Sandy the Dog: Migrating from KL to Kuching via MASKargo (Change of plans)

If you read my earlier post, I was planning to take Sandy along as excess baggage on my flight. BUT, due to the confusion and blurness with MAS procedures (they insisted that Sandy, the Yorkie, is a restricted breed), I needed some back up.

I checked with Dr Kee from Caring Vet to find out if Sandy was a snub nose dog (MAS doesn't allow any snub nose dog breed on flights). Last night she emailed me and confirmed that Sandy, a Yorkshire Terrier, does not fall into that Branchycepalhic breed. Mini yorkies, maybe, but not Sandy for that matter. Yey. Sandy is good to go.

This morning, I called MASKargo Animal Hotel to ask them for advice. 1st officer was nice, Mr Sazali. He confirmed that Yorkshire was good to go. I also asked him if it was possible to bring Sandy via MasKargo (i was browsing their website ( http://www.maskargo.com/animalhotel/) and got curious) Note: The Paw Printers migrated via MASKargo. I also asked for procedures and he was great. He gave me all the numbers I need to call and also what to do next.

• First, call up Animal Hotel office to get an Airway Bill number (AWB). (03-8777 1847)
• After that, call up cargo booking/reservation to book a space and to confirm destination. (03-8777 2017)
• Once booking is confirmed, call Animal Hotel again to inform them that reservation booking done. Get info.
• Finally, come about 5 hours before flight to arrange everything at Animal Hotel, Sepang.

Let's continue with my story. After I called Mr Sazali, I called the cargo reservation dept. The guy on the line insisted that Yorkshire cannot fly. He also told me to call Mr Sazali again to confirm, so I did. I told Mr Sazali what happened and he reassured me that Sandy can fly. So, I called reservation again, this time, i spoke to a different officer. This officer was friendlier. At first he told me the same thing, that Terriers cannot fly. I told him that I have spoken to Mr Sazali and already have all the permits done. So he said, in that case, all done and he will refer to Mr Sazali himself. 

So, since i've checked the MASKargo schedule on http://www.maskargo.com/, it already had the flight detail in mind. So when the officer asked for the details, all was easy and ready. Info needed was: Estimated weight (of dog including carrier), Flight details - date and time and since i'll be flying too, he needed my ticket number & reference number), also it would be convenient if I had the carrier dimensions as well for better calculation. After keying in everything, he confirms details with me and then all done. (all by phone)

Sandy's "Flight" ticket aka the AWB in the system. :)

Next, i needed to call Mr Sazali back. I informed him that reservations has been made and confirmed. I also asked for details and how much money to prepare. He did some rought calculations and told be to have about RM250 on standby. 

So far so good. Now all I need is a transporter. To transport Sandy and also me at the same time. 

Sandy the Dog: Migrating - Peninsula to Cat City via MAS

(Ideas of entry "stolen" from Pre-Migration, Migration, Post Migration: Kirby & Sassy’s story by Miss Delirious Writer)

I felt the need to post this, inspired by Jaja, because of the issues i had when trying to bring Sandy home with me. So let me share my experience so others can benefit and learn a thing or two. Sharing is Caring.

Before i begin, some intro. Sandy is a 7 years old Yorkshire Terrier me and my housemates rescued from neglect and mild abuse. She's been staying with us in the apartment for more than 10 months now. My mom decided that it is best if I sent Sandy home to Kuching because back home, we have a landed house and 2 other dogs. Instead of transporting via MASKargo, I have decided to take her together with me on my flight back to Kuching via MAS as excess baggage. BTW, only MAS provides the service to carry along pets as excess baggage on a passenger flight.

Jaja assisted alot throughout the whole thing. Well, she had the experience you see. Little did we know that the procedures have changed.

Checklist:

• Canine/Feline must be more than 6 months old
• Furkid must be vaccinated, given rabies shot and dewormed (optional). Vaccination and Rabies shot is valid for 1 year 
• Furkid must be microchip-ed
• Furkid must be placed in a cage or pet carrier in which your furkid must be able to move around and stand on all four
• Getting a PetPassport (Optional)
• Your expected travel dates
• Booking the quarantine space 
• Health Certificate from DVS (Department of Veterinary Services)
• Import permit (from destination DVS)
• Export permit from MAQIS (Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department)

Note: Always remember, to be safe, always call the respective departments for better clarification to avoid confusion.

Now, let me share with you my experience in the whole process.

I got Sandy a Dog-It Pet Carrier that she fits in nicely. She can stand and move around in it. It's not too big. It looks exactly like the photo below. It was RM96, from Pet Lovers Centre, SS2. (Note: You need to cable tie the cage before flight to ensure that the carrier is not tempered with. Also get a long padlocks to lock the carrier door)

Source: Jaja's Blog.

At the same time, i sent her for a full grooming which costed about rm80. Her fur was too long (although yorkies were meant to have long fur), too long for travel. Needed her fur very short because there is a high chance of her getting fleas when in quarantine. Also short fur means easier maintenance.   

