# Questions about having a Greyhound in Mexico City?



## Mac678 (Dec 26, 2013)

First, let me share a little background before I launch into my questions...

My husband has been asked to move to Mexico City for his job and we have made the decision to bring our Greyhound.

At the time of adopting our dog we disclosed the possibility of moving to Mexico with our adoption agency and vet, so from the get-go they’ve known we plan to bring her with us and they've been great about answering our questions. But, there are some questions specifically related to the experience of living in Mexico City that they're unable to answer so that's why we wanted to reach out on this forum.

We intend on focusing our apartment search in the Polanco area (years of living in New Delhi taught us the importance of being near a local expat community as well as being within walking distance local restaurants and shopping!). 

So here are some of our questions:
1. Is it possible to find an apartment or rental in Polanco that even allows for a dog? I have read that landlords are not too keen on their renters having a dog on the property.

2. Is it possible to find an apartment with a courtyard area (even a small one) on the grounds to take the dog out to potty. (Greyhounds do not necessarily need a huge backyard, they sleep about 18 hours a day).

3. We keep our girl on a grain-free dog food for various health reasons. Is it difficult to find grain-free dog food in Mexico City, and if so, can we have it shipped to Mexico City? Or does anyone know if the Costco there sells the Kirkland Signature grain-free dog food?

4. How are the veterinary services and who do you take your dog to see? Greyhounds do have a few unique health issues that will need to be discussed with whichever vet we see.

5. Where do you take your dog to be groomed? What can we expect to pay for a basic grooming (bathe, nails, teeth, etc)?

6. We will need to make visits back to the States on a regular basis - what options are available for dog-sitting? Are there trustworthy boarding kennels available? How much do they charge? Could we trust our hired help to watch the dog while we left town?

7. Aside from the required vaccinations and paperwork, are there any other medical preparations we need to make for our dog? Any health issues we should be prepared for? Can dogs drink the local tap water or will we need to filter the dog's water? 

8. And finally, can anyone share their experiences with flying their dogs to Mexico? Did you go through a pet transportation service or use an airline?

Feel free to share any other thoughts you may have and I appreciate you guys taking the time to answer any of our questions!


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## msmac (Feb 8, 2014)

8. And finally, can anyone share their experiences with flying their dogs to Mexico? Did you go through a pet transportation service or use an airline?

I can help with this one. I flew with my dog down and back for the summer last year. What I heard from several friends who had done the same is that by far, Alaska Air is the BEST for dogs in cargo.


1) Make sure you have the right size kennel. 

2) Book a flight with the fewest (and shortest) connections possible. You can book yours online, but must call to book your dog's and you get to talk to a real person who can answer questions. Alaska was great.

3) Choose connections carefully, read up on the airports and consider climate temps, if flying during summer.

4) Alaska will come to your seat after you have boarded and give you a little tag that says "I'm on board" from your dog, so you know they made it on. I made a point of telling EVERYONE at every stage of check in, changing planes and boarding that I was traveling with my dog in cargo, so attendants had it on their mind as well. I was treated with kindness and my dog with care through the whole process. I watched through the window when we made our connection flight as they unloaded my dog and carefully carried him into the building for the lay-over, then when I boarded the second flight (in SFO) I couldn't see him get loaded from the window, so I asked the attendants and the pilot himself when down below to check Bingo was on board.

5) If you don't know how to say "Where is my dog?" in Spanish, learn. You will want this phrase when you land, so you can figure out where to go to collect his kennel.

Hope this helps!


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## msmac (Feb 8, 2014)

I am not allowed to post links as a new member, but I cut and paste the regulations and instructions for bringing a dog into Mexico for you:

When traveling with your pet to Mexico
When you arrive to Mexico with your pet, you must contact SAGARPA-SENASICA personnel who will conduct a brief physical inspection and verify that your pet is in compliance with the following requirements:
1) A Health Certificate in original and simple copy, issued by a either private or official Medical Veterinarian indicating: (you may have more than one pet on a single certificate):

•	Name and address of the exporter and importer (address of origin and destination address in Mexico).

