How Can I Bring My Dog from Cuba to the U.S.?

by jackeline rodriguez
(cape coral fl usa)

I came from Cuba 5 month ago and I want to bring my dog, I have the papers ready what also do I need and what do I have to do?

Answer

To bring your dog from Cuba to the U.S. , the dog must be accompanied by a VALID health certificate stating that they are free of diseases communicable to man.
Dogs must be examined for tapeworms and vacinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to the entry in the U.S.
The vacination certificate must bear the signature of a licensed veterinarian, I think that this will cause the biggest problem. You will find licensed
veterinarians in Cuba, but I see two probems: first the health certificate will be delivered in the official Cuban language : Spanish, so you will need a certified
translation by an official accepted translator. Second problem, will the U.S. immigration and Health Services recognize the certificate delivered by a
Cuban licensed veterinarian? Chances are that your dog must stay in quarantine and that you will need a new certificate issued by a U.S. veterinarian.
An other fact to consider: not all airlines accept the transport of animals, and between Cuba and the USA is no regular airline traffic, due to
the U.S.- Cuban embargo, so your possibilities are limited you probably must travel through Cancun (Mexico) or Toronto (Canada) with your dog in transit.
Note, that this is not a legal advice and that the accuracy is not guaranteed. Therefore I strongly advise you to contact the US Immigration and Health Services
for up to date information about this.

Vic, webmaster Havana-guide.com