Expert: jerry mishler - 10/17/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello Jerry Mishler,

I hope you can help me with my question.  I've called the Italian Embassy, the cruiseship, several dog relocation services and no one has been able to help... but I hope that you can!

Can I take my dog from USA to Italy, then embark on a Princess cruise (through international waters and non-EU countries of Turkey and Croatia) and then get my dog back in to Italy (Civitavecchia/Rome port) AFTER the cruise?

**No one knows if I can get my dog in to Italy AFTER the cruise.**

I will be flying from USA to Venice, Italy with my (service)dog to take a Princess Cruise from Venice to Rome.  I see that the requirements for a service dog is the same as a regular dog.  Here's the list of things required:
a.  Microchip:  15-digit ISO compliant  (ResQ microchip okay?)
b.  Rabies vaccination record, issued by any veterinarian.
c.  Veterinary Certificate (EU 998/2003), issued by "APHIS certified" vet.  Two copies: one in English and one in Italian.
d.  International Movement of Small Animals Health Certificate.
e.  Above items 2,3,and 4 certified by Federal Vet.
f.  On the "EU 998/2003 form", the rabies serological test, tick and echinococcus is not required for travel to Italy.
g. Microchip# listed on all documents.
h. Leash, muzzle, and approved-crate (Sherpa case) for dog.

Now, here are my questions:
1.  Can you please check and correct my above list (thanks)!
2.  Is above item #3 different from item #4?
3.  Is a "pet passport" required and where can I get it from?
4.  Tricky question:  My 12-day cruise departs from Venice for "international waters" and visits Croatia, Turkey, Greece before returning to Rome, Italy.  Greece is part of the EU.  Turkey and Croatia are NOT part of the EU.  Also, Turkey has a "high incidence of rabies" so dogs that travel from Turkey to Italy must have rabies-titer testing 3-months PRIOR to entering Italy.  *Will my service dog be required to do the rabies-titer test (3-month quarantine) in order to get back in to Italy after our cruise?  (That would be disastrous.)  My dog will not get off the ship at Turkey but I have no way to prove that to Italian officials at disembarkation.
5. My dog will not leave the ship or visit any ports.  How can I prove this to the port officials at Rome, Italy so that my dog can get back in to Italy AFTER the cruise?
6. My airplane stops in Madrid,Spain for change of planes and several hours layover.  Do I need to prepare documents for the dog to also enter Spain or do I only need documents for Italy?
7. What are the requirements for bringing my dog back in to the USA (New York JFK airport)?  Will I only need to fulfill requirements of the dog coming from ITALY... or, will I need to fulfill the requirements of the dog coming from all countries that were visited during the cruise (Italy, Turkey, Greece, Croatia)?

The Italian Embassy and Princess cruise have not been able to tell me if the dog will be allowed back in to Italy AFTER the cruise.  I remain hopeful that you can help me.

Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.



ANSWER: Wow.  And all this for FREE !!!!!
What pet relocators have you spoken with?  Suggest you visit: www.ipata.com  There is one called
re-locat in Italy that I would refer you to for correct info
I am a little concerned:  You say this is a service dog, but he/she will be in a Sherpa bag ????
What kind of service, if I might ask?  Be sure you have ALL necessary documents to prove this.....
How can you leave the ship without the service dog if you need a service dog ????
There may be a provision for the Captain of the ship to sign a document stating the dog has not
left the ship while in these ports ??
There is ONLY one EU form 998 for you.  It is bi-lingual Eng-Italian
The EU 998 is NOT a health cert.  These are two entirely different documents
The EU pet passport is only issued in Europe.  It will NOT help you re: Turkey or Croatia.
Turkey would be the real problem here, probably not Croatia.
Re-entry into USA from any country in the world is NO problem.  Main thing, valid rabies vac
Suggest you might get a new health cert issued within 10 days of reenty, but would not sweat
this.  Going thru Spain will be no problem.  Would be a nice idea to get EU pet passport soon as
you can after first landing in Italy.  Will be very useful
I may have missed some points here. Get back to me
Regards, Jerry

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I agree,... it is TRULY AMAZING that all of your expert advice is FREE!!!! I really appreciate your expert advice, thank you soooooo much!
I apologize for not replying sooner, but it's taken me time to contact the Italian Embassy, Federal Vet in Annapolis,MD, Rome/Civitavecchia port officials and here are the questions that still remain unanswered.... hoping you can help with these before my cruise departure end of this month....yikes!

