What You Should Know Earlier than Driving Throughout the Mexican Border With Your Canine

If you’re planning a street journey to Mexico, you might be questioning – Can I take my canine to Mexico by automotive? What documentation will I have to drive throughout the border?

I like Mexico and have visited a number of instances myself.

Whereas I’ve thought-about taking my Dachshunds Summit and Gretel to Mexico, I’ve all the time flown, and so they stayed residence within the US.

However I do know people who have pushed throughout the border each with and with out their canine.  

Whereas I haven’t taken this journey myself, sometime I do hope to take a street journey to Mexico with my canine so I made a decision to do a little analysis so I’m ready.

So that you don’t need to comb by all the guidelines and laws your self, I believed I’d share what I discovered with you right here.

Can I Take My Canine to Mexico By Automotive?

Sure! Mexico does permit US vacationers to cross with their pets (cats and canine) so long as they’re wholesome. 

Should you do have a canine dwelling with a long-term medical situation, you should still be capable to cross with correct documentation, relying on their prognosis.  

You might be allowed to cross with as much as 2 canine per individual. Which means that a pair touring may cross with as much as 4 pets in complete.

Observe: These guidelines apply to companion canine, not canine which might be being imported on the market in Mexico.

What Paperwork is Required to Journey Throughout the US-Mexican Border with Your Canine?

Individuals crossing the border don’t want to supply a Canine Well being Certificates for Mexico. 

Nevertheless, your canine could also be inspected by an official from SENASICA (the Mexican Nationwide Service for Agrifood Well being, Security, and High quality) earlier than you’re allowed to cross.

At the moment, you might be requested to supply an up-to-date rabies certificates so be certain that to have one readily available when crossing.

Throughout this inspection, they are going to be seeking to verify that your pet:

1.      Has no signal of infectious or contagious illness

2.      Is free from parasites (like ticks)

3.      Has no recent wounds or open wounds nonetheless within the technique of therapeutic

I counsel checking your canine over fastidiously at residence earlier than heading to the border. 

If the inspector finds any parasites, wounds, pores and skin lesions, or different areas of concern, your canine could also be held on the border when you contact an area veterinarian to come back and deal with them.

Canine with Pre-Present Accidents and Well being Situations

In case you have a canine with wounds, infections, lesions, or pre-existing well being situations that might be recognized through the inspection, you should still be capable to cross the border. 

However you’ll need to supply a letter out of your veterinarian on letterhead with the prognosis and therapy directions.

The documentation might want to clearly state your veterinarian’s skilled registration quantity.

Border officers are targeted on holding any sickness that may very well be transmitted out of Mexico. 

So, documentation out of your veterinarian addressing these considerations, whereas not required, may assist. 

Particularly if it’s a much less widespread medical situation that they might not be aware of.

Common Vacationers Can Apply for the “Pet Program – Frequent Traveler”

Should you stay close to the border and plan on touring backwards and forwards over the border ceaselessly, you possibly can register within the “Pet Program – Frequent Traveler”. 

This can be a free program that may can help you pace up the method when crossing the border.

The appliance would require you to submit the next documentation, lower than 6 months outdated:

• A sound well being certificates from a professionally licensed veterinarian
• Proof of present rabies vaccination
• Proof of therapy in opposition to ectoparasites (parasites that stay on the exterior floor of hosts) and endoparasites (parasites that stay within them)

The Pet Passport might be legitimate for six months at which era you possibly can submit your documentation to have it renewed as soon as once more.

Are the Guidelines the Identical if I’m Touring with a Pet?

Since puppies lower than three months outdated are too younger to have been correctly vaccinated, there isn’t any vaccination requirement. 

However you might have to show your pet’s age if requested for proof of rabies vaccination.

The foundations of crossing the Mexicvan border with a pet are totally different than for an grownup canine.

A straightforward solution to verify your pet’s age and keep away from any problems throughout journey is to convey a sound well being certificates from a licensed veterinarian with you.

Sure, I beforehand mentioned one wasn’t required to convey your canine into Mexico however I used to be referring to grownup canine then.

Touring to Mexico from the US with a Service Canine

Service canine should be inspected by a SENASICA official to make sure that they’re wholesome and freed from illnesses and parasites on the border crossing of your selection. 

