engmiltz3

I am transporting my dogs from China to the UK via Munich. 2 dogs are old (one Blind pug/mops with Diabetes) 12 years old, 14 year old Pekinese and a young Chihuahua . I cannot take the dogs direct to the UK due to snub nose and temperature restrictions on flights. I have been advised to check the older two in Beijing as excess baggage and the younger one in cabin on flights to Munich. Air China will only allow 2 dogs on its flight at a time, so the older ones will have to travel with my daughters. Lufthansa will not take them from Beijing on account of the current temperature restriction. I will get a flight with my Chihuahua a day ahead of my daughters and other dogs. I want to make it as smooth on arrival for my daughters 19 and 16 years old (as well as the dogs)

The dogs have all had their vaccinations, necessary blood work, deworming tablets, microchipped etc and will have a Vet certificate which I understand will be valid for 7-10 days.

Can you please advise what I need to do when I arrive in Munich ?

jamikins

Surely the airline will advise?

Sassafrass

First of all, if the very reputable Lufthansa will not take them at this time, due to temperature restrictions, I would seriously question the judgement of Air China In taking them. This becomes even more precarious with older snub nose dogs.

I would worry that your old dogs would not survive such a long trip without water, and in temperatures that could be dangerous for them. Also, as excess baggage, is their area in cargo appropriately pressurized?

Can your daughters also each take separate flights and each bring a dog in the cabin with them, or if 2 dogs are allowed, the 16 year old could go with you with one dog in the cabin, and the 19 year old travel with the other dog.

Check with the U.K. about clearance from flight to flight. In some places, there is a very limited time frame from the start to finish of the journey. You might even need another vet approval in Munich.

From the States, there are companies that will take care of shipping your animals. They seem reliable, making sure paperwork is correct and the animals are properly cared for in transit. Would you have that available from China?

Macross

http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Germany.cfm

I have zero experience with Munich but we employed a company to ship my Dog from the UK. They made the transaction very easy. Do you have anything like that in China? It was called Paws on Planes.

Dukey1

Please tell us this is because you are moving and not some "vacation."

engmiltz3

I'm moving back to the UK, definitely not taking a holiday. All the dogs Ive had since puppies and they have travelled to all our assignments (unfortunately this has been the one with the biggest challenge). They are part of our family and I don't want to leave them behind. I am working with an Agent here. She reassures me that excess baggage will be ok for the dogs (and they will actually leave at 1 am so will avoid the heat. Unfortunately she can only assist with getting them to Munich and from then onwards its my problem. She suggested taking them to France and then through the tunnel. I will struggle with this suggestion due to transport, so thought it would be best to get them on short flight. I hope to have them out of Munich the same day they arrive.

DebitNM

While I can understand your not wanting to leave them behind, what you propose seems to be pretty inhumane for old dogs. While technically the aircraft is "ok" they could die from the stress alone. How would you feel if you went to get them and they were dead? Between age, snub nose etc...it sounds like a death sentence.

I am not trying to be mean, but I love dogs, all dogs and this is just not what is in the best interest of the dogs.

Seriously, I flew a Golden Retriever from NY to CO in July when I moved [on a non stop, flight in cargo]. He was only 5 years old. He was on a early morning flight so he would not be in the heat on tarmac etc.

He was SO stressed when we picked him up nearly half his fur had shed!

Please, don't be selfish - try to find a home for them where they are and take the young one with you on the plane in the passenger cabin.

What the agent SAYS and the reality are likely 2 very different things.

newtome

If you were going to do this, which I agree with the above poster may result in an unhappy results, is it possible your daughters are mature enough for each of them to take a separate flight and each have a dog in the cabin with them?

PegS

The older ones are more likely to have a harder time as baggage than your younger one. I'd actually suggest you take the blind/diabetic one, and see if you can split the other two with your daughters as cabin dogs, with the more responsible of your daughters taking the older of the two. I seriously can't believe that Air China would treat your animals in the way you'd expect, even aside from the normal stress and discomfort of being in the cargo hold.

janisj

I feel for you - unfortunately considering the ages and breeds -- shipping them is a VERY bad idea. Unless you can take them as cabin luggage I would not even consider it.

If you and the daughters can split them up? OR even if you can find someone who is flying to the UK to take one for you. That is a long shot but maybe another expat returning to the UK or something like that/

But I would never (EVER) put elderly pug/pekes in the hold

flanneruk

Overwhelmingly, the easiest way to get a dog from Munich to Britain is by car, through the Eurotunnel.

As you've seen, flying dogs is a nightmare. It's not possible to take dogs onto cross-Channel trains (God knows why, but dems de rules). Hiring a car in Munich, driving to Calais, getting the dog and its passport scanned and the docs checked before checking your car in, then driving to a destination in SE England can be done in a day, though it might be easier to do it in two.

That raises the problem of the cost of one-way hire. Personally, I'd hire the car for a week, put the dog into UK kennels, drive the car to somewhere like Cologne airport (probably the closest German airport to the Calais terminal) then catch a flight back.

London-Cologne by car, then a flight to London can be done in a day if you start early enough.

hetismij2

I agree with Flanner on this, plus it will give the dogs a break in Munich rather than stressing them out mre by flying them a second time so soon after a long flight.
At Heathrow the dogs would go to the animal centre from where you would have to collect them after proving everything is in order.
Rent a car, make a trip of it for you and your daughters, and return the car to Aachen or Cologne.
Please take the oldest illest dog with you in the cabin if you can, and see if your daughters can take the other two in the cabin too. I realise there are restrictions on the size of dog allowed in the cabin and maybe your dogs are too big for that. Even so I would take the oldest dog myself rather then leave that responsibility to my daughters.

Good luck. I hope they make it.

Sassafrass

Also agree with Flanner. My DD did that when she moved from Switzerland to GB. She decided flying was just too stressful for her animals (both dogs and cats), so drove them.

engmiltz3

Update: Thanks very much for your input everyone, it was a very hard decision but I shipped the dogs. The youngest one came with me on a Lufthansa flight, followed by the two older dogs on an Air China flight to Munich.
All arriving safe and well. We spent the night at the Novotel Hotel (very dog friendly) and had amazing help from Aleksandar of Gradlyn and Dr Schranner.
who checked the dogs health and helped with the paperwork for transportation to the Uk. The dogs were then put on a short flight from Munich to London (all together this time) and I collected them at the cargo area Heathrow.
I am so thankful to have them all here, retiring in Berkshire, but from a stress perspective to us all, I would never do it again !!!

janisj

I am soooooo glad it worked out! You (and the dogs) were very lucky that they got through the ordeal so well.

Sassafrass

Thank you for letting everyone know. So glad you are all safe and sound. I bet your dogs were happy to see you.

MichelleSonya

Yes i would contact the airline

WeisserTee

So glad they came through the trip ok. For future reference, I suggest anyone you know who also has to fly with pets from China to the UK or elsewhere in Europe consider flying Swiss from Shanghai to Zurich. There are no restrictions (that I'm aware of) on the number of dogs flying in the cabin, as long as they meet the weight etc requirements. You can then fly from Zurich to the UK. On at least half my flights (in business class) with Swiss, there have been dogs in the cabin.