• That the animal has been vaccinated against rabies, indicating the date of application and expiration date of the vaccine. Pets under 3 months of age are exempt of this requirement.

•	That the inspection prior to travel found the animal to be clinically healthy. •	That the animal has undergone a preventive treatment against internal and external parasites, at most six months prior to travel and is currently free of ectoparasites (THIS REEQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO PETS FROM OR
ORIGINATING IN THE USA AND CANADA).

• Name, signature and professional license number of the Medical Veterinarian issuing the Health Certificate.

If the above requirements are not met, you may request the services of a Mexican licensed Medical Veterinarian of your choice and at your expense, to issue a new valid health certificate and /or apply the treatment required.

2) Your pet should arrive to Mexico in a container, Kennel, carrier of any sort, that is clean, without bedding, cloth material or accessories, for these will be retained by the OISA official for destruction. The container will then receive a preventive spray treatment by the SAGARPA-SENASICA official.

3) You may bring a day ́s ration of dried dog food when traveling with your pet and/or an unopened bag which must be properly labeled in english or spanish stamped by the food inspection authority; or the product must comply with the combined MCRZI requirements originating from authorized countries.
Please Note: A total of 20 kg per family is allowed, in up to two packages equaling that amount

4) If you send your pet in cargo, it is important that you verify all requirements of the airline of your choice and consider the need to utilize the services of a Customs Broker to clear Customs prior to compliance with SAGARPA-SENASICA tariff free regulations.
Please Note: The Health Certificate issued by a private Medical Veterinarian should be printed on letterhead, with the professional license number or a photocopy of the license, signature in original and simple copy form.

If you are transporting one to three pets, the Animal Health Import Certificate process is free of charge. If you are importing four or more pets, the fee of the Import Certificate would be $1,882.22 pesos (this amount may vary in conformance with the Federal Tax Law). 

Remember that compliance with the regulations established by SAGARPA-SENASICA do not exempt you from compliance with regulations of other authorities at the point of entry into Mexico.


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

Mac678 said:


> First, let me share a little background before I launch into my questions... My husband has been asked to move to Mexico City for his job and we have made the decision to bring our Greyhound. At the time of adopting our dog we disclosed the possibility of moving to Mexico with our adoption agency and vet, so from the get-go they&#146;ve known we plan to bring her with us and they've been great about answering our questions. But, there are some questions specifically related to the experience of living in Mexico City that they're unable to answer so that's why we wanted to reach out on this forum. We intend on focusing our apartment search in the Polanco area (years of living in New Delhi taught us the importance of being near a local expat community as well as being within walking distance local restaurants and shopping!). So here are some of our questions: 1. Is it possible to find an apartment or rental in Polanco that even allows for a dog? I have read that landlords are not too keen on their renters having a dog on the property. 2. Is it possible to find an apartment with a courtyard area (even a small one) on the grounds to take the dog out to potty. (Greyhounds do not necessarily need a huge backyard, they sleep about 18 hours a day). 3. We keep our girl on a grain-free dog food for various health reasons. Is it difficult to find grain-free dog food in Mexico City, and if so, can we have it shipped to Mexico City? Or does anyone know if the Costco there sells the Kirkland Signature grain-free dog food? 4. How are the veterinary services and who do you take your dog to see? Greyhounds do have a few unique health issues that will need to be discussed with whichever vet we see. 5. Where do you take your dog to be groomed? What can we expect to pay for a basic grooming (bathe, nails, teeth, etc)? 6. We will need to make visits back to the States on a regular basis - what options are available for dog-sitting? Are there trustworthy boarding kennels available? How much do they charge? Could we trust our hired help to watch the dog while we left town? 7. Aside from the required vaccinations and paperwork, are there any other medical preparations we need to make for our dog? Any health issues we should be prepared for? Can dogs drink the local tap water or will we need to filter the dog's water? 8. And finally, can anyone share their experiences with flying their dogs to Mexico? Did you go through a pet transportation service or use an airline? Feel free to share any other thoughts you may have and I appreciate you guys taking the time to answer any of our questions!


