How Do I Get My Dog or Cat or Ferret or Parakeet to Okinawa?

Of course you want to bring your pet with you to Okinawa. YOU LOVE YOUR PET! Yes, the process can be confusing. But no matter how it goes down for you there will be piles of paperwork and months of waiting. Then when you arrive there are other hoops. This is a mountain of a topic. So I welcome you to chime in with any part of your experience about bringing your animals here and how to handle quarantine when you arrive. Courtney recently wrote in with a specific question about quarantining her dogs upon arrival.

My family is moving to the island in January with our two small Dachshunds (hot dog dogs). When we arrive in Okinawa my dogs will have I assume 1 week or the max 2 weeks left of their 180 day quarantine.  I was wondering how the kennels are where they will be staying until their quarantine is over. Also how hard is it to get housing on base or out in town with two animals? I know from reading the board that you can’t live in any towers with pets.

A certain dog I know had about a month left of quarantine once he arrived on the island. I say HE arrived because he stayed in the States for an additional five months after his family arrived in Okinawa. Because the laboratory that the military endorsed tested his blood as a human. Twice. Mistakes happen but if you have the time to plan WAY ahead, do it. The choreography involved in getting the dog here was a ten-man job. It was a lot to ask of family back home.

Anyway, they live off-base so keeping him in their home for the month was not an option. Or so they thought.

So they looked into Karing Kennels. They didn't want to put him there because it was more expensive and farther from their house than they wanted. Plus they just didn't want to put him in a kennel. They had missed him for five months already. When they went to Karing Kennels they were given a list of people on-base who were qualified to let animals ride out quarantine in their homes. They made a 270 dollar arrangement with one of these people to keep him. They paid her upfront and then when the dog arrived it occurred to them that no one was going to notice or care if they had him off-base. So they kept him home and quarantined him in my house. Not in line with the rules but they learned that all the hoopla is about GETTING the animals through customs. Once the animals have come through customs then no one much cared what they did.

And you? What's your story?

Comments

[Joelle]

I second all the paperwork hoopla -- I did it 3 times with my gorgeous girl --- Hawaii, England and here. The only mistake (after getting pretty good at the nonsense) that I made was that I had been late on one of her rabies vaccines in the last several years (there is no rabies in Hawaii or England so it rather slipped my mind). Because of that, even though she should have had only 3 months of quarantine to do based on the date of her titer test, her time had to "start over" when we arrived.

But as Mereditz already stated, it is assumed you will "home quarantine" your dogs when you get on base. But she did have to stay in the kennels during the 3 weeks we were waiting for housing. The kennels are brand new and not horrific. I visited everyday (except Wed. when they close) and you can take them into a "run" area when you visit.

[Tara]

Wow, I'm really happy to hear that Karing Kennels has a list of pet foster parents. Has anybody actually used KK for their cat?? They talk about their set-up, but there are no pictures, and no testimonials. The only sort of interaction/activity they mention at all is for dogs.

My cat, Brago, is spoiled and a bit needy (emotionally, not medically), so I'm hesitant to put him in a kennel without knowing more about it, even if I visit often. I most likely won't be living on base, so I can't do home quarantine myself (I don't want to risk someone finding out, even if he is indoor-only).

[Cambria]

We had our dog at Karing Kennels for 3 weeks when we got here and I have a friend who housed a cat and dog there while they stayed at the WestPac for 3 weeks, waiting for housing. We were all very happy with it and also visited daily. They ended up getting a house off-base, and did the quarintine from home with no problems and no one ever found out. Their cat is also indoors only and their dog is a German Shepherd, not an easy one to hide. But, like I said, they had no problems and no one ever found out. Also, your dogs will more than likely share a kennel, so that will be nice for them.

My biggest suggestion - start the vaccination process now! It's not that difficult once it's all said and done, but it is time consuming (especially if you're dealing with a civilian vet, like we did). Military vets know the process, civilian vets don't, so you have to make sure and know the process inside-out to make sure it's all done properly.

