Flying your pet to Europe using a military rotator (MAC) flight

You have heard me blog about flying pets overseas and the prep involved.  But earlier this year, I had a reader contact me about flying overseas on a military rotator flight with their doggie and what did I know about that.  I didn't admit I was a total neophyte, nor did I give her any information she could use about pets and military flights.....honestly, I didn't think pets could even fly on MAC flights, PCS or no PCS.  Glad I kept my mouth shut, because thanks to Lee, she got back to me as promised with how the experience went for her and her cute little pug. Here is Reggie's story and how you can use the military to fly your pet to Germany.

As promised, I wanted to get back to you about our experience flying our dog overseas to Germany via the Patriot Express (the AMC Rotator).  We left BWI airport the night Sunday, 10 July, and arrived at Ramstein AB at noon on Monday, 11 July.  We're now settled in at our new duty location and I'm relieved to say everything went well!  However, there are a few things I would recommend to others preparing to PCS overseas with a pet:

* Plan ahead - way ahead.  As I wrote to you before, my husband scheduled our flight on the Patriot Express roughly 10 weeks prior to our PCS date, and we got the very last pet slot on the plane.  I believe there are ten pet slots per rotator flight (not counting pets that can travel in cabin under the seat), and during heavy PCS seasons (like summer), they book out quickly.  So once you get orders, one of your first priorities should be working with TMO (or your branch's counterpart) to initiate your reservation and request a pet slot.

* If you are taking the Patriot Express during heat or cold with a snub-nosed dog (pug, boston terrier, etc.) consider alternatives to connecting flights.  If time allows and the distance is not too great, consider driving or taking a train.  We PCSed from the panhandle of Florida which is very hot and humid in July.  Our dog, Reggie, is a nine year old pug, and we could not find any commercial carrier in our area that would be willing to transport him.  Most have an embargo on snub-nosed breeds during summer months and extreme cold temperatures, and some carriers no longer take any dogs at all in the summer.  The Patriot Express does not have these embargoes, as the pets are in a climate controlled area, but getting Reggie to BWI was becoming very problematic.  However, since we have family nearby, we opted to drive up and stay with family along the way, and then we shipped our car directly from the Port of Baltimore.  It was a lot of time in the car, but it was much easier than the hassle of flying him in the summer.

* Go through a military veterinary clinic if at all possible for your International Health Certificate (the one you can get up to four months out) and your Health Certificate (the one you must get within 10 days of flight).  If a military veterinarian signs off on the forms, you are exempt from getting the USDA stamps on your documentation, which saves a lot of time and hassle.  However, when you make your appointment, be sure to confirm there is an active duty veterinarian on site who can sign the form.  Because whenwe left our AFB in Florida greater than ten days before our flight out, we had to get Reggie seen by a military vet en route.  Four weeks before we left, I called several military installations in the Baltimore/Washington area, thinking they could see him - but they couldn't.  Most did not have an active duty veterinarian on site (they are frequently deployed during times of combat to serve as public health officers), and those that did had very limited clinic days/hours.  Fortunately, I was able to get him in at the Shaw AFB vet clinic, and although it meant four hours round trip in the car, it was still faster and easier than taking him to a civilian vet and dealing with the USDA stamp process.

* Make sure all signatures are in a color other than black.  Military veterinarians generally know this, but civilian vets might not.  After I obtained the International Health Certificate, I had to go back to my civilian vet and get a new rabies certificate and immunization record because they were signed in black ink.  Had I known, I could have requested this from the start and saved myself a trip. (Note from LLMW, I did not know this....something I need to follow up on).

* Make sure your pet's microchip number is on your rabies certificate and immunization record.  It does not have to be printed on the paperwork - you can hand-write it in if necessary (I did, without any problems).

* Check - and double check - your pet's documentation before you leave the clinic.  I cannot stress this enough - if there are any errors with the paperwork, your pet can be refused on the flight.  When I obtained our health certificate, I noticed that the batch number of the rabies vaccine was incorrectly entered, and date of the certificate was in MM/DD/YY format but my dog's birthdate was in DD/MM/YY format.  I pointed this out and requested that they reprint the certificate with the correct batch number and write out both dates (i.e., 5 July 2011 and 10 November 2001) in order to cut down on any confusion.  I know the clerk thought I was being anal-retentive and wasn't too happy with me, but these are the kind of small errors that can cause a real problem later.

* Bring multiple copies of your pet's documentation (health certificates, rabies certificate, immunization record, etc.).  I had to give a copy to the agent at BWI as well as the German customs officer at Ramstein AB, and a copy was taped to Reggie's crate.  Had we had connecting flights, I'm sure each carrier would have needed copies as well.  By having multiple copies with me, it saved time (agents didn't have to make copies) and I was able to keep the originals with me at all times.

* Get your pet a properly-sized crate in advance and let your him/her use it.  There are strict rules about crates for international flights (size, ventilation, etc.), so measure your pet carefully to make sure you get the right size.  (I used the following site for information on measurements and crate requirements.  I'm not endorsing them as a vendor, as I didn't buy my crate from them, but the info is helpful.)  Consider having your pet sleep in the crate for a week or two prior to the flight, so s/he can get used to it.  Flying is stressful for pets, so getting them used to their crate means they will at least have a familiar place to stay during the flight.  You may also want to include something like an old shirt or blanket that you've used and that smells like you - this may also be comforting for them.  We also bought a clip-on fan to help with ventilation, since Reggie is a pug.  I don't know if it helped him, but it reduced MY anxiety knowing he had it!  :)

There's a nice brochure about the Patriot Express at this web site:  (click on "Patriot Express Brochure"), and one about shipping your pet here.  I would definitely recommend reviewing these prior to the flight.

Throughout the process, I told my friends and family that getting Reggie to Germany was more complicated and time-consuming than it was for my children - and I wasn't really joking either.  However, if you start early and are proactive and organized, it makes for smooth traveling later.  I hope your readers find this information helpful, and as always, thanks for the service you provide us military spouses.  Were it not for your blog, I would not have been nearly as well prepared for our move, and I am so grateful I discovered it!

Thank you Lee for taking the time to report back on your experience!  If any of my other readers would like to share any experiences, pet or otherwise, just let me know!  My goal is always to share information here, whether it comes from me or one of our fellow readers!