See full version: Sailing to st. kitts with dogs
Experience: The email address available online has been having problems for a year, but the private email addresses above will get a conversation going. Checking your dog into St. Lucia is straight forward and easy in Rodney Bay. Either you or the customs officer can call the Agriculture Department to set up a meeting with the vet. He will come to the marina/dock. here
As a conclusion, it is a good idea to stay up to date with the rabies and DHCCP shots and have current health and vaccination records for your dog. Together with a proper way of identification (microchip), this mostly covers your pet’s requirements for the Eastern Caribbean islands. Import permits are generally valid for one month. Please note that certain aggressive breeds are not allowed in the islands.
Remarks: When checking into the country, your dog has to be declared and paperwork presented. Then he/she has to resume on the boat, which counts as quarantine.
The overview is based on a dog coming from a country where rabies exists or after a brief stay in a rabies-free country. If your dog was stationed for over six months in a rabies-free country before (non-stop) arriving in another rabies-free country, everything is much easier.
Contact: Helena Jeffery Brown, Dr. Oona Edwards (the new Chief Vet Officer) more
Below is a list of fees associated with bringing your pet to St. Kitts and Nevis. more
Please note that the following dogs will not be permitted in St. Kitts and Nevis: Pit Bull Terrier/ Staffordshire Terrier Dogo Argentino Presa Canario Fila Brasileiro Japanese Tosa American Bulldog. more
In order to travel with your pet to St. Kitts and Nevis, you will need to complete the following entry requirements. more
Upon our arrival into St. Kitts and Nevis, your pet is required to undergo a 30-day home quarantine. In that time, dogs must be kept on approved premises, completely fenced and secure, Cats must be kept in doors at all times and all windows and doors must be screened. Pets, after inspection at the port of entry must not be removed from carrier until arrival at the place of quarantine. Pets must not come into contact with any other animal during the quarantine period. They must not be removed from the premises without permission of the Veterinary Authority. Permission will be granted for Veterinary emergencies. There will be 4 monitoring visits of your pet during the 30 day confinement. Failure to comply with the quarantine requirements will result in the deportation of your pet.
Below is a list of fees associated with bringing your pet to St. Kitts and Nevis. more
Please note that the following dogs will not be permitted in St. Kitts and Nevis: Pit Bull Terrier/ Staffordshire Terrier Dogo Argentino Presa Canario Fila Brasileiro Japanese Tosa American Bulldog. more
In order to travel with your pet to St. Kitts and Nevis, you will need to complete the following entry requirements. more
Upon our arrival into St. Kitts and Nevis, your pet is required to undergo a 30-day home quarantine. In that time, dogs must be kept on approved premises, completely fenced and secure, Cats must be kept in doors at all times and all windows and doors must be screened. Pets, after inspection at the port of entry must not be removed from carrier until arrival at the place of quarantine. Pets must not come into contact with any other animal during the quarantine period. They must not be removed from the premises without permission of the Veterinary Authority. Permission will be granted for Veterinary emergencies. There will be 4 monitoring visits of your pet during the 30 day confinement. Failure to comply with the quarantine requirements will result in the deportation of your pet.
First thing is first, you need to come prepared. That means planning a few months ahead of your intended departure date. A full list of things you need to PREPARE to sail to the Caribbean with a dog can be found here. To summarize, your dog will need a current rabies vaccine, rabies titer test, DAPP vaccine (sometimes referred to as DHPP), Heartworm/parasite test, Lyme, Lepto, and Coronavirus vaccines. The biggest thing to remember is to plan in advance. The titer test can take weeks to receive results and it needs to be taken at least 30 days AFTER your dog’s rabies vaccine. Lyme and Lepto vaccines come in two doses, 2-3 weeks apart. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!
We could not get a vet appointment in the Bahamas within 10 days of our planned arrival for the Turks and Caicos. After hearing repeatedly that T&C is one of the strictest places to bring a pet we opted to sail straight through to the Dominican Republic which we had heard was much more lenient.
We spent a few weeks sailing around the out islands of the Bahamas before heading to the Dominican Republic. We were unable to find a vet before we arrived so we risked the 2-month-old health certificate that we used to check into the Bahamas.
Ocean World Marina is known to make the check-in process easy because they had all agents on-site rather than having to track down the Navy, Customs and Immigration, and Drug Enforcement like you would have to in Luperon. The concierge spoke English and made checking in easy. No one asked to look at any paperwork for Jetty. However, when we checked out of Ocean World and got a despacho for Samana the Navy officer said that the customs agent in Samana might ask for it (they did not).
Email all health records to [email protected] and request an import permit. You must inform the Veterinary & Livestock Division of your arrival at least 48 prior. You will be charged a Veterinary Inspection Fee US$50.00. more