Housing can be tricky. It took us 3 weeks to get housing, and we got here in March, during non-PCS season. We have a big dog, and were lucky to get a house rather than a town-house unit. Either way, you have to install your own chain-link fence with a permit from the base or the dogs must be tied up and supervised at all times when outside, and fencing here is not cheap (we got our used). We just finished our fence, it was a pain since we installed it ourselves and it was the first time we ever attempted to do so, but you can pay people to do it for a hefty price if you like. Like I said before, we have friends who chose to live off-base with their animals, and from what I hear they are very pet-friendly in town, so you shouldn't worry about that.

Good luck!
Cambria

[Pamelala]

I am coming with a husband, 2 kids, a dog (45 lbs) and a rat...going to Kinser so already at a disadvantage regarding housing...Harry Dog had his FAVN done 2 mths ago so that should be good, but what a parlavor! I just hope I can find something that doesn't require me having to put a fence up! We are coming in January.

[Cambria]

The fences aren't mandatory to install, but I felt so bad having my dog on a cable, plus it was a pain to put him on it every time he wanted to go out. I wanted him to be able to run around and relax while he was outside. I have heard that if you find housing with a fence already installed, you might be able to get the people to leave it up for you. Our house had a fence installed, but they were told to remove it before leaving - too bad, would have saved us a huge headache! I haven't seen any housing with built in fences...all yards are completely open. What base will your husband work on? That determines which bases they will more than likely offer you housing on.

[Kat]

We are leaning towards living off base, and having our dogs stay with my parent for the majority of their "quarantine" period back in the states. Like Mereditz, my dogs will have approx 1 month left of quarantine time when they arrive in Japan.

How does the customs process work? I always assumed that after customs, they were sent by "official" means to a kennel to ride out the rest of their quarantine. Is that incorrect? Are they released directly to you and "assumed" that you'll take them to a kennel facility?

Man, if we could get around that extra month of quarantine, that would be awesome. I'm going to miss my pups enough already. :(

[Farrah]

Yes, don't worry, as long as you have all your paperwork ready, they will release your dogs to you! Then you need to take them to the Vet on base within 2-3 days. They will ask you if you have a place on base to quarantine them, if you say "yes", they don't ask any further questions. I was really nervous about this whole process, but it is much easier than it sounds and the quarantine facility at Narita Airport is very helpful and will answer any questions you have via email in advance.

[Kat]

That is literally the best news I've heard since getting this assignment...thank you!!!

[Joelle]

When you get to the "port of entry" (first place you land in Japan, usually Tokyo Narita or Osaka Kansai) the dog/cat you will be checked by the quarantine people -- all the paperwork, etc. They will determine at that time how much time you have left. Then after your next flight down to Okinawa you just walk out of the airport with your dog and take them to the kennel on base (or wherever you've made arrangements). As mentioned, you have to check in with the vet in the next 24 hours or so and they give you the "they can't go outside except to go to the bathroom" speech and then you're basically free to go. You check in with them once a month and then have to go to be "released" from quarantine. But the dog/cats/parakeets are with you at your home the whole time (or at the kennel if you are still in TLA or whatever.)

But I would highly suggest getting the Japanese "approval" paper ahead of time. That just took a LOAD off my mind -- I worried they'd make us fly back home or whatever. I faxed them the paperwork with the FAVN titer results and they emailed me back the approval form so that I KNEW we were ok before we even landed in Japan. Their info at the Osaka airport is:

Animal Qurantine Service 　(Akiko FUKUSHIMA)
Kansai airport branch
TEL : +81-72-455-1956
FAX : +81-72-455-1957
E-mail : ka-ken@maff-aqs.go.jp
website : http://www.maff-aqs.go.jp

BTW, I would suggest flying into Osaka Kansai airport if you can cuz then you don't have to change airports with the animal (when you fly into Tokyo Narita you often have to change to Tokyo Haneda which is an hour away and I've heard that the bus doesn't allow dogs?? Can anybody comment on this??). We had a TERRIBLE time getting SATO to book us through Osaka -- in the end they would only do it for my husband, so he flew with the dog and I flew with the kids into different airports! (We also were bringing a very large dog so maybe that made a difference.)

