Shipping Pets

Currently, there is no veterinary care available for pets on Fort Buchanan. There are no license requirements for house pets. Vaccinations must be up to date, within six months of arrival. For questions about moving with your pet, contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture webpage: USDA APHIS | Taking a pet from one U.S. State/Territory to another U.S. State/Territory (Interstate).

Pet Travel and Quarantine

All animals entering the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico must have a health certificate and a current rabies vaccination administered by a veterinarian. The health certificate must certify that the animal is free of infectious and contagious diseases. Animals must also have an active microchip implanted on or before the date of rabies vaccination. Both the rabies vaccination certificate and health certificate must be signed by the veterinarian in blue ink.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has established animal-importation requirements similar to those of the U.S. mainland. In general, these requirements are intended to prevent the introduction of animal diseases that have been eradicated from the continental United States. Pets moving to Puerto Rico must comply with both U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico regulations. Additional information is available on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/state-to-state.

For pets moving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to CONUS, visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/traveling-with-ag-products/puerto-rico-usvi.

Pets traveling from outside the United States locations, must have a Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture import permit, a health certificate, and current rabies vaccination documentation. These documents must demonstrate that the animal did not originate in an area subject to rabies quarantine. Additional information is available on the USDA APHIS website: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel.

To prevent the spread of avian diseases in Puerto Rico, import requirements for exotic birds are more stringent than those for dogs and cats. All birds entering Puerto Rico must have an import permit issued by the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture State Animal Health Officer and an official health certificate. The certificate must state that the bird is free of symptoms associated with psittacosis, Chlamydia psittacine, avian influenza, and Newcastle disease, which requires testing. The certificate must also state that the bird did not originate from an area under quarantine for any of these diseases.

Birds not originally obtained in the U.S. must undergo a 30-day quarantine at a USDA animal-import facility. The nearest facility to Puerto Rico is in Miami, Florida. Pet birds accompanied by documentation of U.S. origin, including a health certificate and leg band, may enter Puerto Rico without quarantine. Other animals, including reptiles, rabbits, and small rodents, require a current health certificate and import permits to enter Puerto Rico from OCONUS locations.

Any animal entering Puerto Rico from OCONUS that is found to have a disease may be returned to its point of origin or euthanized.

Note: Import requirements can change. Validate the current requirements with USDA APHIS and the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture before travel

Boarding

Early planning is very important to ensure a space for your pets at a local kennel. Reservations should be made at least one month in advance. Deposits will be required to hold reservation. All kennels listed below meet standards. The U.S. Army Veterinary Services cannot take responsibility for animals while boarded.

• Wildane Kennels, 787-717-2558
• De Varona Center, 787-338-0040
• PetSmart, 787-774-1370

The Holiday Inn Express-El Caney Lodge in Fort Buchanan, has two deluxe pet-friendly rooms with $75 deposit (not refundable for the first seven (7) nights) Call to make reservations at 787-792-7977.

Dangerous Dog Laws

A law passed in Puerto Rico in 2018 now allows the possession of pit bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers and all breed crosses. So far there is no ordinance against them on post. According to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources (787-999-2200, x2910/2911), all exotic pets such as snakes, birds, reptiles, etc., must have pre-approval before coming into the island. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture webpage: USDA APHIS | Taking a pet from one U.S. State/Territory to another U.S. State/Territory (Interstate).

Pet Arrival and Import Requirements

Pets arriving at the airport must be picked up at the traveling airline’s cargo facility.

For instructions on importing pets from a foreign country to a U.S. territory, visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/live-animal-import

All dogs and cats entering Puerto Rico must be accompanied by the following:

• An official health certificate stating that the animal did not originate from an area under rabies quarantine.
• An official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection signed by an accredited veterinarian in the state or territory of origin. The certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of inspection.

Service members must complete USDA APHIS Form 7001, which may be used for interstate and international purposes.

Dogs and cats older than 4 months must be vaccinated against rabies within six months before the date of shipment. They must be properly identified and accompanied by a rabies vaccination certificate.

Pets must be treated for external parasites within 72 hours before entry. The accredited veterinarian must document the treatment on the health certificate.

Pets must have official individual identification, such as a microchip or a collar with a metallic identification tag.

An import permit is required before shipping animals or birds. However, dogs and cats moving interstate do not require a Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture import permit.

All import-permit applications must be submitted to the State Animal Health Officer and include the following information:

• Name and address of the consignor and consignee
• Species and number of animals
• Detailed description of the animals or birds, including official individual identification; for dogs and cats, this includes a microchip or collar with a metallic identification tag
• Age, sex, and breed
• Point of origin
• Dates and results of laboratory or other testing
• Dates and types of vaccinations administered
• Proposed shipment date
• Destination and local address
• Means of transportation
• Reason for shipment and intended use of the animals
• A health certificate stating whether the animals are free of symptoms of infectious or contagious diseases or have been exposed to such diseases

For animals originating outside the United States (OCONUS) or its territories, federal import regulations apply. For additional information, visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/.

Livestock, Poultry, Birds, and Other Animals

All livestock, poultry, birds, and other animals entering Puerto Rico under an import permit must be consigned to a Puerto Rico resident.

Any livestock, poultry, bird, or other animal entering Puerto Rico that is found to be affected by, a carrier of, or recently exposed to an infectious, contagious, or communicable disease may be returned to its point of origin or destroyed and disposed of as directed by the PRDA Office of Veterinary Services and Animal Health, or its authorized representative. All associated costs are the responsibility of the owner or importer.

The Government of Puerto Rico will not provide compensation for animals destroyed under these circumstances.

Contact the PRDA-SAHO office for information on import-permit requests and fees.

Pet Transportation Reimbursement

Effective January 1, 2024, reimbursement is authorized for expenses directly related to pet transportation:

• Up to $550 for a permanent change of station (PCS) move within the continental United States (CONUS).
• Up to $2,000 for a PCS move to or from a location outside the continental United States (OCONUS).

Eligible expenses may include pet shipping and quarantine fees.

For reimbursement purposes, a household pet is defined as a dog or cat owned for personal companionship. Service members are responsible for complying with all requirements for importing and exporting pets to and from the U.S. Denial of entry may result in denial of reimbursement.

Only one dog or cat is authorized for reimbursement per move.

CONUS moves: Reimbursement may include microchipping, boarding fees, hotel service charges for the pet, licensing fees at the new duty station, and pet-shipping fees when the service member flies rather than drives or when the pet is transported separately from the service member.

OCONUS moves: The same expenses may be reimbursable, along with costs for titer testing required for entry. A titer test is a laboratory test that measures the presence and quantity of antibodies in the blood. It may be used to demonstrate immunity to a disease.

For transoceanic travel, government or government-procured transportation must be used when available. If it is available but not used, reimbursement for transportation costs is not authorized.

Army Emergency Relief plans to continue its pet-transportation assistance program, which began in April 2022. The AER assistance cap is $5,500, regardless of the number of pets. Assistance may be provided as a zero-interest bridge loan or a grant.

For comprehensive information on moving with pets, visit: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/moving-pcs/plan-to-move/moving-with-pets.

Because animal-import requirements and reimbursement policies may change, verify current requirements, eligible expenses, and applicable forms with USDA APHIS, PRDA, and the servicing transportation or finance office before travel.