Throughout this inspection, the official could ask for a replica of an up-to-date rabies vaccination certificates.

In contrast to within the US the place the Individuals with Disabilities Act protects service canine house owners from having to supply certification, resorts and companies in Mexico could require correct documentation from a acknowledged service canine group.

Some areas of Mexico don’t acknowledge the idea of service canine as they’re seen within the US. 

Be ready for the truth that there may very well be some confusion or limitations on the place you possibly can go along with your canine if you end up there.

Canine Rabies Vaccination Necessities for Returning to the US

The excellent news is that Mexico isn’t thought-about to be a “excessive danger” rabies nation by the Facilities for Illness Management, which implies that the federal authorities won’t prohibit the entry of a wholesome, vaccinated canine. 

You will want to substantiate on the border that your canine has not been in a rustic that’s thought-about excessive danger for rabies within the 6 months earlier than crossing.

Your state could have its personal necessities. 

For instance, the state of California requires that every one canine over the age of 4 months outdated have proof of present rabies vaccination. 

In the meantime, Michigan has no particular guidelines concerning worldwide entry for canine. 

Be sure you verify your state necessities earlier than crossing.

Canine crossing into the US which were to a high-risk nation are required to have proof that they acquired a rabies vaccination not less than 30 days earlier than arriving on the border. 

In case your canine’s most up-to-date vaccination was a booster, this ready interval is waived.

Can You Transport Canine Meals and Treats Throughout the Border?

If you’re planning a dog-friendly trip in Mexico along with your canine, you’re doubtless looking for the reply to some necessary questions associated to the provides that your canine wants. 

The preferred query that I hear is “Are you able to convey pet food into Mexico?”

The fast reply is sure, you possibly can convey pet food with you. 

However there are guidelines about how a lot meals can cross (and it’s not loads).   

Bringing Canine Meals and Treats into Mexico from the US

When crossing the Mexican border with a canine, you’re allowed to journey with sufficient meals for a single day. 

After all, this implies that you will want to seek out your canine’s meals after you may have crossed to be able to buy sufficient for the remainder of your journey.

Lots of the kibble diets accessible within the US are additionally accessible in Mexico.

Should you plan forward, you might also be capable to buy your canine’s meals on-line and have it delivered to your lodge or a P.O. field to be able to decide it up after you may have crossed. 

However, be ready for the truth that pet food prices in Mexico are sometimes a lot increased.

Bringing Canine Meals and Treats into the US from Mexico

Very like crossing the border from Canada into the US along with your canine, when you cross the border into the US with pet food, it’s going to have to be unopened and in its unique packaging. 

The package deal wants to obviously show an inventory of substances and the place the meals was produced.

There are some restrictions when it comes to substances. 

For instance, merchandise containing sheep, goats, and lamb are prohibited. 

Any meals should even be “shelf-stable” when crossing, that means that it doesn’t require refrigeration. 

Which means that uncooked pet meals aren’t permitted with out receiving an import allow.

You might be restricted to a complete of 50lbs of pet meals per automobile when crossing a land border.

Any meals which might be dehydrated, freeze-dried, or sun-dried should have a label clearly displaying that they’re a product of Canada or the US to be allowed within the nation.

Touring to Mexico with a Reactive Canine

One factor that you could be need to contemplate when bringing your canine to Mexico is the big variety of stray canine that you’ll usually see within the space. 

Whereas these canine will normally preserve their distance, they might trigger numerous anxiousness for a reactive canine.

In case your canine is reactive to others, even when they aren’t actively shifting into his private bubble, Mexico might not be one of the best trip vacation spot to decide on.

Closing Ideas

The simple reply to the query “Can I take my canine to Mexico by automotive?” is YES! However, you’ll need to make sure that you may have any required documentation earlier than crossing. 

There are various lovely and attention-grabbing areas of Mexico to discover, and who doesn’t love touring with their canine?

Plan a veterinary go to earlier than heading out to be sure that your canine is secure for journey. 

Pack solely the allowed at some point of meals and plan to get extra after you may have crossed safely. 

Attempt to be calm when talking with the officers on the border and reply their questions truthfully. They’re educated to identify vacationers which might be nervous or hiding the reality.

Whereas crossing the Mexican border with a canine will be an anxiety-producing expertise for some, a bit of preparation could make the entire course of simpler.