Fleeing (Japan) with your Fuzz

Wonderful news!
...in an odd and possibly inappropriate way.
Perhaps it would be better said as reassuring news.

We got word back from my regular pet transport company about fleeing Japan with my ferret.

In response to my most basic question of "are you even able to move pets out of Japan right now?" I received the following answer.

We have but it has been, as you can imagine, very hectic and agents are at or nearly at capacity.

Far better than nothing given the devastation visited upon the shipping ports and airports.

In response to the possibility of a quick exit, the answer was not surprisingly, not so concrete.

Although possible, it will be hit or miss on short notice.

So, yes, it is possible. It can be done!

But before you leave, you can't just LEAVE.
Not if you plan to take your fuzzy with you.
There are several USA based pet transport companies, regardless of which one you choose, the official documents for entry into the USA will not be different. The official entry documents are decided by the USA government. For ferrets, as of this point in time, there are only two documents required for entry from Japan to the USA.

Papers needed previous to departure with a ferret.
1) International health certificate endorsed by AQS, Animal Quarantine Service. (Usually, a regular "local" vet signs a specific health document. This health document is then sent to a "larger area" vet who is part of AQS. This signature is the one that is necessary for export/import. AQS officials are usually assigned to manage certain areas only so your AQS may be different than the one covering my area.)
2) A current rabies certificate

The health certificate needs to be within 10 days of departure.
Rabies vaccinations need to be over 30 days and less than 1 year.
Please note the date stamps required.

Customs is extremely strict about the dating of official papers. There is no such thing as "close enough" or "one day over? sure you're fine". Your fuzzy will be sitting in customs-limbo for an unprecedented amount of time. Possibly even shipped back to Japan? Or in the case of an expired Rabies vaccine, put down on the table!?

I am not saying that is official customs procedure. I myself am not sure as I am obsessively careful with dating my papers. What I am saying is do not underestimate customs - they are an official office of government and will follow whatever rule is in their book regardless of how outdated or ruthless it might be.

If you are smart and staying informed, you know these earthquakes are not over yet. It's not too late to look for a vet that can give you the rabies shot and sign the necessary documents.

Here is a general summary of what needs to be done now, what can be done now if you are considering completely leaving Japan with your ferret in the case of an emergency.

＊Locate the nearest airport you might be able to depart from.
＊Figure out how you will get there with your ferret.
＊Be direct and ask your current vet if they know what an International Health Certificate is and are they licensed to officially sign one. (This is not likely.) If not, ask how you can get this done.
＊Assemble the documents necessary for export ready.
＊Have the documents on hand in with your ferret evac kit.
＊Check the dates! Keep the documents updated regularly.


Please note all the information provided here is only in regards to ferrets leaving Japan and entering America. Importing your fuzz into a different country will require different papers as designated by that country's animal import/export regulations.

Cheers and stay safe, Stay Informed!
More updates and rewrites on this topic in the near future.

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