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Whether you’re moving to New Zealand for good or a few months, and the move is because of work or needing to care for parents or family, or you just want to head back to the green pastures of home, it’s a big step moving the whole kit and kaboodle across the Pacific. And it’s even more daunting if you also need to take Fido or Whiskers with you. There are so many rules and regulations to follow, let alone the cost, and one false move can see your bestest four legged mate stranded in Los Angeles.     

That’s where the decision on which pet transportation company to use becomes absolutely crucial. I’d like to share our experience moving our rat terrier Tahi from Los Angeles to New Zealand in the hope that the move for you will be a little less stressful.     

A couple of things to begin with. Currently, you must work with a pet transportation company to bring your pet into New Zealand, and the only airline that will transport pets from the United States to New Zealand is Air New Zealand. Your pet will need to quarantine for 10 days when arriving in New Zealand.     

Transporting pets to New Zealand – and Australia – involves dealing with a lot of rules and regulations so we contacted around half a dozen pet transportation companies to understand their expertise in dealing with New Zealand authorities, and of course see how competitive they were price wise. We decided to work with Pet Express, and we are very pleased we did:     

   • They are owned by an Australian, Scott Williams, and their focus is on moving pets and animals into New Zealand and Australia. They have a very clear understanding of the rules and regulations set by the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industry for importing a pet into New Zealand, and likewise for Australia.    

   • They are based in Los Angeles, and they have a facility close to LAX, which means that when you drop your pet off, it’s to their facility and they are the ones looking after your pet. Companies based out of Los Angeles contracted the pre-flight stay, final medical inspections and delivery to the airport to another party. If you’re outside Los Angeles, Pet Express can still arrange everything, including the flights to Los Angeles and the final few days before your pet leaves the States.    

   • Their customer service was excellent. They were able to answer all our questions, and once we started working with them we always had our own pet consultant we could contact. Most of all, everyone we met from Pet Express obviously loved the pets they looked after and did everything they could to make it as easy and less stressful for us and Tahi.    They worked closely with our own vet, which is important given the process you need to go through and that many vets have no experience of preparing pets for export to New Zealand or Australia    They had a strong relationship with Air New Zealand cargo, and with the quarantine facilities in Auckland and Christchurch.    

   • Their sister company, JetPets, took care of everything in New Zealand, and also managed the process of bringing Tahi back to Los Angeles many months later, which was an easier process – one vet check before the flight and then simply pick your pet up at LAX after arrival.    Their price was very competitive. It’s not a cheap process moving your pet to New Zealand, with significant costs involved in the actual cargo space on the flight and the quarantining in New Zealand, but Pet Express were right on the money.    

The big thing to remember about taking your pet into New Zealand is to begin the process early. Rabies is the big thing to consider, since it’s not present in New Zealand and your pet must be vaccinated for rabies. For example, in general your dog must be vaccinated for rabies no less than 6 months and no more than 12 months before the date of travel. That’s a long way out to start thinking of things, but it’s very important.     

There are quite a few other shots, medications and tests that will be required, and this will require two or three vet visits, but Pet Express will let you know exactly when and how everything needs to be done. Just remember, one slip and it might mean your pet needs to remain some extra time in the United States before travel. Also, make sure your pets microchip number is on every document.     

We cannot recommend Pet Express highly enough. They took great care of both us and Tahi, and he took both flights and everything in between in his stride. Even better, Pet Express is now a Kiwis in LA sponsor, another great reason to work with Pet Express.