[Kris]

I pcs'd twice to Okinawa with my lab-mix dog, Midori. She's actually from Okinawa. Karing Kennel is excellent. They are total dog nuts and your pets will be well taken care of. Also, they are WAY cheaper than any kennel in the USA. WAY cheaper. If you have 2 dogs, and have them in the same kennel, you get a discount on the 2nd dog. I don't have cats, but I've seen the cat section at the kennel and they are also well-cared for. For my 2nd tour in Okinawa, I had Midori at Karing Kennel and then stayed at the Shogun to be near her. I played with her 5-6 days a week, and when her quarantine was over I took her off base to swim in the Ocean, then hosed her off at Karing Kennel before dropping her off for the night. We did this for 6wks until my apartment was ready (I rented a new one waiting for inspection). Midori also stayed at Karing Kennel when I went home to the states for 2mos. Again, they treated her well and she loved going there (except she missed me). It's a good sign when your dog wags when you pull up.

If you stay off-base in a hotel temporarily, the Hamagawa allows pets. I know it was nasty 2yrs ago with linoleum dating in the 80's, but they were renovating, so I'm sure it's nice now. The only problem with that is they're over $100/day and you have to front the money before being reimbursed.

[Andrea]

Does anyone know how base housing on Camp Hansen is with dogs? We have a Yellow lab/ Golden retriever mix; she'll be sort of big...

[Bambi]

Hansen doesnt have housing for married military. They all get housing on Courtney/McT(40 min. commute from McT to 7th Comm, which is the North end of Hansen) or Shields(not sure the commute). Depending on the kid situation you could get a tower which doesnt allow dogs. Good news is there isnt a lot of towers this way and if there isnt kids they have 2 bedrooms that you can have dogs in(towers are all 3 bedrooms) or if you rate 4 bedrooms you are guaranteed a house that you can have a pet at also

[Courtney Merkel]

On Courtney or McT do they have anything not in towers that is 3 bedroom?

[Bambi]

McT has 3 bedroom multiplex's(they are 2 stories). We were given a choice between a tower and a multiplex and decided on multiplex because of the dog. The is just a few empty 3 bedrooms right now.

[Mishka]

I know I sound terrible and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if people are breaking the quarantine rules, it is best if they don't tell anyone since it will only make it harder for those moving pets here in the future. It says right on our paperwork that the fact that we are allowed to keep pets in quarantine at home on base is a priviledge that Japanese Govt provides and they can take it away at any time if people are violating the quarantine. It would suck if in the course of trying to help people reading this blog, someone accidentally ended up making the system harder than it already is.

On another note, I did have my cat at Karing Kennels for 5 weeks and she did fine. The kennels are much larger than they used to be and she seemed to be fed and treated very nicely. I visited her as much as I could (hours allowing) and for the price, I thought it was very reasonable. I would recommend that if you are coming during the high PCS season, you have a person (sponsor or not) make reservations for you based on when you are going to arrive. I think you can only make reservations with them 60 days out but it is worth it to not be unsure where you are going to put them when you first arrive. A lot of the hotels off base are complying with the military requirements and not allowing pets anymore so the kennel was nice back up for us.

I didn't think the hoops we had to jump through in the states before bringing her were that bad...would have been nice to get orders out early enough that we could have completed quarantine there but oh well.

[mereditz]

Good point, Mishka. You're right. Not sure I would do the same thing again BUT I did keep him in my house and he only went in our yard for the duration of the quarantine. Not by the book but I was careful not to be out and about in ANY form.

[Jenn]

This post has made me breathe a lot easier about bringing my dog to Okinawa, but I'm still a little nervous about the process. My husband and I are PCSing to Torii Station in March, and our dog is only 6 months old. We're going to start the vaccination process this month when we have him neutered and microchipped, so when we get to Okinawa he'll still have at least 3 months of quarantine left.

We'd been planning to leave him with family, until I saw this post. If I could keep him at home or even at a kennel nearby, that's much better than leaving him in the States. But I'm still nervous and afraid that when I get to Japan, something will have changed and I won't be able to leave the airport with him. The Animal Quarantine Services' website expressly states that your pet has to be quarantined in an AQS facility, so why is it different for military? Will they still let me leave if he has so much time left for quarantine?

