Moving To Thailand, And Leaving Pets Behind, Or Giving Them Away?

[kunash]

Hi, has anyone moved to Thailand, and had to give their beloved dogs away, or had to re-home them, so they could move? and so never see them again.  When i eventually move to Thailand i will have to re-home my dogs at a rescue centre, and will have to put my elderly cat ''down'.  she will be about 15 at the time.  it is not something i am looking forward to, and i have no relatives or friends who can look after them, so it is sadly the only option i have.  there is no way i could bring a standard poodle and a yorkie to Thailand, or is there?

has anyone had to give away or give up there much loved pets?

[hawthorne]

I do not know the process but you can bring your pets into the country.

[Gigabyte]

Everybody that I know who had pets before moving to Thailand (including myself) brought their companions along. For my beloved companions it meant a very, very long voyage across 12 time zones, right at the opposite side of this Planet.

If you're ready and willing to "put your elderly cat down" then your state of mind won't fit here. I know of one man who brought his elderly 15 yo cat here when he moved. Why can't you?

Pets are not furniture; they are your companions, your responsibility.

[BigWheelMan]

Everybody that I know who had pets before moving to Thailand (including myself) brought their companions along. For my beloved companions it meant a very, very long voyage across 12 time zones, right at the opposite side of this Planet.

If you're ready and willing to "put your elderly cat down" then your state of mind won't fit here. I know of one man who brought his elderly 15 yo cat here when he moved. Why can't you?

Pets are not furniture; they are your companions, your responsibility.

This is absolutely the truth.

I have pets, they are part of my family and could never leave them whatever the circumstances.

Take a look at this article in yesterdays Daily Mail and think again.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...ng-Britain.html

Below: dogs on death row in the UK because homes cannot be found for them. This will be the fate awaiting the OPs pets.

Only a complete moron would put their pets through this.

Edited May 1, 2010 by BigWheelMan

[Gigabyte]

Everybody that I know who had pets before moving to Thailand (including myself) brought their companions along. For my beloved companions it meant a very, very long voyage across 12 time zones, right at the opposite side of this Planet.

If you're ready and willing to "put your elderly cat down" then your state of mind won't fit here. I know of one man who brought his elderly 15 yo cat here when he moved. Why can't you?

Pets are not furniture; they are your companions, your responsibility.

BTW: Sorry if my reply was not very constructive; I was a bit upset that people think about getting rid of their pets before moving to Thailand.

To answer your question more calmly, yes you can bring your dogs and your cats to Thailand. Many people did. There are some regulations about vaccinations and quarantine, but I'm not aware of the latest requirements. I brought my two cats here over 10 years ago and at that time I just had to bribe the vet at the airport to release them; took a few minutes. Times change, I can recall that the vendor machine at the TAGS dock where live animal arrive (and Human remains are in transit just next to the "Live Animal" a/c room) had Singha beers in it... Nowadays you can hardly buy a can of beer at a 7-Eleven here).

Edited May 1, 2010 by Gigabyte

[Gigabyte]

Google ads answered something without anyone asking:

Shipping a Pet

Professional Pet Shipping Network

Locally -- Nationwide -- Worldwide

www.ipata.com

Maybe it's worth a look?

Edited May 1, 2010 by Gigabyte

[Gigabyte]

deleted post removed from here... constructive info only please for this thread

[PennyFarthing123]

You can bring a cat or small dog in the plane cabin with you on some airlines. You might want to check and see which ones would allow that for your cat. At the advanced age it probably would not travel well as cargo or baggage.

I have read on other threads that bringing pets to Thailand is not difficult. Just be sure to check the regulations regarding shots etc. Also be sure to arrive during the day so that customs are there for you to collect you pets. Otherwise they would have to spend the night in quarantine.

[NancyL]

We found a new home for our dog before we left the U.S. and I'm really glad we did.

