Bringing Pets to Okinawa

Bringing Pets to Okinawa
Pet Boarding/Kennels

Karing Kennels, operated by the 18th Services Squadron, http://www.kadenaservices.com/pets.html offers several services besides adoption including: grooming, boarding and airport transport. For a fee the kennels will even open after hours to accommodate people arriving to the island with their pet if needed.

Fees are $50/wk for dogs ($10/day) and $37.50/wk (7.50/day) for cats. $75.00/wk for two dogs in same kennel ($15.00/day), and $52.50/week for two cats in a double kennel ($10.00/day). All dogs must be vaccinated for Kennel cough.

If you are bringing a pet, you should have your sponsor make reservations, as pets are NOT ALLOWED in base temporary lodging facilities.

Pet Licensing
Shipment of pets (dogs and cats) as excess baggage accompanying the member in PCS travel may be accomplished by requesting category "Y" or "B" travel. Advance reservations are required for pets and should be requested at the same time the PCD port call is being requested. There is no entitlement for shipment of pets at Government expense.

Dogs and cats entering Japan are required to have current rabies vaccination and health certificates. (Dogs should also be vaccinated for kennel cough. Preferably, certificates should be issued by a military veterinarian using DD Form 2208 for the rabies vaccination and DD form 2209 for the health certificate. Rabies date must be put on the health certificate and must have been immunized against rabies more than 30 days but less than 1 year prior to date of entry. If vaccination is less than 30 days old your dog will be held in quarantine until the vaccine matures at 30 days.

If military certificates are unavailable, rabies and health certificates may be obtained from a civilian veterinarian. However, these civilian certificates must be endorsed by an office of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). That is, a USDA veterinarian must sign each copy of the certificates and place a USDA raised stamp on each copy. Health certificates must be issued no more than 10 days prior to entry. Copies of these certificates, along with PCS orders must accompany pets and should be affixed to the outside of the shipping cage. The importance of these certificates and the stamp cannot be over-emphasized!

If pet is traveling without sponsor's orders, USFJ Forms 380EJ are necessary for customs-free entry and should be obtained from member's military sponsor at the new permanent duty station in Japan. All orginal forms will be available from Sponsor upon demand when going through Customs. Flights on AMC are limited to cats and dogs ONLY. Check with your local transportation office concerning transporting pets, such as birds by commercial transportation. Effective 1 Oct 93, the cost to ship a pet via AMC changed as follows: Pet and container, with a combined weight up to 70 lbs will be charged as one piece which is $85. Pet(s) traveling in a single container, with a combined weight of from 71-99 lbs, will be charged as two pieces of baggage which is $170. Pet(s) and container, with a combined weight of up to 100 lbs or more, will NOT be accepted on the AMC flight.

Pet Quarantines
Japanese law requires the quarantine of dogs entering Japan. By agreement with GOJ, animals belonging to U.S. personnel and meeting entrance requirements may be placed in a 14-day "working" quarantine in the custody of their owners, without contact with other animals. At the end of the quarantine period, the dog must be taken to a military veterinarian for a final physical examination. Pets will be quarantined for 30 days at owner's expense if health certificates do not have a raised stamp on them or are incomplete.

Veterinary Services
Recommend that all dogs be on Heartworm Prevention before arriving. Also recommend dogs and cats be spayed or neutered before arriving since there is a waiting list for surgery of up to a year. Pet dental care is also on a long waiting list so have necessary teeth care accomplished in the U.S. KAB Vet Clinic's http://www.kadenaservices.com/vetweb/index.htm primary mission is to care for military working dogs, therefore, their appointments for spaying/neutering and such are limited and vacancies fill very fast, when their books are opened.

Babesia is of concern on Okinawa. Babesia is brought on by a red blood cell parasite causing severe anemia. It is transmitted from dog to dog by tick bites. This is diagnosed by a blood test. This disease is uncommon in the U.S., and the drugs to treat it are not routinely available. Please see the Veterinarian once you arrive to learn about preventive measures for your canine's health. (Humans/Cats are not affected by Babesia).

Pet transportation
Shipment of pets (dogs and cats) as excess baggage accompanying the service member in PCS travel may be accomplished by requesting commercial or CATEGORY "B" travel. Advance reservations are required for pets and should be requested at the same time the PCS port call is being requested. There are no entitlements for shipment of pets at Government Expense.

Shipment of dogs weighing more than 100 pounds (this includes kennel weight) is not authorized on AMC flights.

Before entry to Okinawa can be permitted, dogs and cats must be immunized against rabies at least 30 days, but not more than 1 year, prior to the date of entry (provided the exporting country certified the validity of the vaccine). Dogs should also be vaccinated for kennel cough. Within 10 days before arrival in Japan, dogs/cats must undergo a health exam by a military veterinarian or a licensed civilian veterinarian and be found in good health. A health certificate will be issued at that time. Rabies and health certificates for dogs obtained through a civilian vet must be stamped and endorsed by a U.S. Dept of Agriculture USDA Field Office. A certificate obtained through a military vet need not be endorsed by USDA Field Office. An original, plus four copies each of the U.S. military-issued health certificate and rabies certificate, or USDA-certified health certificate, and rabies immunization certificate, will be presented with the animal at the time of shipment. In addition, five completed copies of USFJ Form 380 (Customs free import/export of cargo/customs declaration of Personal property), authenticated by the TMO/PMO officer, must be presented at the time of inprocessing, or 5 copies of the sponsor's travel orders.

If planning to ship birds or other pets, owner should contact the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate to determine import requirements. It is very difficult to bring any pets other than Dogs and Cats into the country.

If you do not accompany your pet to Okinawa, you will pick up your pet at Naha Airport. If you pick up your pet from 0900-1700, Mon-Fri and 0900-1200, Sat, there's no customs fee. However, from 1700-2200, Mon-Fri and 1200-2200 Sat, and 0900-1700 Sunday, there is a 6050 Yen customs fee. The customs fee must be paid with a Japanese revenue stamp which can be acquired at the Naha Airport information counter before 2100. If you pick up your pet after 2100, you may call the airport counter and ask them to purchase the revenue stamp for you. if you choose to wait to pick up your pet and avoid the customs fee, your pet will be held at Air Cargo. There's no guarantee that your pet will be given water or removed from it's kennel while it is held at Air Cargo.

The cost to ship a pet via AMC is as follows: Pet and container, with a combined weight up to 70 lbs will be charged as one piece which is $85. Pet(s) traveling in a single container, with a combined weight of up from 71-99 lbs, will be charged as two pieces of baggage which is $170. Pet(s) and container, with a combined weight of up to 100 lbs or more, will not be accepted on the AMC flight.

Services recently agreed to limit pet shipment to cats and dogs only. Requests for movement of pets other than cats and dogs cannot be approved. For more information regarding the movement of pets contact your local traffic Management Office.