[Joelle]

The military has some sort of agreement with the Animal Quarantine Services. That is why the rules are so strict for quarantine in the home (they can only go out of the house to go to the bathroom). So don't be worried about that.

The best thing is to get your ducks in a row. For instance, I thought I would only have 3 months left for my dog's quarantine, but because she had been late on a rabies vaccine 3 years earlier, they had to start her time over when we arrived. So, just make sure you cross your t's & dot your i's!!

[Alana]

We will be arriving in Okinawa in early February, with our cat, i am having problems with the USDA health certificate, can anyone talk me through this? everything i have found says there is basically one certifying official in each state and we will be driving cross country before our move, our last stop is 7 hours from any official and our flight is on a monday morning. i just dont know how i will get certificate dated within 7 days of our flight.

[Suzy]

Hi Alana. We had the same problem. I spent a couple of days at the local base vet trying to get them to explain everything to me. They are the best at walking though the steps with you. I heard that you can contact the state USDA office (their numbers are listed on the USDA website) and let them know that you're overnighting the paperwork to them and that you need it overnighted back (on your dollar). I didn't know that so I made the lady that booked our flights at SATO give us a lay over in LA (there's a USDA vet like a couple of blocks away from LAX) and I took a taxi down there and had them stamp everything. It was a pain and I think the lady at SATO hates us, but we had no choice. We got orders a month before my husband was supposed to report for duty so everything was rushed. We also drove from CA to Ohio before we left to say goodbye to family so I totally understand your issue. If I were you I'd call the USDA vet in your home state and explain the issue and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help you. Good luck! I hope this helps!:)

[Alana]

okay i have one lase question, we are filling out the notification of import, and its asking about the scheduled place of arrival. we are arriving in Tokyo and then going on to Okinawa so is our arrival in Tokyo or Okinawa?

[Suzy]

Hey Alana. Write Okinawa down as your final destination. I think I may have put Camp Foster down so they knew our cat was going to a military base. But, I honestly can't remember now. Make sure to include your email address though on the documents before you fax them over. That's how I got my final comfirmation. Oh and I forgot to tell you...even after all of the trips to the mil. vet and a local vet, the USDA vet still had to fix some of the paperwork for me. Some of the dates and addresses were aparently wrong, so thank goodness for them! That could have been a significant hold up!

[Alana]

okay i put Tokyo as my arrival but okinawa as my final destination, i just got my approval today and it says he will have to do 12 hours
*After arrived at Narita airport, go to Animal Quarantine
Service Counter before custom clearance. When the documents are completed, the quarantine period becomes the shortest within 12 hours*
but our connecting flight to Okinawa is in 2 hours.

[Randi]

Hey everyone! My husband and I will be arriving on the island in February, hopefully along with our dog. I have no idea where to begin on how to get our dog there. Is it better to go to the vet on base or off? Our regular vet is off base. Also, does it matter what order things are done? Our dog had his very first rabies vaccination a little over 6 months ago, and received his microchip this past December. The confusion is driving me nuts.....please help!

[Rosie]

Hi and Happy 2008!

I'll address the bird and dog situation; Okinawa Japan.

First I want to address PCSing with a bird because we had 3 birds and wanted to bring them. If you think a dog/cat is hard, a bird is even harder. First of all the cost will be high with all the test done in the US and then additional test done in Japan. Then to return with them to the US is near impossible with the Avian and Pandemic flu issues. Getting back to the states will cost you at least $1000 per bird with numerous test including setting up appointment for people to meet you at the airport to test your bird as soon as you get off the plain. We just decided to give them to a family member and we get pictures. We did not want to expose them to anything here, or completely lose them on the way back to the states.

PCsing with a dog;

You have to follow the sequence or the pet will automatically be quarantined for 6 months.

