Going to the dogs
Jan.8, 2000 Dear Brian, Yup, it's a big hassle. In the Caribbean many of the islands forbid the dog going ashore on penalty of death. That happened here on St. Lucia a couple of months ago when a lady tried to smuggle a dog from Martinique to the island. They were caught and the dog was shot. Places like Australia and New Zealand have quarantine laws. Great Britain used to have a 6 month quarantine law but I understand that has been eased, although I have not seen the new regulation yet to be able to tell you what it is. The best thing to do is to contact the country where you intend to go and ask the officials in the port where you intend to land what the regs are. Do not rely on information provided by the local consulate because they may be misinformed. For example some of the boats that just finished the ARC here in St. Lucia were told that bringing the dog would be no problem as long as they had a certificate from their vet certifying that the animal had the requisite shots and was disease free. The advice was wrong and the animals were required to be kept on board. You might also take a look at the archives for postings discussing having pets on boards for other comments. Fair winds, Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net, Aboard The Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
