[NAGDU] International travel with a guide dog

Thu Apr 6 15:02:42 UTC 2017

Harmful and painful? I call shenanigans. Maybe one dog in a super super huge number may have a bad reaction, but I hardly think we'd still be chipping dogs something like 20 years later if there was that big of a problem. Microchipping is another expense, and perhaps Pilot feels its money could be better spent. This would be speculation of course. 

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name

> On Apr 6, 2017, at 10:38 AM, S L Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Cindy:
> 
> I thought all schools did microchip until I got Eva from Pilot.  They told 
> us they do not do microchips.  When I asked why not, I was told that they 
> can be harmful to the dog and are painful to the dog.  I did get a microchip 
> for Eva once I got her home.  She has the Home Again chip.  I did this 
> because the first week she was home she managed to slip out of her collar 
> when she was out in my back yard.  At first I panicked because she was so 
> new.  I did not know If she would run away or come when I called her. 
> Fortunately she came to me immediately when I called her.  For my peace of 
> mind and her safety I made the vet appointment to get the microchip.  Collar 
> tags are fine.  Eva has my name and address on her collar too.  However tags 
> can fall off and dogs can slip out of their collars.  The cost of the 
> microchips has come down in price from what they were when they first came 
> out.  Some vets will give you a discount on the office visit and chip if it 
> is a guide or service dog.
> 
> Sandra
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Cindy Ray via NAGDU
> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 9:43 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Cc: Cindy Ray
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] International travel with a guide dog
> 
> Oh, I think I suspected they did. Of course when I got mine we had the right
> of refusal.
> Cindy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of S L Johnson via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Wednesday, April 5, 2017 3:09 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: S L Johnson <SLJohnson25 at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] International travel with a guide dog
> 
> David:
> 
> Not all guide dog schools microchip their dogs.
> 
> Sandra
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David via NAGDU
> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 1:40 PM
> To: Miranda B. via NAGDU
> Cc: David
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] International travel with a guide dog
> 
> When you get your pup, your guide dog school will microchip your dog with
> the chip that is used in the U.S.  You can ask them to chip it with the
> microchip that is used in Europe, as well.
> 
> David and Claire Rose in Clearwater, FL
> 
> On 4/5/2017 10:40 AM, Miranda B. via NAGDU wrote:
>> Hi Alysha,
>> Thanks for sharing about your recent overseas experience with your
>> guide dog. I do have a few follow-up questions.
>> Who provides the microchip, and what is the average cost? Is there a
>> timeframe in which this microchip should be inserted prior to
>> international travel? Would it be a good idea to consider this
>> microchip for future international trips, even if one is not scheduled
>> at the time of getting the chip?
>> Also, what is the best way to learn about the laws inside the
>> destination or layover countries regarding public access, ETC? Does
>> the below site detail these laws?
>> Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, and have a wonderful week!
>> 
>> Best wishes, Miranda
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alysha via
>> NAGDU
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 4, 2017 8:41 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Alysha <alyshaj at comcast.net>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] International travel with a guide dog
>> 
>> Hi Miranda,
>> I just returned from a 9 day trip to Portugal with my guide dog, Xylon.
>> Overall, it was a good experience, and I am glad I brought him with me.
>> Most
>> countries in the EU have the same requirements for entry with a dog,
>> although a few of them have additional requirements. This is a great
>> website where you can look up the exact requirements for traveling
>> with a dog to specific countries:
>> https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel
>> For the Portugal trip, Xylon needed to have been given a Rabies
>> vaccine while he was also microchipped. Since his last Rabies vaccine
>> was given before he got his microchip, I had to give him his next
>> Rabies vaccine earlier than I otherwise would have in order for him to go
> on the trip.
>> Also, I had to get an international health certificate filled out by
>> my vet within 10 days of entering Portugal, and I had to FedEx it to a
>> USDA office to be endorsed. The USDA will waive the fee for endorsing
>> health certificates if you submit an ID card showing that it is for a
>> service animal. One quick word of warning is that if you have a
>> layover in another country, you may also have to meet their specific
>> requirements in addition to those of your final destination. I
>> originally planned to connect in Heathrow, but their requirements were
>> kind of crazy, so I got different flights connecting in the US
>> instead.
>> 
>> When I arrived in Portugal, I met with the vet at the airport who
>> reviewed my documentation and signed off on the paperwork. There is
>> also a fee to enter Portugal with a dog, but it was waived for us
>> since he is a guide dog.
>> I again showed my Seeing Eye ID card as documentation to have the fee
>> waived.
>> 
>> Overseas flights can be hard on dogs because they must spend a long
>> time in very cramped quarters without being able to relieve themselves
>> and with restricted access to water. The longest leg of my flight was
>> 8 hours, and I'm not sure I would be comfortable putting Xylon through
>> anything too much longer than that. Luckily I was able to take him out
>> to relieve during my layovers, and he is a great plane traveler.
>> 
>> I had very few access issues in Portugal, and on the 2 occasions where
>> businesses were reluctant to let us in, the situation was quickly and
>> easily resolved. They have laws in place allowing people with service
>> animals the right to enter any public place, similar to the US.
>> Everyone seemed to be familiar with guide dogs and was very welcoming
>> to us. However, people often tried to pet him in harness, and my
>> language skills weren't always good enough to politely tell them to
>> stop because he was working. I notified pretty much everyone (hotel,
>> tours, meeting facility, etc.) in advance that I was bringing a dog. I
>> don't typically do this in the US but wasn't as confident with the
>> laws in Portugal.
>> 
>> There are a lot of considerations that I would take into account when
>> deciding whether or not to bring a dog on a trip overseas, e.g. length
>> of the flight, your dog's tolerance of travel/breaks in routine, how
>> easily available your dog's food and safe drinking water would be,
>> whether or not the country is known to have a large number of loose
>> dogs in the streets, access to veterinary care if needed, access laws,
>> cultural attitudes toward dogs, quarantine requirements, length of the
>> trip, etc. I don't know if I can give a specific age at which I think
>> a dog would generally be ready for a trip like this, but I do think
>> it's valuable for you to have traveled multiple times domestically
>> with your dog before going abroad. I would personally really try to
>> minimize the amount of time away from your dog in especially the first
>> year or two of your partnership. A 1-week trip would probably be fine,
>> but taking several 1-week trips without your dog will likely
>> negatively impact your working relationship. The longest I have left
>> Xylon is 4 days, and he's now 3 years old.
>> 
>> Anyway, just my 2 cents. Hope it was helpful, and best of luck to you
>> in whatever you decide!
>> 
>> Alysha
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Miranda via
>> NAGDU
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 4, 2017 8:24 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Miranda <knownoflove at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [NAGDU] International travel with a guidedog
>> 
>> Hi,
>> I am considering getting a guy dog, but I am also an undergraduate
>> student looking at internship opportunities overseas within the next
> couple years.
>> I'm wondering how practical it would be to get a guy dog prior to a
>> semester abroad, or if it would be better to wait until I graduate and
>> would only be traveling on a less frequent basis for more short-term
>> opportunities (10
>> days-1 month). If traveling to a country that would pose undo hardship
>> or extreme complications, I have considered leaving the dog at home
>> with my husband for more of a short-term trip (10 days or less). In
>> other words, the practicality of taking a dog overseas would need to
>> be considered on a case-by-case basis.
>> If you've traveled overseas with your guidedog, where did you go and
>> for how long? What are some other factors to consider when traveling
>> abroad with a guy dog?
>> Thanks for your help, and have a wonderful week!
>> 
>> Best wishes, Miranda
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
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