She was 12 years old and no beauty, so we knew there was no chance she'd be adopted from a shelter. Instead, I did a full-out "marketing campaign" for her -- running ads (with photos) in the local newspaper, listing her on some adopt-a-pet websites and making a generous donation to an adopt-a-pet group that ran events at local pet stores. They let me bring her to several events where they displayed pets available for adoption. We started way in advance of our move and eventually found a home for her. She went to her new home in advance of our move, just in case it didn't work out and they didn't want to keep her.

I visited her after she'd been in her new home for two weeks and she was very glad to see me, of course. Her new family had two teenagers and she'd already wormed her way into sleeping with the boy. She'd been to their grandfathers farm several times and loved to run around and play with his golden retrievers. At my follow-up visit, after greeting me, she returned and sat between the kids, looking at them as if to say "gee, I like it better here. Do I have to go home?" She had boarded with families before when we were in Thailand on vacation and thought this was just another boarding visit. She was estatic when she realized I was leaving without her.

[gotlost]

Bring your pets and enjoy life in Thailand together.

[Gigabyte]

You can bring a cat or small dog in the plane cabin with you on some airlines. You might want to check and see which ones would allow that for your cat. At the advanced age it probably would not travel well as cargo or baggage.

I have read on other threads that bringing pets to Thailand is not difficult. Just be sure to check the regulations regarding shots etc. Also be sure to arrive during the day so that customs are there for you to collect you pets. Otherwise they would have to spend the night in quarantine.

That is correct and I doubt that any airline will allow you to travel international with a cat, a Poodle and a Yorkie in the cabin with you at the same time. Maybe the cat, but that would limit your choice of airline. I would recomment that you ship them separately. As I recall, some airports have some restrictions about what time and how long the animal will be in transit (to avoid extreme temperatures in cargo storage rooms where the environment is not controlled). That causes some logistic headaches that a professional mover should be able to deal with. Just make sure they have experience with live animals.

Once here, you will be surprisingly happy to realize that vets are incredibly cheap compared with the Western ones, and the money you invest for bringing your pets here will return to you after a few regular health checkups.

[phetaroi]

Of all the things I had to give up to retire in Thailand, giving up one of my three parrots was the most difficult. I hate to admit that as a grown man I cried over it many times. I looked into bringing the parrot here, but was advised against it for many reasons...mostly the health of the parrot. It would not have been possible to have her in the cabin. The hold might be deadly to a small bird...birds do not have lungs and breathing problems are paramount. Furthermore, the stress on such a 24+ hour flight, not to mention that possibility of quarantine...well, as much as I loved the bird, I couldn't put it through that.

So, for the three parrots I spent months seeking a new owner. Interviewed many people. Turned them all down. Had some very angry people. I was very strict on the home conditions (for example, no dogs or cats in the household). Considered canceling the move. And then finally found a young lady who was willing to take all three as a family. One did die later...apparently fell of his perch and had a major concussion. But the other two are doing fine and my little favorite has become their favorite, as well...particularly because she is providing great moral support to the mother who is now ill with cancer.

Life is full of difficult choices. I wanted very much to retire here, but I also loved my pets. In the end, assuming I could find a suitable new owner, I thought it of it much like one would a child who eventually grows up and moves on to a different life. What I found with my favorite little parrot was that within two days of coming to live with me, she seemed perfectly adjusted and happy. The same thing happened when she moved on to her next home.

To one of the previous posters, it's not always about abandoning a pet -- particularly one whom you have been devoted to for what will be a third or half of its normal life expectancy. Sometimes the choice is between choosing a life with a person or a pet.

[BlackArtemis]

I did the opposite, dog from Thailand to the US. Thai people were shocked, and claimed he must have had a really good past life

If the cat is too old, perhaps giving it to someone, but how old is the dog?

[kunash]

Hi

thanks for the replies.  Firstly I was advised not to bring the dogs here, because of the amount of street dogs.  I was told my dogs would be attacked.  If you are walking your dogs down a narrow side street, in the morning and at night, and there are wild / street dogs every few yards, would these dogs not attack your dogs? If there is a high chance they would be attacked it would be hard to take them out and they cannot be kept indoors all day. I guess it would be easy to adapt to the heat, they would just sleep all day .  Giving them up will be a hard decision and if I had to, I would try to get them adopted first, to a good home.  they are both 8 years old.  but if there is a chance i could bring them to thailand, and they would be safe here  ( from other dogs ), i will do that.