I don't have a dog here but can make a couple of suggestions...
You might want to look in Condesa as well as Polanco. Dogs are very popular here and there are always masses of people out walking them every day (many running with them or riding bikes with their dogs attached - good exercise but I always worry the dog will get distracted and chaos ensue). There are dog grooming pearl ours and vans locally, including a mobile parkour in Parque Mexico at the weekend. Again there are plenty of vets and also places which will care for your pet while you are away. Make sure not only has had the required vaccinations but has been treated for parasites with your vet's certification. If not you'll need to pay for a vet to come out and administer the treatment at customs before your dog can be released. Take my word for it, this is time consuming, expensive and frustrating...I brought my cat over and, despite having a certificate that she was parasite free, because she hadn't been treated we had to go through the process. We used a pet transportation company but I can't say if it was better than it would have been had we done it ourselves. Don't know about dogs but the cat drinks the tap water and we've had no problems. Hope it helps and good luck.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

As Joanne said, you may want to broaden your search. Condesa, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc and nearby _colonias_ are all nice neighbourhoods, as well as likely being more shopping-friendly, dog-friendly, and cheaper on average. Also you might want to look at some parts of Coyoacán that are well-connected by metro and/or metrobus to the more central areas. I think all of these would fulfill your criteria and personally I think they would be nicer to live in than Polanco.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

thumbs down on Polanco and dogs. As suggested, Roma (Norte or Sur), Condesa, or anywhere near the Chapultepec section (close to the Perifirico) would be a good area for dogs.

In Polanco they do not like dogs pooping on the sidewalk, even if you clean it up and there are no good parks in that area ,other than Chapultepec, but that may be a little far to walk just to go to the bathroom.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I wonder how hard (or easy) it would be to find a place to rent in Polanco that will allow you to have a greyhound.


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## Mac678 (Dec 26, 2013)

JoanneR2 said:


> I don't have a dog here but can make a couple of suggestions...
> You might want to look in Condesa as well as Polanco. Dogs are very popular here and there are always masses of people out walking them every day (many running with them or riding bikes with their dogs attached - good exercise but I always worry the dog will get distracted and chaos ensue). There are dog grooming pearl ours and vans locally, including a mobile parkour in Parque Mexico at the weekend. Again there are plenty of vets and also places which will care for your pet while you are away. Make sure not only has had the required vaccinations but has been treated for parasites with your vet's certification. If not you'll need to pay for a vet to come out and administer the treatment at customs before your dog can be released. Take my word for it, this is time consuming, expensive and frustrating...I brought my cat over and, despite having a certificate that she was parasite free, because she hadn't been treated we had to go through the process. We used a pet transportation company but I can't say if it was better than it would have been had we done it ourselves. Don't know about dogs but the cat drinks the tap water and we've had no problems. Hope it helps and good luck.


@JoanneR2 so so helpful. Thanks for the information regarding the grooming and medical services and your experience with pet transpiration. 

And thank you everyone for your suggestions so far. We will definitely broaden our apartment search to the other locations mentioned. We spent lot of time in and near Chapultepec as well, so that area in particular stands out to me...

Would still love to hear from more folks who brought their dog with them to Mexico and what it was like living there with the dog!


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## Mac678 (Dec 26, 2013)

@msmc and @JoanneR2 Did either of you ever need to leave for travel while you were in Mexico City, and if so, how did you handle that with your dog/cat? Did you leave them in the care of house-help or take them to a boarding kennel?


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

Mac678 said:


> @msmc and @JoanneR2 Did either of you ever need to leave for travel while you were in Mexico City, and if so, how did you handle that with your dog/cat? Did you leave them in the care of house-help or take them to a boarding kennel?


I very lucky in that we have a maid who comes in to look after our, rather elderly and difficult, cat while we are away. So far this has worked very well for us. We investigated Catherine's but they are few and far between. However, there are a variety of kennels for dogs, many of which are attached to vets or shops selling pet accessories (believe me you haven't lived until your seen the variety of outfits the dogs wear here). Your best bet is to visit several of these places to make sure your pet gets the right level of accommodation and care and ask colleagues or friends for recommendations.


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