Overseas PCS: boarding while pet travel paperwork clears

Japan, Germany, Hawaii and other overseas orders each have their own rules, and some can take weeks to complete. This page does not state requirements or deadlines. It explains how boarding fits around them.

Where the rules come from

USDA APHIS publishes pet travel requirements by destination at its pet travel page, and the destination country's own agency has the final say. Military OneSource says Hawaii and some countries have their own rules and that pets fly on AMC Patriot Express flights tied to PCS travel, limited to 2 pets per family, with fees by weight. Confirm all of it with your transportation office and the passenger terminal at 707-424-1854.

This page cannot tell you which tests, vaccines or forms your pet needs or how long each takes.

How boarding fits

Because the stay is billed by the night, extra days cost one more night each at the military rate.

• You leave the home and your pet's last appointment is still ahead.
• Lab results or an endorsement from an accredited veterinarian are pending.
• Your flight date moves and your pet needs a few more nights.
• You travel first and your pet follows.

A sample cost

Three weeks (21 nights) for one dog in Business Class at the military rate is 21 x $53, $1,113. A cat in a condo is $35 a night, 21 x $35, $735; the military rate is for dogs on the sheet. For a longer stay, a card is kept on file and charged every two weeks in advance after four weeks.

Keep your veterinarian in the loop

The kennel requires rabies, distemper/parvo, Bordetella and canine influenza for dogs, and rabies and FVRCP for cats. Ask your veterinarian to line up the vaccines your destination needs with the kennel's list so that no record expires mid-stay. Send updates to your online account. See PCS moves and vaccine timing.