Traveling With Your Pet?
Traveling with your pet—whether across state lines or internationally—can be exciting, but it also requires careful planning and strict documentation. Every country and every U.S. state has its own rules, timelines, and required forms.
At Hickory Veterinary and Specialty Hospital (HVSH), our USDA-Accredited Veterinarians and trained staff help you complete the veterinary portion of the process so your pet can travel safely and legally.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
You are ultimately responsible for knowing and meeting the entry requirements for your destination. These rules can change without notice and vary widely depending on where you are going.
We strongly recommend starting weeks to months in advance.
Before booking travel, you should:
- Plan far in advance
- Confirm your pet is eligible for entry into your destination country or state
- Check with your airline, train, or boat company (some do not accept certain breeds or sizes)
- Review official government requirements for:
- Your destination
- Your return to the U.S. (if traveling internationally)
Helpful official resources:
- USDA APHIS Pet Travel
- CDC Traveling with Pets
- The destination country’s consulate or government website
How HVSH Helps
Hickory Veterinary and Specialty Hospital provides all required veterinary services for pet travel in one location, including:
- Vaccine updates
- Rabies certificates
- FAVN rabies titer testing (if required)
- Microchip implantation and scanning
- Parasite prevention (if required)
- Health certificate exams
- Completion of USDA-required veterinary forms
- Coordination of laboratory testing
Some portions of international paperwork must be completed by the pet owner, but we will guide you through what is needed and when.
USDA-Accredited Health Certificates
HVSH has USDA-Accredited Veterinarians on staff who are authorized to issue official pet health certificates for both interstate and international travel.
These exams are by appointment only and must be scheduled with one of our accredited doctors. Call us to schedule: 610-828-3054
Dr. Tiffany Kay
USDA-Accredited Veterinarian
Provides international and interstate health certificates for dogs and cats
Dr. Jaclyn O’Pella
USDA-Accredited Veterinarian
Provides international and interstate health certificates for dogs and cats
Your Responsibilities as a Pet Traveler
To avoid delays, rejected paperwork, or denied boarding, pet owners must provide complete and accurate information.
You are responsible for providing HVSH with:
- Correct client and pet names
- Current home address
- Contact phone numbers
- Destination address
- Up-to-date medical records
- Rabies and vaccine certificates
- (Microchip numbers must match exactly)
- Any testing results or documents not performed at HVSH
You are also responsible for:
- Researching your destination’s requirements
- Understanding USDA and foreign country rules
- Requesting needed services in the correct order (Example: microchip before rabies vaccine)
- Tracking all timelines and deadlines for:
- Flights
- Exams
- Vaccines
- Testing
- Paperwork submission
- USDA endorsement
- Completing any required dog or cat import forms
- Submitting payment and documents on time
Most countries require the health certificate and USDA endorsement to be completed within a specific number of days before travel. Missing a deadline can prevent your pet from flying.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re planning to travel with your dog or cat, start early and let our team help you through the veterinary side of the process.