Hi

Just after some information / experiences about importing dogs from the UK / Europe.
So if anyone has done this or knows a good website please let me know.

Also any information about moving dogs from a cool climate to somewhere as hot as SC. My dogs are not used to the heat or avoiding snakes / gators etc.

Thanks for your help

Tanith, I imported two dogs into this country...and with this I had two majorly different experiences. The first one I imported a pup with the help of a friend who happened to breed GSD's and previously worked for the US Customs working with detector dogs. All went well for the most part. The second dog, I imported an adult dog through a "professional" trainer/breeder. I trained with this person for 3 years, and *thought* he was also a friend. I wanted to start a breeding program and he told me everything I wanted to hear. He told me he had great contacts in Europe and that he could get me a good dog for a good price. HE told me that he would do this for me and not charge me..ha ha yeah F***ing RIGHT!! If he would have said to me upfront that he wanted so much off the top...fine...I would work with that.I found later on, that this dog was a considerable amount of money less than what I paid... less what he paid for shipping..he made about 2k. All for doing this for nothing?!? He told me I would get a 4 yr old dog with A Hips, Sch3 and be KKL1, shipping to be INCLUDED. To arrive 24 to 72 hours after they recieve the money in their account. I paid up front for the dog...*BIG* mistake! I ended up waiting from the beginning of March to the middle of Sept. for said dog. All the while getting absolutely NO updates from him unless *I* emailed him asking for one! In the process he told me he could have her bred, as they were "waiting for another dog so shipping wouldn't be as high". FINE just get me the damn dog. When said dog arrived, she had no KKL a Hip rating of C which I found out later that she ACTUALLY had mild and borderline Hip dysplasia! When she came in she was so thin I could count just about every rib...and SHE WAS BRED!! I was told I had 3 to 4 weeks before I was to have puppies arriving. 6 F'ing days later she whelped 6 pups. She whelped the pups in a dog house...because I had 3 to 4 weeks to get ready for pups. She laid on 4 pups, and ATE, yes ATE the remaining 2 pups. My thought was that it was either these pups will survive or I will...so she ate them..to preserve her own life. In the process of waiting for this dog, I emailed asking for updates at first, then after a month or so, I began asking for my money back... Which resulted in a tirade of emails from him saying that I won't be getting my money back, that I will be getting the damn dog...and this and that...
To make a LOOONG story short Tanith...be *VERY* *VERY* ***VERY*** CAUTIOUS. I learned the hard way, that MONEY is the ROOT of all (most) evil. I would ask for references if you are not very very close to the person that you have in mind for bringing in the dog you might have your eye on. Don't just trust someone because they say they can get you a dog. I thought this person was a friend, hell I trained with this person for 3 years.

I chose to chalk it up to a lessoned learned...but what I did in case I needed some back up, I only talked with this person via email...and saved every single one of them...

@Tanith: What is the purpose for your question? It sounds as though you are moving from the UK to SC? Importing dogs to the US is very easy. Just need to send them with a vet inspection certificate (its a page in the EU Pet Passport) and proof of rabies vaccine. I usually hire a customs broker (costs $100 bucks) to deal with customs for me, so that I don't have to wait in line and answer stupid questions :-)

If you are talking about TO the UK from another country, that's a complicated somewhat convoluted process.

Each European country is also different for imports, so if you could be more specific I could help you with some info.

@Brandon: It is quite possible that you have already answered all the OP's questions, however, my eyes started to hurt when I saw ALL the CAPITALIZATION AND ********** WITH NO *************ing paragraphs WHATSOEVER, so I didn't actually read your post.

Mike, thanks for pointing out that I didn't have any paragraphs...I guess it didn't strike me as important.

If I thought I was being graded on my posts, I would have made sure to make them teacher friendly...

 Quote: Brandon LaMere

Mike, thanks for pointing out that I didn't have any paragraphs...I guess it didn't strike me as important.

If I thought I was being graded on my posts, I would have made sure to make them teacher friendly...

I think that was a way to tell you that giant blocks of no-paragraph text like that won't be read by a lot of folks. I would have pointed it out (or another mod would've) if someone else hadn't.

I see I need to post more often, so I know what people expect in posts. Lesson learned, will try harder next time

Yeah Mike you're right.
I'm hoping to emigrate from the UK to the US and bring my own dogs over a week or so later, once I have everything set up for them. They're both working line GSDs by the way, don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Going to get them vaccinated and passported - I knew there was something about a vet cert. being required, didn't know it was in the passport though. Will I need a certificate of acclimitisation? (temperature wise).

I've found companies advertised who offer to provide crates and shipping with paperwork being dealt with on either end etc. Not sure if it's worth using a company or DIY method - just want to make it as stress free as possible for the dogs, with minimal delays.

It won't be for almost a year at best, so plenty of time to do research. Definately grateful for any help, thanks again Mike.

Thanks for trying to help Brandon, sorry you had a bad experience.

Edited by Tanith Wheeler (11/18/2009 06:21 PM)
Edit reason: added breed info

Sending you a PM with all the details I think can help you.