Should Evacuation Pre-Work Be Part of Travel Planning With Your Pet?

It happens every time a natural disaster occurs, and residents must flee their homes with little or no warning. Pets get left behind. Not because their families don’t care, but because rescue transport is often either not equipped to accommodate dogs or is at capacity with humans.

Such is the case in Dubai, where a war is raging across the skies and strikes are hitting a little too close fo comfort. For many expats who choose to live part of each year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), returning home to the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom (UK) means not only a flight but loads of pre-planning. Lacking that last requirement can preclude the ability to evacuate with pets.

Under normal circumstances, with the right certification and a hefty budget to support the transport of your pet, it can be fairly routine to pack up the family dog (or cat) and head out to explore the world. But with natural and man-made disasters looming large these days, pre-planning and having an effective exit strategy for the entire family can be as important as packing your passport and keeping your phone charged.

You see, there are more than 100 countries considered to be “high risk” by not only the United States but several other nations. By high-risk, we refer to higher than normal instances of rabies and at present, The UAE is one of them. Having this designation adds an entirely new element to the ease of evacuating with a pet.

Beyond the standard Center for Disease Control (CDC) Dog Import Form, you’ll need the dog in question to have either a valid and fully completed Certification of American Rabies Vaccination form or a Foreign Rabies Vaccination form. Either is fairly common for dog owners, and not really a stumbling block.

But the dog must also have an implanted International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip. Unlike the standard microchip many of our pets have, this particular form of identification adheres to global standards and can be read by worldwide scanners. So, regardless of where you land, airport officials can confirm your dog matches his paperwork.

Now, Dubai loves its pets, and although they have proclaimed it illegal to abandon them, recent events have made that hard to enforce. In response to the sudden number of stray dogs and cats now roaming their streets, they have introduced several AI-powered feeding stations across the city to help ensure the furry population is at least fed.

And when animal rescues in Dubai started feeling overwhelmed with the rapid influx of relinquished pets, the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) stepped up to the plate by waiving the usual quarantine period for pets returning to the UK. As long as the required paperwork is complete.

The lessons learned? Check out your destination country before travelling with your pet. If they’re considered high-risk, take the time to ensure your dog has the appropriate documents and microchip needed to keep a possible evacuation quick and seamless.