Does Belize quarantine pets, such as dogs or cats?
Christian Burn
They do have rabies here in Belize, but they don’t have any ridiculous antiquated laws, like the UK has, and imposes on other Commonwealth nations. Quarantining my pets was a deal breaker for me. When we were going to St. Lucia, we had two cats. We were told that they had to go to quarantine in the UK for six months. To me that did not make any sense. They told me that they had to prove that my cats did not have rabies. I could prove that they did not have rabies through...
They do have rabies here in Belize, but they don’t have any ridiculous antiquated laws, like the UK has, and imposes on other Commonwealth nations. Quarantining my pets was a deal breaker for me. When we were going to St. Lucia, we had two cats. We were told that they had to go to quarantine in the UK for six months. To me that did not make any sense. They told me that they had to prove that my cats did not have rabies. I could prove that they did not have rabies through their veterinarian. But six months quarantine was what their laws said, so I ended up leaving my cats with my mom. That was difficult. When we came to Belize, it was not like that. There is no home quarantine in Belize. You can just walk out the airport with your dog.
Posted December 2, 2014
Phil Hahn - Carmelita Gardens
Belize does not quarantine pets such as dogs or cats. They require documentation from a vet that your pets are up to date on their shots, basically. That's something that you would want to coordinate ahead of time. There are companies and customs brokers that specifically handle that. Belize Agriculture Health Authority are the ones that will qualify the pet when it comes in. You have to send your documentation to them ahead of time. They then...
Belize does not quarantine pets such as dogs or cats. They require documentation from a vet that your pets are up to date on their shots, basically. That's something that you would want to coordinate ahead of time. There are companies and customs brokers that specifically handle that. Belize Agriculture Health Authority are the ones that will qualify the pet when it comes in. You have to send your documentation to them ahead of time. They then will receive the pet when you arrive. This is for a regular domestic animal, nothing exotic--- just cats and dogs.
(Lucy, the dog at home at the Serafina home at Carmelita Garden Residences, Belize, pictured.)
Posted April 4, 2016
David Berger - Tradewinds Hospitality at Orchid Bay
I don’t think Belize quarantines pets. They didn’t quarantine my dog when we came here. When you leave the US you have to prepare and buy an international health certificate within 14 days of arrival. That basically catches up your pet on all their shots and makes sure that they don’t have any problems like rabies and things like that which can be contagious. They just trust the doctor’s statement and that is good enough. The BAHA...
I don’t think Belize quarantines pets. They didn’t quarantine my dog when we came here. When you leave the US you have to prepare and buy an international health certificate within 14 days of arrival. That basically catches up your pet on all their shots and makes sure that they don’t have any problems like rabies and things like that which can be contagious. They just trust the doctor’s statement and that is good enough. The BAHA (Belize Agricultural Health Authority) inspections every pet. BAHA has an online application that you can do prior to your arrival, which I find weird but they do that. They look at your pets and touch them and make sure that they do not have anything on them. It costs around $50 Belize (US $25) to import a pet. You will have an importation document, too.
Some people buy a passport for their pet if they go back and forth like most people from Canada do. They stay in their house here in Belize for a couple of months, and they bring their dogs. The pet passport costs about $100 Belize (US $50) and that allows you to travel with your dog much easier.
Personally, I just imported my dog because I don’t take him back to the US. I drove across the border, showed them my pet’s certificate, and that is it.
(Dog on the beach, Belize, pictured.)
Posted April 1, 2017