Exports and Imports
Being the only vet clinic in the Cook Islands, as well as having the only veterinarians, Esther Honey sometimes has to do jobs that in other countries are often referred to more skilled institutions. Just yesterday we had to go to a house where nine cats were being kept, trapped inside a house they normally get to walk in and out of with no problems, so that they could be checked over and dosed with worming pills and flea treatment before being sent off to New Zealand three days later.
As the Esther Honey Foundation has the only veterinarian staff on the island the exportation of dogs or cats to any countries in the world has to be authorized by the veterinarians who are volunteering their time here. Although I’m getting pretty comfortable with sending animals to New Zealand, other places around the world are proving to still be a bit of a hassle, especially when they don’t recognize the Cook Islands as being rabies free like New Zealand, Australia and maybe a few others. It’s even worse when they keep changing their protocols and requirements.
Here in the Cook Islands we do not have much of the equipment or certification to do the many tests required by countries around the world for animals to be imported into their countries. However, we still manage to get this done. We are in the process of sending two cats to Spain and have already given them Rabies shots as well as sent serum samples to Australia to be tested. We are just waiting for time requirements to be met now.
Nine cats to New Zealand isn’t much harder than one cat to New Zealand except getting them all together for a check-up in a house with the windows all closed so that they can’t escape. Hot work. About a year ago we helped another family moving over to New Zealand export seven cats with no problems, so hopefully this goes without a hitch. The cats that are going with this family are all local cats which are loved very much, so hopefully they will enjoy their new romping grounds in New Zealand, even if it is a bit chillier. Makes me want to stay in Rarotonga.
As the Esther Honey Foundation has the only veterinarian staff on the island the exportation of dogs or cats to any countries in the world has to be authorized by the veterinarians who are volunteering their time here. Although I’m getting pretty comfortable with sending animals to New Zealand, other places around the world are proving to still be a bit of a hassle, especially when they don’t recognize the Cook Islands as being rabies free like New Zealand, Australia and maybe a few others. It’s even worse when they keep changing their protocols and requirements.
Here in the Cook Islands we do not have much of the equipment or certification to do the many tests required by countries around the world for animals to be imported into their countries. However, we still manage to get this done. We are in the process of sending two cats to Spain and have already given them Rabies shots as well as sent serum samples to Australia to be tested. We are just waiting for time requirements to be met now.
Nine cats to New Zealand isn’t much harder than one cat to New Zealand except getting them all together for a check-up in a house with the windows all closed so that they can’t escape. Hot work. About a year ago we helped another family moving over to New Zealand export seven cats with no problems, so hopefully this goes without a hitch. The cats that are going with this family are all local cats which are loved very much, so hopefully they will enjoy their new romping grounds in New Zealand, even if it is a bit chillier. Makes me want to stay in Rarotonga.
posted by tumbleweed at
10:58 AM
