Travelling from Ireland to Australia...

[Jackie O ' Neill]

Morning all, 

New question this week!

Have any of you relocated with your setter? 

Due to the ongoing lack of jobs in Ireland for especially for Ciaran (he was in construction) we are looking into going to Australia after getting very positive feedback on the jobs front for both of us.

 

Aside from the cost factor, my only problem is the journey for Biggie, and the 30 days in quarantine is quite scary to think about .

 

Has anyone else done this and how did things go?

 

All advice appreciated! 

 

x

[Margaret Sierakowski]

I'm afraid my post isnt much help!

Next week I'm taking a nine year old working  Irish Red and White Setter bitch whose owners are going off to the Northern Territories in Australia. They are very upset about leaving her and their sheepdogs behind, but decided sadly they couldnt  put an older bitch through the very long flight and quarantine, apart from the cost. Having lived all her life on a hill farm in N.Scotland, they felt it was better to leave her here. It was a difficult decision, and very sad, as she is much loved. But  they have both been offered good jobs in Australia

[Lois McCullough]

I'm  sure you'll receive a number of replies to your query, however friends of ours took their 3xISs to Canberra about 3 years ago and from memory used www.airpets.com. They arrived safe and sound after 30 days in quarantine in Sydney where you can visit during this period. They left their 9 yr old with friends and took the younger ones, who appeared very healthy and happy with their new surroundings in April last year when we met up with them in Canberra.The cost was £3,000 per IS and worth every penny!!

Good luck will be interested to hear how you get on and I'm sure I can ask our friends to contact you if you need any info. Lois

[Carmel Murphy]

Hi Jackie! Sorry to hear you may have to leave Ireland(tough times !!) Personally I left my 7 year old setter in the US with his breeder, in the early 80's, when moving back to Ireland, as the quarantine time was 6 months(too long for my boy!)

I think Biggie would have no problems with a 30 day quarantine, as he is quite young!!

Good luck with your adventure!!

Carmel (we met in Deerpark in January with the members of TnT!!)

[silvia]

Jackie: first, best of luck with the moving and the new life! I am not sure about Australia, but a friend of mine moved to the UK back in the times in which the quarantine was in place. She was able to visit the dog very often if not every day (actually she went as far as renting a cheap shared room close to the quarantine place and used it to stay overnight when visiting the dog during week ends or so..) .. The dog was happy in the end, end they never regret the choice.. Well, up to you of course, but I would think that 30days pass very quickly, is not too bad if the place where they host the dog is nice and clean! All the best, Silvia

[Jackie O ' Neill]

Hi Carmel! oh i remember you and your gorgeous setters :) Nothing set in stone yet but hoping it works out in the next few months! Might c u out walking over the summer ! x

[Melinda Auld]

I haven't made the journey from Ireland to Australia with a dog, but I do live in Australia, and I have imported a bitch through quarantine.  I have also spent time living in the UK (Scotland and Ireland), so I understand the distances involved!

 

I understand your concerns about the flight and the quarantine stay, but I can honestly say that the quarantine staff are excellent, and the dogs adapt to the kennel situation very easily indeed.  30 days flies by, believe me! You can visit the dogs every day, and they are allowed to have a run with you in a large exercise area (this is my experience in Perth, anyway).  I also believe there is a company in the eastern states, if that's where you're headed, that will visit and exercise your dog for you, if you can't.  Another member here did that, when she brought her bitch over from the UK last year.

 

As for the flight, it is all over soon enough, and the dogs all seem to manage very well.  They have water in their crates, and they are seen by a vet as soon as they arrive to ensure they are in good health.

 

I know many people seem to be put-off by the thought of how much their dogs might suffer on the flight and in quarantine, but having gone through it, I can say that I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.  I have never seen any behaviour during or since from my imported girl that suggested she had suffered any lasting stress or damage from her flight or her stay in quarantine :)  The staff there LOVED her, and she was very well cared for.

 

[Cheryl Gorey]

Hi Jackie

I am in Australia too and as Melinda said, I brought over my lovely little Bridget from England last year.  She was only 3 months old and she travelled extremely well with the very long flight and adjusted to the quarantine very well.  One thing June did (Bridget's breeder in England) was prepare Bridget for her long crated trip and got her very used to the crate before hand.  Bridget was transported by Ryslip and they were very good.

 

As I don't live anywhere near the Sydney quarantine station, I did get a company called "Dog Walks" to visit my girl.  They visited 4 times per week for 1/2 hr each visit (including 2 exercise visits) and they cuddled, brushed and exercised her (when the exercise yard visits were scheduled).  It was approx $330.00 AUD for that service and I would thoroughly recommend it.  They took photos of every visit and posted them on their website so I was able to gett regular photos and updates on Bridget.  The time did go fast, much to my surprise, and before I knew it my little girl was home with us.  The quarantine staff were lovely and I was able to ring them every day during the week to get an update on her eating, health and to ensure that everything was well.  They loved her and spoilt her during her stay giving her lots of cuddles too.

I wish you all the very best on your journey to Australia. Do you have any idea where you might settle?  We have setter owners all over Australia on this list, so hopefully you will have someone to touch base with when you get here.

cheers, Cheryl

[Eunice Marott]

yes if you can avoid it do not come in Summer. June, July,August would be good even May  very exciting for you hope it works out and you can bring your IS over here. As Cheryl said there are members all over Australia..http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/cat-dogs/accom/easterncreek explains quarantine but you most likely have already looked at that. The location they mention is in the west of Sydney which gets quite hot in summer but we are over the hot weather now or almost. The other states I am not aware of...

[Eunice Marott]

good luck and I hope we can welcome you and your dog into Australia. The decision is yours. I flew Molly down from QLD to Sydney which is only 1 1/2 hours but she was fine. Quarantine I believe is o.k. and I think you can visit. They would make a real fuss over your dog.  Just like a boarding kennels. We don't have that many setters in Australia unlike Europe. Giving the dog something to calm them is a decision you and your vet would have to make. We were going to move to the UK some years ago and there was a process we had to go through here. I hope you can bring your dog to Australia as it would be good company for you when moving to a new country. Heaps warmer than Ireland. The Northern Territory is the outback and quite different to the eastern states. Anyway good luck. I used Jetpets which could be international.

[Ilona & Gina]

Have a look at the website of Dog Tainers. They seem to be good. I got that tip from another forum member who shows dogs around the world and uses them.

Dogs stay in quarantine for 30 days and you can see them twice a week for an hour.

One of my setter friends came from Ireland to Australia and Archie was alright. He was 2 at the time, five years ago.

 

Maybe  you can visit the travel agency and really grill them about their transport system? Just get on their nerves!  

And make sure you come to Oz around May/June/July, so that it's not too hot here in Oz for your darling, as I don't know to which extend the dogs are exposed to the weather during stays. However, the dog Tainers people seem to take care of all these concerns. They transport elephants and all sorts of creatures....

 

f you don't go with Dogtainers, make sure the aggency is genuine. Go there. Have a look. There are some crooks around.

\

Good luck!

[Peter Hennig]

Hi Jackie sorry I don't know much about quarantine but I do know there is lots of work in home construction in Melbourne.The figures released by the state government and the housing industry show that construction is miles behind the demand for new homes.You should not have too much trouble finding work