The world is a global village now with the livestock farmer in Minnesota having his or her final consumer in Ghana. Import and export of animals and animal products are generating huge revenues not just for individuals but for countries. Follow this guide to help you import or export your pet, livestock, or animal product into or outside of Ghana with little or no stress.
IMPORTING DOGS AND CATS INTO GHANA
To import a dog or cat into Ghana you need to go through the following processes:
1. IDENTIFICATION:
first of all, identify the animal or the exact pet you want to import to Ghana.
- microchip your pet: you need to give your pe a unique identification so authorities can identify it from other pets that may be on board
2. GET THE HELP OF VETERINARIANS:
you will need two veterinarians to help you at this step of the process;
- get a veterinarian(1)in the country you are importing the dog or cat from who is certified by the authorities in that country. The Veterinarian should be accredited by USDA or CFIA if the dog or cat is imported from the USA or Canada
- get another certified veterinarian(2) in Ghana who will help you with the import permit in Ghana
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3. ROLES OF THE TWO VETERINARIANS:
The veterinarian from the country where the dog or cat is coming from will help you with;
- The required vaccinations include antirabies, parvovirus, hepatitis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and canine distemper for dogs. cats will be vaccinated against rabies, feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, and feline rhinotracheitis. all vaccinations must not be less than 30 days old and more than 12 months old before entering Ghana.
- Also, the veterinarian from where you are bringing the dog will take blood from your dog or cat to ensure he or she is negative for the following diseases using the specific laboratory technique/test
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DISEASE LAB PROCEDURE/TECHNIQUE Brucella canis Serum agglutination or Giemsa smear Trypanosoma evansi Card agglutination test or Giemsa smear Babesia gibsoni Giemsa smear Dirofilaria immitis microfilaria filtration test Leishmania spp Fluorescent antibody test, ELISA, Direct agglutination test - once your pet passes the lab test for the above-mentioned diseases, the veterinarian who is certified by the authorities in the home country or USDA or CFIA will fill and help you with the health certificate. The health certificate must be signed within 10 days of travel.
The certified Veterinarian in Ghana would either get the health certificate from you or the vet who worked on your pet and if your pet passed all the requirements, he will help you with an import permit through the veterinary service directorate.
some of the certified veterinarians in Ghana who can help you with your import permit include:
- Dr. Selorm Tettey- The vets place veterinary center- +233208131369
- Dr.Amakye Anim – La Veterinary hospital- +233244282166
learn what to do when you chance on a civet cat
PREPARING YOUR PET FOR THE FLIGHT
After getting your documents ready with the help of the two veterinarians, you need to work on securing the reservation for your pet with the airlines. These are some guidelines to make your journey less stressful. There may be slight differences in protocol depending on the airline you will be using so get and adhere to the specifications of your airline.
- buy a pet travel crate for your pet based on the species and size of your pet
- submit documents for review and preapproval by the airlines 5-10 days before the flight. Documents that you will need to send are hard copies of;
the customer acknowledgment form
scanned copies of the original health certificate and import permit of your pet,
a digital photo of your pet’s travel crate,
a digital photo of the pet showing clearly the face, and all relevant markings on the body.
WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY OF TRAVEL WITH YOUR PET.
- feed your pet with easily digestible food4-6 hours before your flight. Let your pet have access to water. this will help him or her to properly digest the food, urinate and defecate if possible
- report to the airport with your pet 3-5hour before your scheduled flight.
- follow any other protocol your airline may require you to.
Reference:
https://www.cdc.gov/importation/traveling-with-pets.html
Veterinary Service Directorate, Ghana