Next, I needed to send her for vaccination etc. I called DVS Selangor but they didn't provide the services so they advised that i do it at a private vet. I decided to look for a vet which also is a registrar for PetPassport. Found a nice vet in Kota Kemuning (altho it was far from where i lived, it was worth the drive). We went to Caring Animal Clinic. The Doctors and Nurses were so friendly. They even allowed me in the treatment room. Since we didn't have Sandy's old health records, it was save to assume that she has not been vaccinated in the past year. The nurse also checked to see if Sandy had any microchip on her. None (not surprised. prev owner wasn't caring enough). Once physical check all done, doctor asked me if I wanted the basic vaccination of full vaccination. I opted for the Full vaccination. Didn't get her explanation but she said it's good. She also explained that there may be side effects, but not common, such as fever, hyper activity, spasm, which can be dangerous for the dog. So, she told us that we should not leave the vet vicinity too soon - just stay for about 15 mins to monitor Sandy should any symptoms appear. (Thank God nothing happened). Vaccine was Canine Distemper-Adenovirus Type 2-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus Vaccine and LCAN-LGRIP-LICT-LPOM Bacterial Extract.

After the vaccination, we proceeded with the microchipping. Had to shave a spot on sandy's neck. The needle was HUGE. Sandy was shocked when the needle pierced her skin. But it was normal. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Furkid cannot bath for a week) Total paid: RM107 (Vaccination - RM 50, Microchip - RM50, petpassport - RM7). I didn't get the passport on that day itself because the Doctor in charge was on leave. So i needed to collect after 1 week.

After checking thru the import/export checklist, i noticed that the Furkid may need rabies shot. So the week after, when i was due to collect the petpassport, i send Sandy for her Rabies shot (Rabisin-R) and also for deworming (Drontal Plus 1/2 tablet). All went smoothly. Same procedure. Need to wait awhile before leaving the vet and the furkid is not allowed to bath for a week. Total paid: RM65

So, with all the health information, I asked Jaja to assist in Kuching to handle the tasks needed on that end. I emailed her the scanned copy of the petpassport (Pet details, vaccination detail, rabies shot detail and deworming detail) for her to take to DVS Sarawak in order to apply for the Import Permit. The Import Permit can be done within one day but in my case, all doctors were away for a conference so we had to wait til they're back. The import permit fee was RM5. The import permit from Sarawak DVS is valid for 60 days. Btw, you MUST book the quarantine space months in advance because it can be full. In my case, we were lucky because Jaja made the call early.

With the import permit in hand, I now can send Sandy to DVS Selangor for check up. This check up is to ensure that Sandy is fit to travel. Once confirmed that she is fit, DVS issues the Health Certificate. This can only done within 7 days before flight because the health cert is only valid for 7 days. I went on a Friday. Just nice because my flight is the coming Thursday. Health cert from DVS was a total of RM50. [DagangNet fee (RM7), Health Cert (RM3), Examination (RM40)] After acquiring the health cert, I was given a reference number. This reference number is my Export permit application no. Next stop is MAQIS. (This is when everything went hair wire)

I was told to got to MAQIS at KLIA. I was supposed to be an easy trip - Stop by, go to their office, give reference number, pay for permit, get permit, all done. BUT due misunderstanding and miscommunication, a simple task became a nightmare. I arrived KLIA MAQIS before 12. We did call in advance to confirm their operating hours (12pm - 3pm break for Friday prayers). So i assumed they would still be open at 1150. HOWEVER, upon arrival, we were told that they have gone out. The police officer also told us that we needed entry pass in order to enter the MAQIS office as their office was in the Arrival Hall. So we went down to security to get our passes. At the security office, we were told that we needed to fill out a form to acquire the pass. and that form can only be taken from the MAQIS office (which, may i remind you, needed the pass to enter) -.-" it was very confusing but the police officers in charge of the security department were very helpful. Since it was already past 12, they told us to wait til 3pm because it was already lunch time and Friday prayers time. So we waited - had KFC for lunch while waiting. Just before 3pm, we went back to the security department. The lady officer gave MAQIS a call. I heard some arguments but tried not to notice. She then passed the phone to me. I told the man on the other line that I wanted to get the export permit. And only then, he told me that I should be going to the MAQIS at Kargo. (Note that we called them a few times in regards to the export permit and this is the 1st time they said it's at the Kargo office). I was confused as i didn't know where it was. The police officer then explained that Kargo refers to the area nearby the former LCCT airport. I was told to go to the Customs Office Building. (NOTE: All matters regarding import/export is done at MAQIS @ Custom's Office KLIA, Level 5. It's open 24 hours, btw).

Before leaving KLIA, I managed to drop by at the info counter to ask about the procedures for the flight day. The reception told me that i need to inform MAS and the airport authorities will be on standby to assist.

We arrived the MAQIS office at 3.30 but was told that the accounts department was doing the closing. I almost cried thinking that i was just a few minutes late. The officer assured me that it's just the changing of shifts (they need to close account before change of shift. note that they have 8 hour shifts on rotation for 24 hours daily). So i needed to wait til 4pm. When my turn came, everything went smoothly. All was done in less than 5 mins. The Export Permit fee was RM40.

So far, all paperwork done. Oh ya, almost forgot. Since i'll be bringing Sandy with my on my flight as excess baggage (poor sandy will be sent as cargo), I had to inform MAS office so they are prepared for the handling. I called the MAS hotline before everything to ask for instructions. So they told me to drop them an email and attach relevant documents. I sent the email to RESVNS@MalaysiaAirlines.com . I included the following details: Flight details, Item to cargo (sandy), total weight of item with carrier and attached the import permit, flight itinerary and also health cert). Also, please ready enough money. Not sure how much til the cargo process. P/s: Do call MAS helpline up to confirm that they received the details. We don't want anyone to be caught off guard now do we?

Now that all those are done, I just need to prep Sandy for the upcoming flight.