Leaving the Kingdom for good takes planning. I know because my husband and I repatriated to the UK from Saudi Arabia in May. While many people make arrangements months in advance for the moving of their household goods, I have seen numerous families neglect to investigate the requirements for taking the family pet back home.
In the past, many families just abandoned their pets in the Kingdom, believing that other expatriates would be delighted to welcome these cast-off creatures into their homes. Those days are over. With the declining population of highly paid expatriates in Saudi Arabia, there are fewer people interested in adopting abandoned pets, especially dogs. Every summer, veterinarians, animal welfare organizations and local municipalities are faced with the sad task of coping with hundreds of discarded animals. The awful truth is that within months, most of these creatures will either die from neglect or be humanely destroyed.
Part of being an expatriate pet owner is taking responsibility for your pet’s continuing care once you leave the Kingdom. This can mean either finding a new home for the animal here in Saudi Arabia or taking the animal on with you to your new home. There is a third and repugnant choice — having the animal humanely destroyed. Despite the sickening nature of this choice, it is a more responsible decision than simply abandoning your pet in the street to face daily misery. The truth is that most pets do not know how to survive alone. Those left in the streets will scavenge from trash dumpsters until they succumb to accidents or disease. This would certainly be a sad end for a creature who gave loyal companionship to your family.
Many cats and dogs live a decade or more so choosing to take your pet on to a new home in another country is an excellent decision. Some families cite quarantine regulations in some nations as a reason for leaving pets behind. The reality is that most pets adapt surprisingly well to the months of quarantine as long as the boarding of the animals takes place in reputable facilities. Other families say that they do not know their future living arrangements so they cannot immediately cope with the homing requirements of a pet. There are several organizations in the Kingdom such as the Jeddah Veterinary Clinics and the People’s Animal Welfare Society, that with fees paid in advance, are more than willing to assist with boarding animals here in the Kingdom and then placing them on international flights once their owners have set up homes abroad.
For those pet owners whose animals will face quarantine, it is advisable to book with a reputable quarantine facility as soon as possible. During the summer months most kennels are very full. For the UK, I would recommend Yorkshire International Quarantine Kennels just outside of York where my three cats "did their time." For kennels in other UK locations, get an up-to-date list of quarantine kennels and carrying agents at www.defra.gov.uk. Those expatriates going back to Australia and New Zealand face a problem of a different sort due to the international status of Saudi Arabia in regards to rabies. Animals going to those countries must first be exported to another country with a better international rabies rating and from there can be repatriated to Australia and New Zealand. Many families from "Down Under" have used the services of Dubai Kennels and Cattery (dubaikennels.com) with good results.
Once a UK quarantine kennel is aware that they have an animal incoming, they will process all documentation related to obtaining the animal import license. The pet owner has to furnish such details in regards to the animal as age, weight, microchipping, vaccinations, etc. The import license usually takes about 10 days by post to get to Saudi Arabia.
Flying animals out of the Kingdom is easy. It just requires a bit of preparation. The three best airlines for flying pets are British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa. Some cats can fly onboard Lufthansa. For other animals, space in the heated, pressurized cargo areas is limited, so book the flight early.
In order to purchase a shipping container of the correct size, the animal must be measured. To measure the animal, start from the tip of the nose and measure to the base of the tail. This gives Figure A. Then measure from the ground to the chest, for Figure B. The width of the shoulders is Figure C. The measurement from the floor to the tip of the ears is Figure D. To estimate the correct shipping box dimensions use the following equation: A+1/2B = Container Length; Cx2 = Container Width; D = Container Height. This is the minimum acceptable container size to purchase in order to ship your pet. When measuring for Figure A don’t follow the contours of the pet’s body, just stand it up and measure from nose to tail. Otherwise it results in too long a dimension.
The best pet cargo containers to purchase are the Petmate Pet Taxi and Doskocil Travel Boxes, with the spring latch. They are excellent and come in various sizes. Do not use the Pet Voyager containers. Glue the wing nuts and bolts together. Then drill holes and tie-wrap the two halves together. Drill a hole near the door for a padlock. Also plan to tie the box up with very thick string or rope. Many animals spend the entire journey trying to break out from their traveling box. It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to make sure the carrier box is secure and escape-proof! It is also important to tie-wrap the water container to the cargo box’s door. In permanent marker pen on the pet’s cargo box write down the airway bill number provided by the airline, the owner’s name and all contact details. Line the box with a thick towel and newspapers. Purchase a collar with identification tag for the animal to wear during the trip.
To be exported from Saudi Arabia, all pets need a health certificate issued by a registered veterinarian. The health certificate is good for 10 days only. To get a health certificate the animal must have up-to-date vaccinations, which must have been given at least 30 days before the certificate is issued. Airlines will not issue the airway bill without the health certificate and vaccination documents. The airline cargo representative will also want to physically see and weigh the pet in its cargo container.
Remember that the animal and its container will have to be inspected at the airport before leaving the Kingdom. It is best to take the animal to the airport in a separate container than the cargo container for the journey. After the shipping container has been inspected, take both containers in the presence of an official into a small office at the airport, close the door securely and then transfer the animal into the cargo container for the trip. Most animals are extremely nervous at this point so it is very important that the transfer between containers takes place in a quiet, secure area. In the past, animals have escaped in the cargo area during the transfer and were never seen again.
Most of the information here is applicable only for shipping cats and dogs. Some people want to send their birds back home. Depending on the species of bird this can be a very laborious and difficult process. Many of the "exotic" birds in Saudi Arabia, such as cockatoos and parrots, have been smuggled into the country. Therefore these animals have no legal documentation and cannot be exported from the Kingdom. For information on exporting exotic animals contact: Dr. Hani Tatwany — Export Approvals, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation & Development, Riyadh (01) 441-8700 Ext. 45.
