Torrey Highlands Pet Health Care Center (THPHCC) veterinary professionals are happy to assist you with your domestic and international Health Certificates. With information, help and advanced planning from you along the way, Dr. Donald Wood will do everything possible to make sure this is a successful and stress-free process!
Domestic Travel
There are a few steps required to prepare your family pet for travel. Please follow these steps to ensure we can make your travel preparation, examination, and paperwork experience as efficient and stress-free as possible.
We first recommend checking the USDA website for interstate travel: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/interstate-pet-travel. Different states may have different requirements for entry, and some (for example: Hawaii) require advanced planning to meet the requirements and avoid quarantine.
Next, please contact your airline to see what specific requirements they have regarding the timing of the health examination and paperwork. Most airlines require the exam for travel to be within 10-14 days of travel, but some may differ. In addition, some airlines have additional forms that will need to be completed by a veterinarian. You will be responsible for bringing those documents with you to your exam. If you need to reschedule your examination based on the airline requirements, please contact our office as soon as possible.
Within 48 hours of making your health certificate appointment, we ask that you complete a form with all the information we require to fill out your travel paperwork. Download the form following this paragraph and save it onto your computer. Open the saved file, complete the form with all pertinent information, and email it back to: [email protected]. In the subject line of the email please put: Health Certificate Information for (your pet’s name, your last name). By having this information in advance, it will ensure we can properly fill out the paperwork and it will allow you to collect all the necessary information with enough notice.
If THPHCC have not given your pet’s vaccinations or completed the *FAVN blood test (if applicable), we ask that you also email those records to us in addition of the form. If you do not have those records available, please contact your previous clinic with enough notice to receive the records before your appointment time.
International Travel
Please follow these steps to ensure we can make your travel preparation, examination, and paperwork experience as efficient and stress-free as possible.
We strongly urge all clients traveling internationally to visit the USDA website for international travel as soon as they know they are traveling with their pet overseas: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/take-pet-to-foreign-country. Every country has their own requirements for entry and most require advanced planning to meet the qualifications and avoid quarantine. Additionally, USDA endorsement of the health certificate and any other required documentation is required for most international destinations. Torrey Highlands Pet Health Care Center is not currently able to submit international health certificates electronically to the USDA for digital endorsement. It is your responsibility to understand what is required for your destination to ensure you meet deadlines and have all the necessary treatments done.
Next, please contact your airline to see what specific requirements they have regarding the timing of the health exam and paperwork. Most airlines require the exam for travel to be within 10-14 days of travel, but some destinations have different requirements (refer to the USDA website for this information). In addition, some airlines have additional forms that will need to be completed by a veterinarian. You will be responsible for bringing those documents with you to your exam. If you need to reschedule your exam based on the airline or destination requirements, please call as soon as possible.
*FAVN: The FAVN test is required by many rabies-free countries or regions in order for dogs and cats to qualify for a reduced quarantine period prior to entry. Some of these regions are Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Australia, Guam, New Zealand, and some islands in the Caribbean. Always check with the destination authority to verify pet importation requirements. The FAVN test is a blood test that Torrey Highlands Pet Health Care Center sends out to a specific laboratory. Results often take over a month to get back, so please plan accordingly.
If your pet is traveling internationally please ensure you have visited the USDA website as there are required steps to take before traveling based on your destination. You may also need an appointment with the USDA to approve your paperwork for international travel. It is your responsibility to be prepared for your pet to travel. We are simply here to help with the paperwork and confirm your pet is safe & healthy for travel. If you have not already done so, please visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel for destination specific information.