# Melbourne Quarantine



## matjones (Jan 30, 2009)

Hi,

I was just curious about peoples experience with Melbourne Quarantine. We are going to be bringing our 2 dogs with us and would like to hear more about what to expect once they get there.

Are they pretty strict with visiting times? Our dogs are pretty spoiled, and will probably have quite a bit of separation anxiety. Will they let us spend more time there if our dogs seem stressed? Can we bring them toys,treats, beds etc for their stay? 

What are the accommodations like. Are they indoor? heated/air-conditioned?

Anyone have pictures from inside the facility? 

Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Mat


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## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

Hi Mat,

We used Spotswood when our dog Milly was shipped over. They were very good and have no complaints at all.

Here's the website with all the details you'll need:

http://www.daffa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/117081/Spotswood.pdf

Dolly


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

same here. The dog was fine and happy, and very well-treated.  It'll be fine!


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## matjones (Jan 30, 2009)

Thanks Dolly & Tiffany,

I had actually seen that Spotswood pdf a while ago. I guess I wanted to hear real stories I'm a little worried about only being able to see them twice a week. Are they known to be strict about this, or can we get away with more visits? Its going to be so hard for them, and us , not being able to visit often. They are both rather spoiled right now 

Regarding the booking of quarantine, that is going to be difficult since god knows when our visa will be approved. What is the best way to deal with this from your experience? when should we make bookings. We will be starting the quarantine process here early so they will only have to spend the min. 30 days there.


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

Well, first of all, I'll tell you what everyone told me but I didn't believe them until it happened: the dogs will handle this a lot better than you will  They may be spoiled but you'll be the one feeling sorry for yourself and the dogs will adjust pretty quickly.

As for visiting twice a week, I think that if there's some sort of problem, you can go pretty much whenever you want (a woman I know imported a dog who was ill -- she didn't realize it as she's a breeder and was bringing over the dog without having met it -- and she was able to go every day for a visit, and the dog was fine in the end) but you'll probably find that the time will really fly. 

I thought that twice a week wouldn't be enough either and even though it's not as nice as having them at home with you, it does make the time go by quickly. I had a little count-down: 8 visits to go, and so on. I visited every Monday and Thursday afternoon until she was able to come home. She did really well in kennels even though she had suffered from separation anxiety from the time she was a puppy. She was always happy to see me but by the last few visits, she had accepted that I was going to leave and she seemed fine with that.

Re: booking. Once you have the import permit number, call and book a space based on an estimate of when you're visa will be approved. If you need to push it back, you can do that (my dog had trouble with continuously testing positive for lepto, so she was actually about 2 months late, but every time I called Spotswood they were happy to push back her arrival). Once you have the spot, it's yours.


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## matjones (Jan 30, 2009)

> the dogs will handle this a lot better than you will


I really hope so. Luckily they will be housed together, so they can keep each other company.




> As for visiting twice a week, I think that if there's some sort of problem, you can go pretty much whenever you want


If they dont mind us going every day that would be nice, just for our own sanity 




> Re: booking. Once you have the import permit number, call and book a space based on an estimate of when you're visa will be approved. If you need to push it back, you can do that


This is good to know. I was worried we might not be able to get a place. Did you hire a company for to assist with your dogs relocation? or do it yourself. We already did the RNATT, not realizing how long the visa application process would take. I think it might expire by the time our visa comes through... would we have to repeat the test again, or just show proof of continued rabies vaccination?


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

you would have to repeat the RNATT again. Quarantine is very clear and really not flexible at all when it comes to the rules for importation. It is what it is and that's that, no ifs ands or buts!

We did hire a company for the relocation because, since most airlines now require that all animals be checked in as manifest cargo instead of sitting at the feet of the passengers, it's pretty much necessary to use a relocation agent. I was very happy with mine though and I would highly recommend them. The fee is worth the knowledge and assistance they bring to the table. I would really really recommend using an agent; this isn't something you want to do yourself, especially at the back end when lots of things have to be done within a few days of the move. 

As for visiting every day, I don't know if they'd be thrilled about it LOL unless there were some reason that made it necessary. But you could always ask. Honestly you'll probably find that you're busy enough trying to get settled in that you don't really need to visit the dogs every day


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