Bringing my Dog to Bonaire from the US

[DrDirector]

Being part of The Netherlands, all dogs entering Bonaire must be microchiped. Dr. De Vries, the vet on Bonaire who works with the Animal Shelter and helps people take dogs from Bonaire home, had told me that in an e-mail. (Send me your e-mail address in a Private Message and I will forward those e-mails.) He also said that either the USDA form or the Dutch form were acceptable for entry into Bonaire. When I was scheduling my appointment with USDA the first time we were traveling, they told me that all dogs must have a rabies vaccination after they were microchipped, and that vaccination had to be at least 21 days before you traveled. I just made that 21-day requirement by one day that trip. I don't know why they require a rabies shot after being microchipped. I am just passing on information from what I was told and my personal experiences, and welcome any other more official info. My two trips with our dog went without any issues following what I was told.

Unless you own your own place, you might also want to check with whereever you are staying that having a dog is acceptable. Many places say no. We were fortunate that the owner of the condo we rent, while having a no-dog policy, allowed us to bring our non-shedding standard poodle service dog, but then we have been staying at his place for many years and he knows we are not destructive.

Separately, dogs (even service dogs) are not alllowed in many places including most stores and many restuarants. The Netherlands has a policy similar to the US that allows service animals to go anywhere, but establishments on Bonaire don't always understand this or abide by it, even though they are technically part of The Netherlands. We would always ask before bringing our dog to a restauarnt; usually it was okay if the restaurant had outdoor or open air seating, but usually wasn't okay for inside seating. (Pasa Bon Pizza was one place that did allow us to bring the dog in, but we had coordinated that in advance.) Part of this resistance to dogs inside a restuarant is that many Bonairians do not think of dogs the way we do, but more as agressive guard dogs or just outside pets. Just remember that you are a guest in their country and it is always best to respect their customs; we always try to do that, even before we had the service dog.

Also keep in mind that dogs are not allowed on most beaches, so please respect that as well.

Good luck on your upcoming trip. We too are scheduled soon, and all we can do for now is monitor the situation. In case you had not seen it, Bonaire banned all flights from the US, Canada, Colombia and Domincan Republic this past Monday afternoon, adding to the ban they imposed on on Saturday for flights from Europe. The ban on US flights is currently through March 27, but may be extended if needed.

[bonairemerrill]

Being part of The Netherlands, all dogs entering Bonaire must be microchiped. Dr. De Vries, the vet on Bonaire who works with the Animal Shelter and helps people take dogs from Bonaire home, had told me that in an e-mail. (Send me your e-mail address in a Private Message and I will forward those e-mails.) He also said that either the USDA form or the Dutch form were acceptable for entry into Bonaire. When I was scheduling my appointment with USDA the first time we were traveling, they told me that all dogs must have a rabies vaccination after they were microchipped, and that vaccination had to be at least 21 days before you traveled. I just made that 21-day requirement by one day that trip. I don't know why they require a rabies shot after being microchipped. I am just passing on information from what I was told and my personal experiences, and welcome any other more official info. My two trips with our dog went without any issues following what I was told.

Unless you own your own place, you might also want to check with whereever you are staying that having a dog is acceptable. Many places say no. We were fortunate that the owner of the condo we rent, while having a no-dog policy, allowed us to bring our non-shedding standard poodle service dog, but then we have been staying at his place for many years and he knows we are not destructive.

Separately, dogs (even service dogs) are not alllowed in many places including most stores and many restuarants. The Netherlands has a policy similar to the US that allows service animals to go anywhere, but establishments on Bonaire don't always understand this or abide by it, even though they are technically part of The Netherlands. We would always ask before bringing our dog to a restauarnt; usually it was okay if the restaurant had outdoor or open air seating, but usually wasn't okay for inside seating. (Pasa Bon Pizza was one place that did allow us to bring the dog in, but we had coordinated that in advance.) Part of this resistance to dogs inside a restuarant is that many Bonairians do not think of dogs the way we do, but more as agressive guard dogs or just outside pets. Just remember that you are a guest in their country and it is always best to respect their customs; we always try to do that, even before we had the service dog.

Also keep in mind that dogs are not allowed on most beaches, so please respect that as well.

Good luck on your upcoming trip. We too are scheduled soon, and all we can do for now is monitor the situation. In case you had not seen it, Bonaire banned all flights from the US, Canada, Colombia and Domincan Republic this past Monday afternoon, adding to the ban they imposed on on Saturday for flights from Europe. The ban on US flights is currently through March 27, but may be extended if needed.

Thank you for all this awesome info! Yes, we saw the travel ban. We own a villa in Sabadeco and we're hoping to get there, very bummed we may not make it ... fingers crossed things for the world get better soon. I'll get my puppy chipped before we arrive .. whenever that may be ...

[thom]

Keep in mind, 10% of the population is allergic to dogs/pets in general and 20% - 30% of those with asthma are allergic to dogs/pets. Your cute and cuddly pet can be, oftentimes is a very real physical assault to others. To those with asthma, it can be a serious assault. Small children are at an even greater risk. They are attracted to your pets, or at least probably don't know enough to keep a meaningful distance. Adults may just tell you they are allergic to your pet but, children generally won't.

Being a responsible pet owner includes protecting those with pet allergies from the physical assault that is your pet. Pay attention.