Transferring to Australia or New Zealand ? It is a sinking heart for a pet parent. It means that s/he may well have to give up or rehome their pet. These are the only regions where it is nearly impossible to take your pet along with you . The time taken and very high costs of taking one's pet is prohibitive - the cost given the high fees, complex number of steps needed, while the time taken seems to be a minimum of 8 months- a long period in a poor pet's life. India is classified as a 'non-approved country' By Australia & New Zealand  Dept of Agriculture  which means that you'll need to transit through a third & approved country like Singapore, Dubai or Netherlands  and complete all the required vaccines, etc. Many Indians especially in technology areas, in addition to global citizens posted in India, have either been transferred to Australia  & New Zealand or have migrated, so it is a substantial pool of educated, productive citizens. 

For countries that are so pet friendly, animal compassionate, this is very surprising, and the tragedy of pets being parted from parents, and left behind is doubly hard. Why are we penalising the helpless pets - and parting them from their beloved parents? We respect the country's laws, rabies-free status, their health  , animal and agriculture policies even the emphasis on biosecurity hazard, but can we review this  in present context. India is a developing, scientific country  with strong checks and balances in place. Surely we can do better, if at least to review closely what the reasons are for this inordinate delay in transferring with one pets, and why we must transit through another 'approved' country? Much can be sorted and families saved, if we apply ourselves. 

Why is India a non approved country & Indian lab tests not accepted ?
Their webiste says 'An approved country is any country, administrative region or territory from which the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment permits the importation of cats and dogs and their semen.
Approved countries have been able to demonstrate that they have adequate animal health services and a satisfactory animal health status. This provides a high level of assurance in the treatment, management and health status of cats and dogs imported into Australia.  '  

While we appreciate the step by step detailing & exhaustive answers in the Australia Agriculture website, surely its time to re look at India's categorisation as non approved? And  request a relook on why  does not differentiate between animals/reproductive material,  for general import and those brought is as personal pets?

(Dont forget, it took almost 10 years for even the king of fruits from India, the mango - to be exported to Australia under their stringent agriculture rules. There was undoubtedly good reason it was banned, but now it sits  proudly on ANZ market shelves.)

National biosecurity in Australia is governed and administered by two federal government departments, the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

------

Lets look at the pet export process a pet parent via  a relocator shared 3-4 years ago. The time frame is 6-8 months at best. The Cost about 6 lakhs per pet - which is HUGE. 

Step 1: Micro-chipping and Vaccination. We need to get the pet microchipped with an ISO 15 digit microchip. Assume you vaccinate the pet recently  for the rabies vaccine. Wait for 30 days minimum from the last rabies vaccine to perform serum test for Rabies Anti body. Approximate Cost: INR 5,000.

 Step 2: Blood/Serum Titre Test (Rabies Antibody Neutralising Test).  1 Feb: Take her to a vet and collect the serum sample. 2 Feb: Send the sample to an OIE approved lab. We prefer the lab in UK. Your test report will be with you in 10 working days. Approximate Cost:  INR 12,000.

 Step 3: Wait and prepare your pet for Crate training. Get a good crate as per IATA guidelines. Pet agency  will choose a suitable size once we have exact measurements of your pet.  Approximate Cost for a 40-inch crate : INR 17,000 (by Sky kennels group) Cost of a 48” crate is around INR 42,000. These will be home delivered to you with all the required accessories.

 The 180 days time to wait before the dog can enter Australia (Starts from the day the lab receive the serum sample).

 Step 4: Paperwork for the Transit country. Prepare export permit and other documents required for sending the pet to Singapore / Malaysia/Dubai  (which ever you choose).  Also the quarantine booking in Australia will be done at this point. Approximate Cost: For freight to Singapore/Malaysia and export paperwork INR 1,50,000 – 2,00,000(depends of pet dimension)

 ** Note that the flight cost and freight cost is variable as per actual cost at the time of booking. The above cost is considering the giant crate

Step 5:  Quarantine stay for 30 days(SINGAPORE) / 10 days(MALAYSIA)

Step 6: Stay of one month in Paid Boarding . External parasite treatment will be done. The following tests will be done in this time; Ehrlichia canis test
Leishmania infantum test, Brucella canis test (if not de-sexed).Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola test (if not vaccinated).
Apply for import permit in Australia . Book quarantine in Australia

Step 7: Other final treatment (Like internal parasite treatment (de-worming) and final check up for fit to fly)

Step 8: Arrival in Australia

 Step 9: Quarantine  - Minimum 10 days Quarantine

 Step 10: Pet with your human family
 
The outline of  process with Approx costing. The approximate cost all inclusive would be; Via Malaysia: Around INR 5,00,000 – INR 6,00,000 Via Singapore around INR 5,50,000 – 6,50,000 . The service will include:  export from India, with crate; import in Malaysia or Singapore; Boarding your pet in Malaysia for 4 weeks+1 week of quarantine or Boarding your pet for 4weeks + 30 days quarantine; export formalities from Malaysia/Singapore to Melbourne; Quarantine booking at Melbourne; Airfreight and custom clearance for the same; Titre tests and other medical tests at Malaysia/Singapore; delivery within Melbourne.

----------

We can do better- for the poor pets' sake...

Links:

1. The Global Indie/   - self curated Facebook  group to enable pet parents to relocate WITH their pets
2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/pets/a-guide-to-relocating-pets-to-different-countries/articleshow/92749889.cms
3. List of services by pet Relocators: https://anvispetrelocation.com/export-services/
4. India pet  import rules are stringent but shorter & easier : https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/india.cfm
5. Step by Step guide from Australia Agriculture: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/cats-dogs/step-by-step-guides/nac-cat2and3dogs
6. The most stringent import guidelines -https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/05/14/the-biosecurity-logic-behind-australias-threat-to-kill-johnny-depps-dogs/
7. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-13/time-and-cost-taking-pets-overseas-and-bringing-to-australia/8797506
8. Biosecurity in Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosecurity_in_Australia
9. New Zealand even more stringent - https://www.mpi.govt.nz/bring-send-to-nz/pets-travelling-to-nz/bringing-cats-and-dogs-to-nz/step-by-step-guide-to-bringing-cats-and-dogs-to-nz/

Stories that went right and wrong 

Forced to rehome: 1. Akshay Hebbar - Oct 2018 golden retriever - 4 years 2. Nikhil Sharma - Nov 2017 German shepherd -  Bruno 4.5 yrs  Tia - 3 yrs3. Mansi Bhall - May 2018 elsa - Lab rescued in Oct 2015 4. Lakshmi Himabindu - Jan 2018 Lab - Bingo - 4 years old

Took along with difficulty (but via America!) :1. Suma Dey- Sister sent via Chicago - 2014 2. Gomta 3. Ranjana Venkateshwars Bro - Razz via Canada - Feb 2017 4. Arjun Sivadasan - Calvin