First, in reply to your good questions:
The service dog is a certified "seizure alert medical service dog" and she weighs less than 10-lbs, thus fits in a Sherpa!  

My mother will be with me while I'm visiting ports for short excursions so I can leave the service dog on the ship.

I tried to limit/condense my questions, but I still ended up with 10 questions that I urgently need your help (again!):

1. Once the cruise starts, it visits a new port each day, so I will not have time to get a new health certificate issued within 10-days of RE-ENTRY to Italy.  Will Italy allow dog to re-enter if forms (EC998, 7001) are MORE THAN 10-days old?!  I remain desperately in need of a definitive answer on this one.

2. I land in Venice, Italy and board the cruiseship... where can I get an "EU pet passport"? Do I need to locate a vet in Venice, and how will the "pet passport" help me?

3. Instead of an ISO 15-digit chip, is the "AVID 9-digit microchip" okay for my dog traveling from USA to Italy if I bring my own AVID scanner?

4. Will I need to bring a "vet's letter" stating WHAT DATE the AVID microchip was implanted?

5.  Thanks for your GREAT IDEA and yes, Princess Cruise replied that a ship's official can sign a letter saying that the dog never left the ship.
Do you know if this document be valid and accepted?

6. Do you know of anyone who has successfully taken a dog on a cruiseship that visits Non-EU countries and has successfully re-entered EU-country?!

7. Worse case scenario, what happens to the dog if it is denied re-entry to Italy after the cruise:  is the dog destroyed or quarantined?! (scary!)

8. Is the "rabies serological test" and "tick and echinococcus" NOT required for travel to Italy or other EU-countries, correct?

9. If the dog does not go to Turkey, then is Turkey not a problem?

10. Most of the ports visited by the cruiseship are Greece, Italy and Spain.  Just in case of dog emergency illness, I'd like to prepare so that I can bring the dog in to these EU countries visited by the cruise.
Is the bilingual Italian-English form for Italy also valid for entry to
ALL OTHER EU countries (Greece, Spain) or do I need to fill out a SEPARATE bilingual form for Greece and Spain, too?  
 
Thank you so much again and it is very commendable that you share your expert knowledge to help people.

Sincere regards,
Linda



ANSWER: Linda
This is WAYYYYY too much for me.
Please do the following:    Google the following: Service dogs for the disabled
There are MANY sources for you to contact.  Certainly someone else has traveled as you wish to....
There are MANY organizations, and individuals you might contact
Also, again, I refer you to: www.relocat.it   for the specifics of EU travel
This is highly interesting and do wish I knew the answwers.  Sincerely hope you will keep me
totally informed so I can help the next person.......
Most Sincerely
Jerry Mishler

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Jerry,

The service dog is treated the same as a regular dog.
Therefore, you likely know the answer to questions #2,3,6, and 8?
Can you please take a look again and try to answer the ones that you can?
 
I have contacted the agencies that you suggested and their reply is that they help with "relocations" and have not had "travel on cruise" before.
I have posted questions on cruise.critic but with no success.

I hope you will be able to help me with a few (even 1 or 2) questions.

Sincere regards,
Linda  

Answer
Linda
Are you taking my suggestions?  Really???
Go to the internet and search:  european cruises for people with disabilities      and
european travel for people with disabilities.     There is SOOOOOOO much info here.
Also, contact   Abledata  at 800.227.0216
For the technical info you need, contact  DEFRA   link from p.5 of my website
They have phone #'s and email addresses to touch the exact issue of Turkey to EU, etc
What crusise line are you traveling on from Venice?
You probably do not need the EU pet Passport.  The EU 998 for Italy should be sufficient.
Can you not afford the 15 digit microchip?  Would be easiest, but the 9 digit with your own
scanner should be fine.
You simply just have a very unique situation and questions.  I don't think anyone could better
direct and advise you than I have.......
These just are not easy questions to answer......
Hang in there..... Just think of the helpful book you will be able to write when this is done.
You will be able to help many people.  I will write a preface to this book.....
Regards, Jerry
p.s.  The easiest part of all this will be the re-entry into USA