1- Microchip
30 days - 1 year

2- Rabies shots
complete history of two vaccinations

3- FAVN blood draw

4- FAVN Test Results
must be 0.5 IU/ml (if not revaccinate start again)

5- Advance Notification to the Port of Entry
Advance notification form can be obtained - http://www.usarj.army.mil/organization/vet/r_doc.htm

Port of entry form at;
http://www.maff-aqs.go.jp.english/soshiki/telephonelist/htm

I filled out my form and faxed it into the port we flew into. Then I received a call from Japan and they asked me additional questions. It was emailed to me fairly quickly after that.

6- Obtain a health certificate within 10 days of arrival into Japan. I recommend a military veterianrian, they will fill out form MDJ OP 229.

For compelte instructions visit;
www.usarj.army.mil/organization/vet/import.htm

We kenneled our dog at Karing Kennels, but some people offer in home care if needed. You can visit www.japanupdate.com, some people advertise sometimes in their classifieds.

Good Luck!

[Tara]

Just answering a few of my own questions, in case it helps anyone else coming over:

If you happen to be lucky enough to go straight from Seattle to Yokota AB & then Kadena AB, the Advance Notification is not required. It's only needed if you're going through an off-base airport.

If you have to get a health certificate through a USDA vet (our base's only vet was on maternity leave), be prepared to pay quite a lot for a piece of paper. Nobody bothered to tell me it was $80 when I called them to make sure the *one* person qualified would be there (before I drove an hour one-way). The AMC counter in Seattle didn't even look at the thing (I was disgusted with how uninformed and unorganized they were).

Karing Kennel's boarding facility is pretty nice for cats. Each kennel has 3 separated areas: a large area with a shelf & the food/water dishes, a "bed" area, and a litter box area. I didn't think to take pictures, but other than being a little attention-starved, the cats are pretty well off. There's no "official" visiting area for the cats, but you can take them into the Exam rooms and spend some time with them.

[Randi]

I have one more question. Is there a weight limit on shipping dogs to Okinawa? I was doing some reading on a military website that said if the dog plus the crate were 100lbs or over it will not be shipped. I was just wondering considering my dog is over 80lbs. Thanks everyone.

[Joelle]

My dog weighed in at 100lbs herself. It can be done but you have to fly on only a couple of airlines -- which can be a NIGHTMARE with Sato. If I remember correctly, United is the ONLY one that will allow XL kennels (which is what my dog needed) -- and that is as cargo, not as excess baggage. Which means a huge expense usually. It was worth it for me, but not everyone feels that way. Also on the "hop" from the mainland to Okinawa, they also have to go as cargo -- that part was supposed to be about $250 for us, but at the last minute, the attendants just let my husband go with her as excess baggage -- but I wouldn't count on that.

[Joelle]

Randi -- had another thought: not ALL of the flights from the mainland to Okinawa were allowed to take XL kennels. Some of the planes are too small (?), so check into that with JAL or whoever you are flying onto here with.

[Jenn]

I'm in the process of planning my flight to Okinawa, and I was wondering how much of a layover I will need at my first stop (most likely Tokyo or Osaka) to take care of my dog and customs? I was also wondering if someone could describe the exact process from getting off the plane in Tokyo/Osaka to walking out of the airport with my dog in Naha. This is my first time flying internationally AND my first time flying with a dog.

Basically- where do I go first after I get to Tokyo? Do I meet my dog at the Animal Quarantine Service desk or at the baggage claim? Then, how does he get from there to my connecting flight? And after my connecting flight, where do I pick him up in Naha?

I just want to make sure that I have an idea of what's going on so that when I step off the plane in a completely new country, I'm not entirely overwhelmed and running around like a crazy woman.

[Bambi]

We just did the flight because of vacation. I don't know about with your pet, but when you get off the plane in Tokyo you will first go through customs (where you have already filled out a form on the plane, but a man pulled us out of line and said we had the wrong form. Got us the right form, took us to a room on the side and had us fill it out. Once it was filled out he then took care of us in that room. It ended up quicker than the line, but I am not sure what the deal was. It seemed like the same form). You then go through the gate and down to baggage claim. On the furthest left side was the desk for Animals. Then lady got her dog than her bags. Not sure what happened next, but for us once we had our bags we then went through the second and last part of customs. We then went to the ANA desk (our new flight carrier) and re-checked our bags and then went to the gate.

