Make sure your four-legged friends are ready to PCS

By Ms. Ashley Patoka (Regional Health Command Europe)June 14, 2017

PCSing with a pet
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PCSing with a pet
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A permanent change of station move can be stressful, especially when overseas. You have to schedule flights, household good pick-ups, vehicle shipments and if you have a pet, you have to get them to your new home as well.

Regional Health Command Europe wants to help eliminate some of the stress of getting your pet ready for a PCS, so we sat down with Capt. Kelsey Fiddes, Pulaski Veterinary Clinic outpatient services officer in charge, to get the information you need.

Q: Capt. Fiddes, it's PCS season and a lot of families are getting ready to leave Germany with their pets, can you talk about the requirements for leaving Germany with a pet and heading back to the states?

A: In general terms, going back to the United States (excluding Hawaii) with your pet is easier than coming to Germany, but there are still details owners must be aware of. The basic recommendations are to ensure your dogs and cats are up to date on Rabies vaccinations, microchipped and issued a health certificate within 10 days of travel. There are some exceptions regarding microchips and rabies vaccination, but when in doubt, it's best to ensure they are up to date.

Q: What if you have orders to another country? Is the process different?

A: For service members PCSing to other countries the requirements can vary drastically and significantly increase the amount of time required to prepare by 6-12 months. The most common issues arise when service members receive orders to island destinations such as Japan, Guam and Hawaii. If it is anticipated that you will be going somewhere other than the Continental United States, you should contact the local veterinary clinic at least six months prior to PCS to determine the requirements. Some of those locations may even require owners to provide advance notification of the pets arrival and documentation to be sent ahead of time.

Q: How soon should families begin getting their pet ready for their PCS?

A: We always recommend keeping your pet microchipped and up to date on vaccines year round to ensure the easiest transition with PCS moves. With that in mind, owners should contact the veterinary clinic as soon as they receive orders to ensure they are aware of the requirements for their destination country. Once you know your destination, we can provide you with a better timeline to help make sure your pet is ready to PCS with you.

Q: Do military families need to be seen at a military veterinary clinic to prepare for a PCS, or can these things be done with a vet on the local economy?

A: These things can be done on or off base in most cases. Often times, on-base veterinarians are much more familiar with health certificates and PCS requirements, so service members will choose to have them done with us. Though not a requirement, we do recommend that if you have your vaccines done at a particular clinic, whether on or off base, that you have your health certificates done there as well, to ensure you will have all the records and documentation you need.

Q: What paperwork will families be required to show at the airport for the pet to be able to fly? And is this the same for commercial as well as Patriot Express?

A: Paperwork to get pets through customs is our primary focus with owners preparing to PCS. Most often that will include the health certificate, rabies vaccination certificate and rabies titer documentation (when required). However, the paperwork required at the airport can be variable depending on the airline that the owners are flying with. It is best that owners contact the airline directly as soon as flights are booked to make sure they have everything they will need from the individual airline's perspective. They often have very specific requirements, especially about crate and carrier sizes that must be followed. For those flying on the Patriot Express, the Air Mobility Command publishes a brochure that can be found online or at the veterinary clinic, outlining their requirements.

Q: What about families who are just arriving to Germany? Is there anything they need to do?

A: For those pet owners just arriving to Germany, they must register their pet with the nearest on-post veterinary clinic during their in-processing period as part of the SOFA agreement. The registration must be done in person, but the pet does not have to be there. This is particularly important here in Germany because guidance, laws and regulations regarding pet care, microchipping and even vaccination of animals can be different than where the owners came from. In addition, they must be registered with us, before they can be seen at the clinic.

Q: Is there anything else pet owners should know about, either if they just arrived or if they are getting ready to leave?

A: The most important thing to remember is to plan ahead. Timelines to get your pet ready to PCS can vary a great deal. Ultimately preparing pets to PCS is the owners responsibility, but we do our best to provide them the guidance, required documentation, tools and points of contact to help the process go as smoothly as possible. When in doubt, don't hesitate to ask us questions, we are here to help!

For contact information for your local veterinary clinic, visit: https://rhce.amedd.army.mil/phce