Giant dogs…Great Danes

[Terry Mcelwain]

Hi. I am new to this Belieze Insider forum. And, as much as I would like to think we could get serious about Belieze I just don’t see any way to get our big dogs (Great Danes) there. Driving through Mexico seems to be a huge risk without armed guards. Flying seems out of the question with these sized dogs. I am intetesyed in hearing if anyone has moved their giant dogs to Belieze and if so, how and how did it work out.
Thanks for any info.
/Terry

[DAVID L.]

We just brought our dog, Dolly, into Belize. After 3 years of visiting and purchasing a home in Consejo, this trip was our permanent move (read – we bought one-way tickets!).

Our dog, a 70 lb. Yellow Lab, is not near the size of the “small horse” you are looking to bring. While you do have to make sure your paperwork is in order from the vet, shots current and recent, and an import permit has been issued by BAHA (Belize agricultural and animal control), this is relatively easy and the Belizean officials on the phone and at the airport are very accommodating. The BIG problem is the airlines. You must have crate big enough for the dog AND they must have a plane that can handle that size crate. Delta, United and American are your best bets. Their websites do contain the size restriction by airplane type. One of your many jobs will be to check the airplane model for your trip (including connecting flights) and compare those models against any size restriction for that type of plane.

In addition, there is a temperature band that must be met the day you plan the fly. When we flew Dolly, we were concerned that we would may exceed the high limit of 85 degrees either in Belize or any connecting stops. I know there is a low threshold, also. It took us about 1 ½ hours to check Dolly in at the airport – a lot of paperwork. We also told the fight crew that we were traveling with our dog and they confirmed for us that she was on the plane. They were surprised that we haven’t gotten a text message from her (that was flight attendant humor).

The other thing is to be careful about terminology. “Air Cargo” is one thing and “Checked Baggage” is another. Delta does not do “Air Cargo” into Belize but does do “Checked Baggage”. American does both. Who knew? Air Cargo is expensive. Dolly flew as checked baggage.

I think traveling through Mexico is doable. Of course, that is being said by someone who choose not to do it! You’ll have two border crossing with an animal. Mexican hotels that accommodate dogs are difficult to find. You may wind up sleeping in your car with your dog. Only you can determine if that is desirable or not!

If you want to discuss over the phone, let us know. We have a MagicJack number which means no international fees for either of us.

Hope this helps. Good luck with investigations and trip,

David and Lynn

[Danielle Buchanan]

I’m very glad you are asking about this! Our family is also considering a move to Belize & we too have a 7 year old, 180lbs Great Dane!
We have his giant crate – aka his House – which he sleeps in even when the door is wide open. Is that the type of crate we can transport him in or would it have to be one of those “plastic” ones?!

Great to hear other Dane owners considering the same move as us!
Best of luck & pls post anything you are able to find out!

Thanx – Best of luck!

Dani

[DAVID L.]

It is my understanding that the crate must be an approved container. I would check with the airlines providing make, model, size and weight. They are the ones accepting the responsibility for the animal. There are requires about the dog being able get up and turn around. Also they need an attached source of water. We were concerned at the airport that once checked in, we still needed to go through TSA. (TSA came to us.) Our dog had to be removed so the crate could be checked. Then the dog put back in (which was, for us, the second miracle of the day. The first was getting her in there in the first place.) Then the crate needs to be zip tied (you provide the zip ties) so that the crate and door cannot be re-opened. All I can say is to book as early a flight as possible. That gives you time to correct any problems. And, there are only a certain number of crates allowed in checked baggage. So, if you are early, you get one of those spots.

David

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Terry, Danielle,

As David discusses above, the issues you will encounter with your Great Danes are related to limitations in Belize, but rather with the airlines restrictions. So those are issues that you will encounter no matter where in the world you would consider moving. We have no dog quarantine here in Belize. I have friends who move their Rotweillers, and Sheppards back and forth yearly. But I haven’t seen a Great Dane on Ambergris Caye as of yet. I’ve seen many other types of dogs.

There are some “services” that will move your dog or cat for you to a new country outside of the USA. But they are not Belizean companies. So you might want to do some more general on-line research related to pet moving services who specialize in moving pets overseas, since you don’t want to drive, and flying may not work for such a large dog.

Good luck,

Ann Kuffner
Belize Correspondent

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