[Suzy]

Hey Jenn! We had a layover (about 2 hrs) when we arrived in Tokyo with our cat. Our cat was in the cabin with us on the flight from LA though but I'm not sure exactly how that will work with your dog. That will be something that you can find out by calling the airline that you guys will be flying on. When we arrived we followed the flood of people (I felt like we were in a rat maze:) to the passport counter. Then we went down to the baggage claim (which we didn't realize that we had to get our bags ourselves...silly I know:) and then we went through customs. I completely skipped the quarantine counter that you're supposed to hit before going through customs! I was told to check our cat into the facility in Naha, which was obviously wrong! Nothing happened mind you but it was still frustrating to know that I had done just about everything wrong. Anyway, I'm thinking that if they put your dog in the cargo that they'll have him/her waiting for you next to the baggage claim so that you can go to the quarantine counter. Then I'm assumeing that the people at quarantine will either tell you that you have to transport it through customs or that they'll meet you on the other side. Once you go through customs you'll have to re-check in along with all of your bags to the domestic airline carrier that you'll be on (we were on ANA after United). You'll then have to pay another pet fee to the new airline (they accept credit cards) and they'll put your dog into their cargo area. The law here restricts any animals being in the cabins during flights unlike in the states. When you get here you'll meet your pet next to the baggage claim in Okinawa (Naha) and you'll wait in line again to get through their customs(?) line to leave the airport. I hope this helps! Good luck with the move!:)

[Crystal R.]

My husband and I will be headed to Okinawa in June with our two dogs. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with not being able to bring their pet due to the heat. I'm worried that it may be too hot in June to bring them over and I'm trying to see if anyone else had similar experiences or if it will probably be still cool enough in June to fly them out with us. Also I think I remember reading on here about one of the temporary lodging places allowing pets to stay with you. Could anyone elaborate further on this too? Thanks!

[Aimee]

has anyone tried to take a ferret back to the states. We got a ferret and I really do not want to leave her here when we go home. We are getting out of the military and our home state allows ferrets there. Thank you for your help.

[Ann]

We are headed to Okinawa Camp Courtney in May & we have a NEW Maltipoo puppy that is right now only 8 wks. old & I was wondering how hard will it be for us to bring her with us? Any help from anyone who had the same situation would be appreciated because she was an anniversary gift from my husband, who just got back from a 1 yr. tour in Iraq for his 3rd time & I REALLY DON'T wanna give her up. PLEASE HELP!!! Thanks

[Lorene]

We have orders to Okinawa and will be reporting in June. We will be bringing our dog and want to know about the flights to Okinawa that allow dogs. Does the flight originating in Seattle stop in Yakota? Are there any other military flights that allow dogs?

[Cambria]

We flew in from Seattle with our 80 pound American bulldog, no problem. When your husband's command books the flight, make sure they know you're taking a dog with you because they have to reserve room for them in the cargo area (our flight had to be pushed back a week because there was no room on the original flight they booked for us). Also, you will have to pay a fee of ~$70 for your dog that the military will not cover. I suggest getting a sedative for your dog so they can sleep and relax most of the flight, as it's a good 13 hours from Seattle to Yakota. Once you reach Yakota, they will allow one adult (either yourself or your husband) to take your dog out of cargo and let them stretch and go to the bathroom in a small grassy area. Then it's about a 3 hour flight to Kadena AFB on Okinawa.

Once on Okinawa you have to take your dog to Karing Kennels on Kadena where it will be quarantined until you get into housing. Make reservations, as they fill up fast. If it's booked, there are a few hotels on island that accept pets, but that can be tricky - it's so much easier to stay on base, I think. Also, while at the Kennels you have to provide food for your dog, it's not included in the price of $75/week. START THE RABIES PAPERWORK NOW to reduce your quarantine time here. It's 180 days from the 2nd rabies shot, but it's not that big of deal if you live on base...on base housing is considered quarantine also.

I'm not sure about other flights, but we did the Seattle haul and it wasn't bad. Good luck to you!

[Lorene]

Thanks! We've already finished the rabies paperwork, so we are right on track.

