have to look overseas.

Traz> I'll keep your experience in mind. It has taught me more on how to bring my rabbits overseas with me. When the scare of current diseases blows over, I'll surely refer to it again. Thanks.
_________________
I'm a bunnie cute & cuddly,
Will u still love me when I'm old & 'ugly'?

[tibbar]

thank goodness that I am not going Australia but UK next yr. Better chance for going with my bunnies....but hope bunnies dun catch virus there....

[sh00puff]

[Hashbrown]

sh00puff> Thanks, I want to specialise in big animals. Its foundation first then the uni.

tibbar> Don't worry, its safe in UK and pets are accepted as well. Good luck!
_________________
I'm a bunnie cute & cuddly,
Will u still love me when I'm old & 'ugly'?

[traz]

Hashbrown: It must have been a tough situation for you now, that you can't bring your 2 bunnies to Aussie with u. I guess u really do not have much choice, except to wait till the ban is lifted in Aussie... to be late is better than never - you just gotta be patient. I supposed u'll be back to S'pore periodically for vacation rite? Perhaps during one of these trips back to Aussie, you can arrange to bring them over as well. I personally prefer to bring them along on the same aircraft as me, rather than sent them unaccompanied on a cargo or comercial flight. Nevertheless, all the best in your studies and in ur process of bringing over your 2 buns in future!

shOOpuff: Hey, Toffee & Genie would like to thank you for complimenting them! I strongly believe that pets is a lifetime commitment, and hence I would like to practice what I believe in. Just hope that all pet owners in similar situation would do the same too, in event if there's no legal limitations in the intended country. Unfortunately it seems that I still come across many cases whereby pets are given up when the owners are going overseas (haiz... same old stories). So whenever my 2 bunnies are naughty (eg, pee outside box), I'd always tell them how lucky they are, to be flying bunnies (well, not all rabbits get to fly...)

Cheers!

[Hashbrown]

traz> Yes, I'll be back for some term breaks and of course, xmas. But I don't feel happy leaving them behind especially since I don't know if my parents will neglect them... :?can already see myself calling home everyday to ask about my rabbits. Maybe if I wait for a year or so, I'll be able to take my rabbits with me. I don't mind staying with them in Nz for 9mths first before entering aussie again.

Placing my rabbits in the cargo is definitely out of the question, not even if I'm desperate and totally unthinkable to me. Temperatures in the cargo are not monitored closely and I hate to think how that will affect my rabbits. Also imagine that they will be banged around quite a bit.

I think your rabbits already know how lucky they are to have such a doting owner. They are pictures of contentment in all your photos.
_________________
I'm a bunnie cute & cuddly,
Will u still love me when I'm old & 'ugly'?

[traz]

Dear all,

I've recently relocated back to S'pore with Toffee & Genie + their new brother... a cat... I've described the procedures and experiences in another thread. For your convinence, you can refer to this link:

http://www.hrss.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=32123#32123

Cheers!
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