Shipping Pets

It is the law, California Health and Safety Code (121690) requires all dogs to be vaccinated against rabies and to obtain a license.  Once your dog has been assigned a license, the number and the information about your dog is permanently filed in the licensing records. Your dog keeps the same license tag number for life.

The owner of every dog over the age four months is required by law to ensure that his or her pet is currently vaccinated against rabies.

You must purchase a license:

• Within 30 days after reaching the age of 4 months
• Within 30 days of acquiring the dog
• Within 30 days after entering the jurisdiction

Important Licensing Information

• Failure to obtain a license, or to renew the license by the expiration date result in a late fee.
• The primary rabies vaccination is good for one year. The second vaccination is given one year later. Subsequent (or booster) vaccinations are valid for three years.
• A dog’s license tag must be securely fastened to the dog’s collar or harness and worn by the dog at all times.
• Dog license fees are not refundable

To apply for a license for the incorporated cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista

• Download application form
• Provide proof of rabies vaccination
• Provide proof of spay or neuter, if applicable
• Make check payable to San Diego Humane Society
• For further information, email license@sdhumane.org

You can print a dog license application and mail it to San Diego Campus: 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, CA 92110. 

Or license your dog in person at one of these locations during the normal business hours:

• Escondido Campus: 3450 E Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92027
• Oceanside Campus: 2905 San Luis Rey Rd., Oceanside, CA 92058
• San Diego Campus: 5480 Gaines Street, San Diego, CA 92110

The Veterinary Treatment Facility at MCAS Miramar provides required pet vaccinations. Visits are by appointment. Please call in advance: 858-307-6552 or 858-307-1773. They are open Monday through Friday from 7 to 11 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m. They are closed weekends, holidays and last business day of the month.

MCAS Miramar VTF:

• Address; 6360 Bauer Rd, San Diego, CA  92145
• Email:  usarmy.miramarvtf@mail.mil  

For San Diego County (dogs only): Ensure that your dog is currently vaccinated against rabies.

Dog owners are required by law to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian and licensed:

• By the time the dog is 5 months of age, or
• Within 30 days after obtaining or bringing any dog over 4 months of age into the jurisdiction, and
• Dog owners are required to renew the dog license before it expires.

The rabies vaccination must be effective through the entire licensing period. The primary or first rabies vaccination is valid for one year. The second rabies vaccination given one-year later, and subsequent (or booster) rabies vaccinations are valid for three years. If you are unsure of the duration of your dog's vaccination, please call your veterinarian or the San Diego County Department of Animal Services at 619-767-2675. After vaccinating a dog against rabies, the veterinarian will present the dog owner with a Dog License Application & Rabies Certificate. Online license renewal is available via the SDC-DAS website.

While domestic pets (dogs/cats, etc.) are not normally required to be quarantined, it is strongly advised that you obtain a health certificate and other medical history documentation for your pet(s) before moving to California. In the event quarantine is required in connection with a PCS, certain qualified quarantines fees, up to a limit, are reimbursable. Contact the Distribution Management Office, or DMO, for the most current information via phone 619-524-5365. Check with your local Veterinarian Office to ensure you have all the proper information to travel with your pet/s.

Regardless of whether you're driving across the U.S. or flying overseas, all pet owners should plan ahead to make the trip less stressful for their pets. Have your pet evaluated by your personal veterinarian to be sure he/she is fit for air travel. Ensure kennel has adequate ventilation and pet is free of respiratory problems. Some species such as snub nosed dogs and cats have difficulty breathing even under normal conditions. Exercise your pet before arriving at the terminal. Carry a leash with you to walk your pet before check-in and after arrival at the destination. Mark kennel with pet's name, your name, destination or unit address and phone number if available. Keep strangers, especially children, at a safe distance if your pet seems nervous.

In an auto accident, according to San Diego Humane Society, a pet exerts a force of 20 times his/her body weight if not properly restrained, which can result in severe injury and possibly death to the pet and/or car passengers. So before you head out on a road trip, consider several options when choosing appropriate vehicle pet restraint depending on the breed and size of your pet as well as the type of vehicle in which you are traveling.

• Small Dogs - can travel in pet carriers or canine seat belt harness secured to the car's seat belt. Car seats are available for small dogs.
• Large Dogs - if you have SUV or station wagon, a pet crate secured in the back of the vehicle is often the best way to travel in comfort and safety. A canine seat belt harness is the next safest way for your pet to travel.
• Cats - pet carriers that attach to the seat belt and headrest of the vehicle are an ideal option. Choose a carrier with soft sides to protect your cat in the case of sudden stops and mesh windows for ventilation.
• What not to do - don't ride with your pet in the front seat. Front air bags can injure pets if they deploy. Avoid having your dog ride in the back of a pick-up truck. Even if restrained by a leash, a dog can strangle itself by falling over the side of the truck bed.

There are no pet boarding or veterinary facilities aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (seven miles north of MCRD) does have a veterinary clinic but no formal kennel or boarding accommodations for dogs, horses etc. Stables for horses are available for a fee at Camp Pendleton. The veterinary clinic does offer local community references, but because they are subject to change you should contact the clinic for the most current information: 858-307-6552.

Camp Pendleton Horse Stables

All boarders must complete an application for a contract prior to the horse's arrival. Please bring in a copy of the military sponsor's ID, and the ID of anybody authorized to handle the horse. Please provide proof of ownership (i.e., a bill-of-sale or registration) and proof of insurance by the date of the horse's arrival. The horse must spend a minimum of seven days in quarantine and must be current on all shots (EWT, influenza, rabies) before it can be released. A Coggins test result must be negative within six months of arrival. EWT and rabies vaccines are required annually, and a vet must administer the rabies vaccine. The influenza vaccine is required biannually. De-worming is required quarterly, and the horse must be de-wormed while in quarantine under witness by vet or stable staff. West Nile virus is currently in San Diego County and in several counties in Arizona. We strongly recommend administering that vaccine, as well. For more information and fees contact the Camp Pendleton Stepp Stables  at 760-725-5094.

Transportation

Shipping pets via Air Mobility Command, or AMC, aircraft: Pets means "dogs and cats only." Keep in mind that pet shipment is not an entitlement, but a privilege limited to charter passengers in a permanent-change-of-station status. The limit is two pets per family. Waivers are required to transport more than two. There is a weight limit -- 99 pounds, including the cage or shipping container. The government does not underwrite or reimburse the cost of shipping pets. Owners pay the freight, and they also must make their own commercial airline arrangements if the pet exceeds the AMC's 99-pound weight limit. Pet owners are responsible for the preparation and care of their animals and satisfying all documentation, immunization and border clearance requirements, including quarantines. The shipping container used must be approved by the International Air Transport Association and be large enough for normal body movements and for the pet to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. A small pet can travel in the charter aircraft cabin with special permission from AMC, but it must be in a hard-shell kennel not exceeding 20 inches by 16 inches by 8 inches. 

Service members should advise their transportation office or distribution management office, about their pets when making arrangements to ship their belongings. Make arrangements two or three months before you are scheduled to PCS. Owners should anticipate difficulty shipping pets during the summer months, when most PCS moves take place.  Again, be aware that you may have to ship your pets on a commercial flight and make financial contingency plans for this possibility.

The United States Marine Corps has set official policy on types of dogs allowed in installation housing and other rules surrounding pets on base. You must read this policy before you plan your move and if you plan to live in government housing.

Please also refer to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego DepO 11000.22 on pet policy.