By Elyn McEvoy
I wanted to let you know all about our adventure of bringing my horse to Mexico. I have written it in two parts. This first one is all about the paperwork, contacts and information you need before even considering bringing your horse. I’m hoping you’ll benefit from our research and our mistakes! The second tells about the actual adventure itself, which it truly turned out to be!
First, my key sources of information were the APHIS (USDA Animal-Plant Health Inspection Services) website, as well as several phone conversations with the USDA veterinarian assigned to the border where my horse will be crossing ( Dr James Schlinke and his assistant Dianna Montemayor of the Laredo APHIS-VS office).
I started my search at the APHIS site and I suggest others do the same. To go directly to the animal travel page, the address is http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/exp-pets.html...a page entitled “Taking Your Pet Animal to a Foreign Country.”
On that page, select the link entitled “Animal Export Regulations.” The next page will allow you to search by country of destination. Once you select “Mexico,” you need to scroll down, find and select the file entitled “Horses-non slaughter.” Click on the PDF to open it up…this document has the protocols for the necessary health certificates and health requirements.
Caution: Some information contained on the APHIS site regarding completion of the health certificate is in error and a phone call to the Federal Veterinarian at the border (in my case, Dr. Schlinke) was exceedingly valuable in identifying the errors and outdated information. It is absolutely imperative that contact be made with the border vet to obtain current information.
To get the contact information for the USDA border vets, go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/portlist.html. You will find a list of Mexican Border Ports. Select your port of entry and it will give you all the information you need to contact the correct veterinarian…as I said, since we were crossing at Laredo, I was given all the contact info for Dr. Schlinke.
Here are the requirements:
1. Mexican regulations require the horse’s crossing be facilitated by a customs broker. There will be plenty to choose from at the various border crossings. Again, the USDA vet’s office was kind enough to fax me a list of Laredo brokers and I am in the process of contacting one. ( more about this later)
2. A Mexican permit—your customs broker obtains this.
3. A United States Origin Health Certificate (also known as a VS-17-140 ) filled out by a Vet (usually your local vet who treats the horse) and validated by a federal USDA APHIS vet. There is a federal vet assigned to every state. The local vet will probably have the form or can get it from the federal vet. Quite likely the local vet will know who that is but if not, go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/area_offices.htm. The U.S. Origin Health Certificate affirms that certain tests and vaccinations have been done on the horse and that the horse is healthy. There are some timelines for when the tests/vaccinations have to be done, but the completed health certificate cannot be older than 30 days at the time of the crossing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: One would think that filling out this certificate would be pretty straight forward, but you know what happens when you assume. I was told, everything must be typed, no erasures, cross-outs, misspellings, whiteouts, etc. Also the manner in which some boxes on the form must be filled out (consignor/consignee) is a little tricky. Some of the information has to supplied by the customs broker. This is why it is crucial to talk to the border vet.
4. An Appendix to the U.S. Origin health Certificate lists the major health requirements of the U.S. health certificate in a series of narrative statements in English and Spanish.
This must also be signed by your local vet and endorsed by the federal vet assigned to the state of the horse’s origin. The Appendix and the U.S. Origin Health Certificate go together. They are carried by your transporter to the border.
About the broker: Once you’ve retained a broker, you should make contact with him or her often. Keep yourself fresh in his mind…let him know (in a diplomatic way, of course) that you want him to treat your horse as importantly as you do! The broker’s responsibility is to..
*Get the Mexican permit, which he will have for you when you arrive at the border. You arrange to meet him before crossing and then the whole process of crossing and presenting the papers and the horse to the Mexican vet becomes the broker’s job.
*Give you information to fill a few required fields on the U.S. Health Certificate.
And, last but not least, if I understood the border veterinarian’s instructions, the customs broker is also supposed to assist the transporter in completing his/her personal and vehicle entry requirements. Read how that turned out in Part 2!