[Pamelala]

OK, so we got out itinerary and dog is good on United from san diego to Narita, then we have to change planes on Aon (spelling?) airlines and apparently they said we have to have a smaller crate to put our dog in (now he isn't massive, he is 45lbs). Well, we can't get the size requirement they are asking for as he won't fit in it, as we tried to explain, but they said there is nothing they can do, that is the requirement...Has anyone else experienced this problem and how did you get round it? Please reply ASAP...thanks
ps: we tried to get on the freedom bird but it was full...so now we have no option to go this way HELP!
P

[Meredith]

We had the same problem. I called the airport customs area which for us was Osaka. They wanted the exact dimensions of my crate. Our dogs are about the same size. I drew this odd picture with measurements all over it and scanned it and e-mailed it to them. They sent me e-mail verification that they would permit him and his crate on the flight like that. You are going through Narita so i don't know who you would contact. You might also try to contact the vet here and see what they have to say. i believe their number is here inthe comments osmewhere. Screaming boys, must dash.

[Joelle]

My dog was much bigger, but the problem I had was that they continued to assume I wanted her to fly free as baggage. I kept repeating I was willing to pay for her to fly as CARGO (bigger dimensions allowed). HOWEVER, I was told that only certain flights into Okinawa were on big enough airplanes to allow for the larger crates. So I would check to see if there is another plane going 2 hours later that would allow the crate size.

[Crystal R.]

Has anyone flown on the AMC flight out of Seattle with their pet and crate combined exceeding 100 lbs? We just submitted our paperwork and my weimaraner is 70lbs alone and the only crate she fits in is the XL one which brings the total weight over 100lbs by about 10-15lbs. Anyone have experience with a bigger dog and crate on these flights and if so did they allow you on the flights? If not what did you do?

[Pamelala]

Ana airlines waived the crate size from Narita to Naha, so we are good!
One problem down, 2 more to go (car selling!)

[Macron5]

We are going through all the rabies, FAVN, etc., to get our yellow lab without too much of a problem. Our next hurdle is to find a plane that will allow her to fly. Our Seattle-Narita on United was fine, but ANA said she is too big for the Narita-Naha. I'm curious how Crystal applied for and received a waiver.

The next is off-limit months. We are planning on going at the start of August. Is it silly to think that this will work? What do people do to get their dogs there during the summer months?

Surely I'm not the first to go from Germany to Oregon to Okinawa, am I?

[Crystal R.]

Macron5 we didn't need a waiver. We are flying United from DCA to Seattle and then taking the Patriot Express over from there. They said the dog weight was not a problem so we lucked out. We are getting around the heat issue because our flight leaving DCA is at 6 am and it's in early June. Wish you all the best with getting your plans sorted it is such a hassle!

[Macron5]

Does the Patriot go directly to Okinawa?

[Bambi Caldwell]

Patriot has 1 layover that last 2 hours. You get off with your carry ons, go through customs, wait a little bit, then get back on and continue the journey!!

[Pamelala]

Macron5, it was us that needed the waiver, just speak to the TMO flight people, ours called ANA for us and then ANA called me direct and said that they would waive the crate size, just like that! However, our dog is 45lbs and I think the crate was about 25lbs, but it was a Large crate...Good Luck...and if it doesn't work the first time, make a fuss, I think people forget that our pets are part of the family too!

[Joelle]

My dog was 100 lbs plus the crate -- you have to pay a bit, but she flew on ANA as cargo. But as I posted long ago here, only certain aircraft can take the cargo animals -- I think there were about 5 of the flights that she could be on our of Osaka during the course of the day. We chose Osaka because you don't have to move between airports (which sometimes happens if you fly into Tokyo.

[Macron5]

SATO won't allow us to go into Osaka, only Seattle-Narita-Haneda-Okinawa. Getting our dog from one airport to the other is going to be difficult.

I decided to look into AMC flights. I called SATO and they said that they cannot "see" the flights after June. Does this make sense? Is anyone there traveling on the Seattle-Yokota-Kadena plane during the summer? I tried to call Seattle AMC terminal, but no luck. I thought this may be out best bet in getting our dog there in the beginning of August.

A continued thanks for the help.