My cat will be about 15 when i am ready to leave.  She is a wild cat, and only responds to me, and is only friendly to me.  she is not, a lap cat.  when someone strange comes in the house she always hides.   if someone strange trys to let her in, from the garden, she runs away for a few hours.  when i go to thailand i have to get a neighbour to come and look after her.  even after 6 weeks of looking after her, she hides behind the bed when my neighbour is in the house, and shows no friendliness.  my neighbour could never let her out into the garden, because my cat would not come back.  if i brought my cat to thailand, she would be surrounded by children, and lots of people.  she would not like this, and would never be able to adapt.  she could never be let outside. if someone accidently left the door open - which will happen, she will run outside and will never be seen again. i just feel such a move would be too much for her.   she is very nervous, even with me. 

[bina]

i agree -- the 15 yr old cat probably wouldnt /couldnt make the move; nor will she be adopted... but possibly u can have the new house owners leave food and water for her (if she is an outdoor cat) since cats tend to stay with homes, regardless of the people in them...

as for the dogs, small small dogs can be apartment dogs, or u can fence an area maybe; i also always think about what would happen if we move to husband's village. for sure two of the dogs will have to be rehomed; actually, one has already been rehomed to me by previous owners (family moved to kenya, and then second owner became homeless, my home becoming the occasional sleeping quarters. the dog therefore became mine). my dogs are outdoor rough and tough dogs but still, the size of shitzus. the issaan village packs are much tougher, and larger, and poison, cars, snakes, etc would probably cause premature accidental deaths for them. i dont think fencing would be an option in husband's shack /yard ...

fortunately, i think it is easier to find good loving homes for small toy type dogs, at least here i know that to be true, and more difficult for large dogs or mixed breeds.

toy breeds bte, are prized in thailand (status symbols) and i did see people walking their dogs, but that was in a specific area of bangkok; also saw that in korat city too: shitzuts and pugs being carried around , in basket of motocy, etc. the standard poodle shouldnt have a problem anyhow, as he would be large enough to deal with most dogs.

there is a thread about bringing in dogs and several OPS that have done so already; try searching a bit here and check the pinned threads... good luck.

bina

israel

[sarahsbloke]

Plenty of unwanted cats and dogs here.

Why not put old pets down, move here, save new pets from death.

That way no extra pet deaths and you get to save money!

(anyone want to post on how Euro pets are more worthy of life than Thai pets)

[Nienke]

I agree with Bina and the OP that maybe for the cat it isn't a good idea to bring her to Thailand. Hopefully the OP will be successful to find a knowledgeable cat lover who is willing to adopt her. You can try to search the net for groups that rescue cats or cat behaviorists? Just a thought.

As for the dogs, yes it is more difficult to walk your dogs here in a similar way as you are used to in your home country. But for many dog owners that is not a reason to not bring their pets. In many ways life here is different and that includes the way people keep their pets. Many have houses with big gardens where the dog/s can stay and/or are exercised most of the time. Of course, some also seek places where they can take their dogs for the necessary change of scenery. Where that is depends on where you are planning to settle down.

For bringing your pet to Thailand that's not difficult at all, as long as your paperwork is in order. I understand the OP is from the UK? Then for the export permit etc. you can have a look on the defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/index.htm

For import in Thailand: http://www.dld.go.th/dcontrol/move/imex_e.html

If you need more information, please feel free to pm me, as I've helped more people with importing their pets. If you click on the pinned subject "importing pets", then you get several personal experiences of people who already imported their pet/s.

And, please, in whatever you may decide always take into account that there may be a (small) chance things in Thailand will not work out the way you had hoped for, and you may decide to return to your home country. The UK does have 6 months of quarantine, which is pretty costly.

I wish the you good luck with your decision.

Why not put old pets down, move here, save new pets from death.

Sarahsbloke, this quote doesn't make sense to me. Are you suggesting to first kill two animals, which aren't old at all (provided both dogs are healthy they easily can go on for another several years) in order to be able to 'save' another one or two?

