What to Know to Travel with your Pet (Cat or Dog):
Should I notify de airline that I want to travel with my pet?
Yes. It is the duty of the passenger to notify this in advance, to ensure the availability of space to carry the pet, as well as to verify if an additional fee must be paid. For air transport, you must notify the airline with a minimum of 48 hours prior to the flight. The transportation of the pet will be subject to space availability.
For international transport, in addition to notifying the company, the pet must have a health inspection certificate from the ICA and a vaccination certificate.
Can the pet go in the cabin or should it go to the holder?
As a general rule, for the user to be able to carry their pet in the cabin of the aircraft, the animal must be small. Only domestic cats and dogs are allowed, with a minimum age of 8 weeks. The total weight of the animal and the kennel in which it is transported cannot exceed 10 kg, and a passenger may only carry one container with one animal on the same flight.
What if it is an assistance animal?
Important:
Some airlines don't allow to travel with assistance animal (emotional support), just with Service Dogs. Please check this information with the airline/agency first.
All the principal documents should be the same for all airlines but check with the airline with which you are going to travel, to determine availability and verify the specific requirements for transporting your pet. Thus, both passengers and companies will be clear about what to expect when traveling with pets.
The owner must prove that his assistance animal or service dog has been trained in centers that belong to or are approved by the Colombian Zootherapy Association, or authorized by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA). These animals must wear a distinctive green harness and vest when they are in the process of adapting, or red when they have finished their training and are fully adapted to their owner.
The passenger must carry the health certification documents, such as the vaccination card. If the person's condition is not evident, you must also prove the need for the animal's company with a medical, psychiatric or psychological opinion, as the case may be.
Documents Required to Travel With Your Pet
Ten days before your flight, you need to get a health certificate from an accredited veterinarian. The certificate must be issued by the country you live in and not Colombia. For example, suppose you are traveling from Canada or the United States. In that case, the health certificate must be endorsed by the CFIA in Canada and the USDA in the US.
The veterinary health certificate in the US is called the APHIS Form 7001. In Canada, it is called the Trilingual Animal Health Certificate, available in Spanish, French, and English. Even endorsement offices in the US offer rabies certificates and health certificates. Again, the certificate must be issued by the state you are traveling from with your pet.
Colombia will reject pets that do not meet the requirements of the posted health certificate. Personal pet dogs or cats do not need an import permit.
Your pet must travel with at least one photocopy of the original health certificate.
The health certificate does NOT need to be signed by a Notary , nor does it need to be stamped by the Colombian Consular office.
Once you get the certificates, they are sent to Colombia for verification and returned to you in 48 hours. Don’t forget to add in the 10-day limit, or you will have to send the certificates for confirmation again. Moreover, you also need a vaccination certificate and a record of vaccination.
When it comes to a pet, such as a dog or a cat, you need to get it vaccinated for rabies 30 days before your flight. Colombia considers a vaccine valid for three years. In the case of dogs, they need to be vaccinated against several viral diseases, which include Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Distemper, and Hepatitis. Cats need to be vaccinated against Feline Panleukopenia, Calicivirus, and Feline Rhinotracheitis. Except for Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru, you need to get your pet vaccinated against Coronavirus (Canine Coronavirus) and Parainfluenza, no matter where you are traveling.
When you arrive in Medellín, your pet will be check by ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario) to guarantee the medical status of your pet and approve admission.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/health-certificates/non-eu/colombia-dog-cat.pdf
Medellín, a pet friendly city
Medellín is a city that is advancing in the awareness of the care and protection of animals and along with this objective, new spaces dedicated to pets and their families are emerging, places that are part of the so-called "pet friendly" wave. Please see below some pet friendly cafes, shopping malls, and even some recommended veterinary clinics. For more information you can lookup www.petfriendly.co or@petfriendlycol
10 Pet Friendly Cafes Instagram accounts
9 3/4 Librería-Café @9trescuartos
El café de Otraparte @otraparte
Santa Leña @santalenapanaderia
Café Retiro @caferetiro
Al Alma Café @alalma.cafe
Pergamino Café @pergaminocafe
Caffee Du Ciel @caffeeduciel
La Maga @cocinalamaga
Café Velvet @cafevelvetcoffee
Azul Selva @azulselva
Pet Friendly Shopping Malls
Centro Comercial El Tesoro
Centro Comercial Oviedo
Centro Comercial SantaFe
Unicentro
Sandiego
Florida
Premium Plaza
Los Molinos
Veterinary Clinics
Vital Clínica Veterinaria
Cr43 A 10 S-45 La Aguacatala
Tel: (604) 444 1299
Whatsapp Clínic: 317-370 9451
Centro Veterinario Bepet
Cra. 36 #10B-17 ·
Tel: (604) 322 0919
Clínica Veterinaria San Lucas
Loma de Los Balsos, Sector ISA, Cra. 16 #12 Sur - 111
Tel: (604) 322 1285
CVZ La Frontera
Cl. 20 Sur #35-34