Bringing pets to Ecuador

[DANIEL CLARK]

I have heard it can be expensive to bring small pets, has anyone a ball park figure on cost ( not flights)

for taxes, clearing pets, any duties and charges especially if they have to be warehoused overnight.

Daniel Clark

[COUNTRY EXPERT- SUZAN HASKINS]

I’m not sure what costs you’d have besides airline fees? I’ve never paid any customs fees to bring pets to Ecuador, and I brought a 90-lb. chocolate lab in 2001 and two cats from Mexico about nine months ago.

If your paperwork is in order, there is no reason you’d pay any fees. (No customs or duties on pets.) And I can’t imagine any reason they’d need to be warehoused overnight.

As for airline fees: If they’re small enough to fit in the cabin under the seat in front of you as carry-on luggage, then the fee is minimal. If they have to fly as cargo, you’ll have to pay cargo fee – -this is all up to the airline, so check with your airline to see what those charges will be.

 

 

[DANIEL CLARK]

Thanks Suzan,

we appreciate the input, I think that someone was trying to give us a few more worry lines.

Daniel

[COUNTRY EXPERT- SUZAN HASKINS]

Daniel, if you listen to some of the “advice” flying around out there, you’d never leave home. 🙂

[C BEENING]

Hi everyone!

I’ve read somewhere that there were fees for bringing in pets, but maybe it was for another country.

I’m trying to figure out where it might be feasible to bring in SEVERAL cats.
I have now a small private sanctuary for rescued felines. They all have a permanent for life home here. My concerns are costs, permission to bring so many, what is required.

Is there decent pet food that can be found anywhere in Ecuador (or if not..do you know what countries might allow/have accommodation for this?

I would likely not be able to rent..unless a somewhat more rural accommodation would be available. And what about good veterinary care?

Are there any local feline diseases, pests or wildlife that would make it dangerous/difficult to bring or keep cats?
Can anyone advise me on these issues? I haven’t been able to locate anything specific.

Of course, I would NOT want them to run free, but have sufficient, protected enclosures for them to run, play and engage one another without outside dangers or providing hassles for others by straying off property. So….costs of building such enclosure would also be needed. Is it easy to find reliable, cost-effective help to construct something.. Or supplies where I could diy?

Thanks so much for any insight you might be able to offer!

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Ecuador itself does not charge a fee to bring your pets into the country, but you will have the expenses of flying them here plus the vet visits and certifications that are required prior to moving. You can read more about the details of bringing a pet into Ecuador here.

Pet food is all over the map here in Ecuador. You can find low-quality products at some of the stores, but certain pet supply stores or veterinary offices (especially in expat-heavy areas) will have specialty pet foods. It will cost quite a bit more, but you may find it worthwhile. Also, some expats make their own cat food from ground chicken and other local products and are very happy with the results.

The biggest danger to your cats will be dogs and vehicles, so you’ll want to have a nice secure area for them where they can’t get out and dogs can’t get in. I do recall a vet in Quito saying there is one feline disease that is a problem here (leukemia maybe?) but if you keep your cats in their secure area and take them to the vet regularly that shouldn’t be a problem. Many expats own cats here and I’ve never heard of any health problems due to life in Ecuador.

I’m sorry but I can’t really give you an idea on how much it would cost to build an enclosure as there are so many variables like size, what materials you plan to use, etc. I can tell you that building supplies will cost about the same in the U.S. (depending upon what you’re using of course), but labor is far cheaper. Every town will have small building supply stores while the larger cities will have Home Depot-like stores. You should have no problem finding building supplies.

[C BEENING]

Hi Wendy! Sorry…The follow up email apparently didn’t work that you had replied…almost gave up.

Thanks so much for the info

Yes..I WOULD always, as here, have the cats in a secure enclosure…like chain link fencing with a top to keep cats in and others out.

For building supplies…are there delivery services, such as here at home, where supplies are brought to the residence? Or rental trucks where you can do it yourself, — again..as here?

I worry about the cost of getting so many cats there…and the quality of vets. And the food. Here I make some food myself as well..but it is difficult for so many in a sanctuary.

Would there be a ‘stigma’ or resentment of any kind with a sanctuary, since apparently, cats are not so common there? How do locals view the keeping of pets…cats in particular. It is of concern that there are so many stray dogs struggling for life…so the ‘pet’ issue is definitely not the same as viewed by many here. Would not want to create undue issues or problems in a ‘new life’.

It doesn’t sound like there are any insect or ‘wild’ animal predators, snakes, biting insects, massive flea infestations,…etc that may be a problem. And feline leukemia can be a problem here as well…with animals that roam. If no other parasites or viral/bacterial issues..then the picture looks better. I wonder, since so few seem to have cats, and thought perhaps diseases might be an issue.

Are the vets of good quality – and do you know if there are laws requiring any annual/periodic inoculations…such as rabies.. once the initial certification inoculations have been done to enter the country?

Thanks again, Wendy. Your help/advice is appreciated.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

You can easily have building supplies delivered to your house. Typically the building supply store will either have their own truck or there are large trucks for rent that will haul your materials to your house.

I don’t think that anyone will care that you have cats as long as they don’t disturb anyone. I believe the main reason that most people don’t have cats is because they are seen as not providing a useful service. For most people here their dogs are used for work (herding cattle or other livestock) or used as guard dogs. Since cats aren’t very cooperative when it comes to doing either of those things many people don’t bother to own one. But as far as I know there is no overall bad attitudes towards felines here.

There are definitely very good vets in Ecuador, but you’ll want to visit with a few before choosing the one that is right for you and your animals. I’m not sure about the actual laws regarding vaccines, but I do know it is recommended to regularly vaccinate your pets and the schedule is similar to that in the U.S.

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