[kunash]

i do feel happier now, that i could bring my dogs with me to thailand.  i think that the time i am ready to move i may be settled in a nice home in a development site, so there will be fewer 'street' dogs around.   I am just nervous about them being attacked.  

as for my cat, she stays in the house with me.  she is not an outside cat.  she could never be re-homed. i really do not know what to do about her.  when the time is nearer ( to move ),maybe i will choose to stay, and just go to thailand on holiday.  i will have to make the decision nearer the time. not something i can do now

[Nienke]

You may search the net for cat lover groups that have knowledgeable people on cat behavior. You never know if there is a person who is willing and skilled in adopting your cat. Just like Phetaroi and NancyL found, in the end, good homes for their pets. Already starting to look aroundwhat there is in your country wouldn't hurt.

Again I wish you again good luck with your decision.

[kunash]

 thanks nienke, i will bookmark this page, and contact you when nearer the time to move

[Naam]

Why not put old pets down, move here, save new pets from death.

Sarahsbloke, this quote doesn't make sense to me. Are you suggesting to first kill two animals, which aren't old at all (provided both dogs are healthy they easily can go on for another several years) in order to be able to 'save' another one or two?

obviously this clown never had a pet!

[Steely Dan]

I did the opposite, dog from Thailand to the US. Thai people were shocked, and claimed he must have had a really good past life

If the cat is too old, perhaps giving it to someone, but how old is the dog?

You could always have given your dog to some kind Thai lady to look after and offer to send money by western Union if it got sick.

[sarahsbloke]

obviously this clown bah.gif never had a pet!

Or I don't have the same pathetic attachment to animals that most protestant christians do.

Buddha says, if the balance of live and death is even, no bad.

[bina]

sarasbloke; tone down , next coment is a warning....

too bad im not a 'pathetic' protestant christian either but still would rather not leave my dogs behind.... everybody, stick to helpful info, not emotional comments please....

bina

israel

[Patsycat]

I just couldn't think of moving anywhere without Jimmy. It would break my heart and his.

He is so special. A woman in the apartment building next to me stole him for eight months - but he came home at 5 am on a sunny August day. And all my neighbours love him. He's a sort of mascot!!

And yes, I am a protestant - if that has anything to do with this thread!!

[bina]

if he were to see the amount of peoples' cell phones with wallpaper pics of their dogs , i guess we would be pathetic protestant jews or something .. never mind.... he's just confused by people loving their animals...

bina

israel

[bkkc1976]

Then dont move here untill the time has come for your cat/dogs!I will never ever understand people that get animals and then when their life changes the just give their animals away or even considering to kill them!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE??

[wolf5370]

I brought my dog and cat over from the UK. My dog weighs in at 70Kd, so cost a small fortune! Both flew together in the hold of a plane and I met them here. They were boarded at the shippers for a few days before we left and used Nienke's place for our first night why we sorted ourselves out.

Never had a problem with the Soi dogs - in fact the local ones are scared sh!tless of my cat (who grew up with a big dog and shows absolutely no fear of them - which really seems to faze them!). Unless you are going to let your dog wander the streets, then soi dogs won't be a problem.

My last cat lived to 23 years old (and died from a fall not from old age), so 15 isn't that old.

It takes a while for them to acclimatise, but they do in a week or two (they really have to go through it, so don't mollycoddle with aircon etc or they will be uncomfortable for months instead - just plenty of cool water changed regularly).

Use an agent for shipping as the rules change constantly and many airlines now insist on them going as cargo - which means import taxes.

[Damacles]

When my work situation changed and I had to travel a lot, I thought it would be better for my cat to live with people who were about more, rather than have someone pop in and feed her each day. After months of searching I found friends of a friend who I knew would take good care of her - I think I'd have left my job otherwise. And even now I half regret not doing that...2 years later and I still expect her to come running up when I get home and I can't even bear to visit her when I'm in town

And I don't buy into any religion....what a weird comment!

[Patsycat]

We're all just big soft lumps, aren't we??