Immigration Forum / Canada / October 2003

I couldn't remember where I'd gotten the information about bringing my pet
cat, so I searched for you.  I just did a Yahoo search with the parameters
"pet + import + Canada + customs".

Here's the link to the Canada Food Inspection Agency page concerning pet
dogs.  I know it sounds weird that the Animal Health division falls under
the agency for food inspection.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/dogse.shtml

I'm from the U.S. so it might have been different than the requirements from
Finland, but my process was simple when I imported my pet cat.  I presented
a certificate from her vet from a couple of days prior to her moving that
attested to her good health.  I also presented a signed copy of her rabies
vaccination.  I took her out of her carrier, the officer saw she appeared in
good health, and we were cleared.  I paid for Mickey to ride in the airline
cabin with me so she was pretty calm through the whole experience.  Canada
didn't charge me a fee for importing her, although I thought I had to pay
one and I had Canadian currency ready to do that.

By the way, I paid a $75 fee on Alaska Air for the privilege of having
Mickey in the cabin with me.  Her carrier had to be under the seat for
takeoff and landing, but I was allowed to move her carrier to the empty seat
next to me other than that.  I bought a soft Sherpa carrier that was
approved for Alaska Air.

Mickey's a little six pound Persian who was thirteen years old when I moved
her from Virginia to Calgary (she had her fourteenth birthday in August),
and she tolerated the flight very well even without a sedative.  I had one
ready just in case, but she only meowed during the takeoff and landing.  You
couldn't even hear her over the roar of the aircraft itself - I was being
hypersensitive about it but she didn't disturb anyone - I asked my
neighbors.  She also meowed during the 90 seconds when I had to run to the
lavatory, but she stopped right after I came back.  On the second leg of the
flight when we switched to a Horizon plane from Seattle to Calgary, I had
people sitting behind me who were surprised when I had a cat carrier exiting
the plane.  They never noticed her meowing during the takeoff and landing.
You are not allowed to remove an animal from its carrier during the flight,
so I was lucky that she never had any "litter box issues" while in the air.
*whew!*

Good luck!  I sincerely hope you find the answer you're looking for when
reading the link.  I'm very happy to help someone who loves their dog that
much - there's no way I'd have left Mickey behind!

Renee :)