Shipping a dog from Canada

Hi FromCalgary2,

We are looking at shipping our dog from the Toronto area. Other than what Vpainter points out, the one thing the relocation guide does not mention is the requirement of having an import permit for the dog. From what I've gathered, this is issued in Saudi Arabia and separate from the papers issued and stamped by the embassy here. A wrinkle in the matter is that since we are not physically in SA, we would need to get someone to have it issued, scanned and sent to us prior to travel. I believe there are vet clinics in Saudi Arabia that can do this but I'm not sure about the fees charged and timelines involved.

We have not contacted them yet as we are still waiting for our BI to clear (medicals were cleared yesterday ). Once that happens we will be in full swing to get the transition going.

Reading the posts on this forum (which have been indispensable), I am still a little confused as to whether the import permit is the document obtained when visiting the vet at the airport upon landing or whether one still has to get clearance from the vet if the permit has been prearranged.

In 2012, we had planned to fly our cat to KSA, but for a variety of reasons it didn't work out. You are right, the import permit is mysterious, and the Aramco relocation guide does not explain this process. You need the import permit before arrival at the airport. The best source of info I found was Jane Edwards, who operates BKS International Pet Shipping, in Houston. You'll see posts from her on this forum previously. I believe her email is petsandplanes@aol.com. Jane can advise you on the best way to handle. Based on her advice, I had contacted Jeddah Veterinary Clinic, Khobar branch, Tel+966 3 857 3079 and khobarvet@zajil.net. I never did have luck reaching them by email, but calling them worked. The man there told me that for SR700 we could arrange for the import permit through their office. It would involve faxing or emailing the US health form from our vet in the States, and some back and forth errands to pay the clinic and pick up the permit. The alternative would have been to hire a knowledgeable driver to take us to some hard to find office near the Dammam airport to acquire the import permit. Another complication was finding an airline that would fly our cat at the time of year we were looking at. There were heat embargoes for some months, as well as cold embargoes. Also many contradictions among airline phone reps about whether the cat could fly as excess baggage or if she'd have to fly as "manifested cargo" to enter the Dammam airport. It was too confusing and the cat too elderly and unwell to fly, so ultimately we rehomed her with family instead. I hope that someone who has arrived recently can help the folks here with the import permit question. Unfortunately, what tends to happen is that once people relocate, they tend not to stay as engaged with the forum as they were during the new hire process. Hopefully someone will read your post and help you though.

Thank you everyone for your replies and keeping the discussion up. We will check in Calgary as well and inform you.

Thanks VPainter for the updated contact info. I was not aware of the name change.