Need advice on bringing dogs to D.R.

No the USA is blocking most dog entries and  re entries from a long list of countries.  They are making very few exceptions that this rule.   And yes the DR is on that list

janel91 wrote:

same omg I am traveling to dr soon and I have a shi tzu and im well aware there breathing tubes are tiny AND IM SCARED

Unless you are moving here permanently, bringing your dog is a bad idea!
-Even in the cabin, there is a risk for snort-snouted dogs and breathing difficulties. In addition, many airlines, including American, do not allow short-snouted dogs at all in cargo, and they have gotten very strict on dogs in the cabin. No more emotional support dogs! Carry-on dogs must fit in a kennel that will go under the seat in front of you. That space is damn small and I wouldn't want even the tiniest puppy to have to be under there the entire flight.
-The CDC has a new restriction that goes into effect on July 14that will NOT allow dogs to enter the US from the DR. You can apply for an exception, but that has to be done at least 6 weeks before your return flight and the dog has to travel into JFK, That is the only airport being used for these exceptions.
-You will not find the same food choices here, so your dog will likely have to adjust to a new diet for the duration of the stay. Even if you make your own food, as we do, it's different! The chicken here is not the same as chicken in the US.

If you are coming for a vacation or anything short of moving here, my advice is to find a great boarding facility or trusted friend to keep your dog until you return. We moved down in July when it was too hot to transport our dog anyway, but because we didn't have our residency yet, we didn't want to put him through the travel until we knew it was a one-time deal. My parents were thrilled to keep him company for the six months it took for the residency to come through and then the temps to cool enough to transport him.

Oh...and on those CDC exceptions - I've heard that those are primarily for dogs that were already out of the country before the restrictions were announced.

They specifically state the following:
CDC Dog Import Permits will NOT be issued for:
Dogs intended for other purposes, such as adoption, resale, or transfer of ownership.
Dogs that will accompany owners on short-term travel to and from high-risk countries.

If you are american go here. I don't think snub noise dogs can fly though. But better you check as things could have changed.  Problem right now is you cannot bring them back into the states due to rabies ban.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel

Your Shi Tzu should be fine as a carryon pooch. They just won't allow certain breeds to be in the cargo area if I understand correctly. I have a small dog and a cat I'm bringing in August, so I need to see about the requirements currently. I'm less concerned about going to the DR than if I need to come back to the US for an extended visit and need to bring them.

You probably know this already, but if allowed to fly in the cabin your dog will need an airline ticket, both ways. And the health certificates  referenced in the link I posted. They have to be notarized by the USDA. I believe it will also need to be microchipped. Your vet is the best resource for that info.

The forms are time sensitive so don't wait too long.  And the airline also needs to be contacted.  If allowed to fly, only a certain number of pets are allowed per flight. The pet crate will take the place of your carry on so you might need to adjust your luggage. The crate needs to be of specific dimensions so as to fit under the seat, like a carry on would. I hope it works out for you.  After the first time we did it (7lb dog) we decided it would only be worth doing for a long trip.

Best wishes.  I hope it works out for you.

We had just rolled the dice and booked round trip with Westjet out of Toronto (betting that we would be able to travel via Toronto as Americans...I was fully accepting of the possibility that I would have two vouchers...Westjet still accepts emotional support dogs...) THEN I read this thread and researched. NO dogs will be allowed to enter US from DR for at least a year. The acceptions are very rare and written in black and white on the CDC website is a statement that pets who travel with their owners abroad will not be permitted re-entry if they were in one of the listed banned countries. Only service dogs for physically impaired with proof of training...blah blah blah....Why does the universe not want my baby to travel with us to DR???

haha...tried to add photos...didn't work??

I brought my dog here from the US back in November 2020. No problems just proof of paperwork. You pay a small 400 peso fee at the airport. I had her registered as emotional support because that only allowed on commericial flights. I went home back in March thru April on my trip back 4 dogs was on the plane coming RD. You will be fine just have all your paperwork in order before you travel.

@Jules Manning   See earlier CDC link. As of July 14, esa dogs/pets will not be permitted re-entry into US when traveling from DR for at least a year.  (We also have brought our 90 lbs Doberman with us to our house in DR previously...)

Yes - getting dogs into DR isn't the problem, it's getting them back to the US! In just two weeks, that will be damn near impossible!

Hi! I'm traveling to Punta Cana with a medical service dog. I can't find anywhere what the service dog laws are like/if the DR recognizes them? Please help. We have all the paperwork (USDA, rabies, microchip  etc) all ready to go.

We used a service called Pack Your Pets- we will be traveling to Santo Domingo this weekend.

@Cikris Your vet should initiate everything. There will be a person who checks your paperwork upon entry and make siue you find where the medical examiner is located at airport before checking in for departure. At least that's how it went at SDQ. Returning to US, you MUST re-enter in JFK, Atlanta or Miami. Those airports have CDC facilities to handle sick pets returning from DR. If your dog is and acts fine, you will not have any issues.

@brodies2013 The list of airports has expanded. This is from the CDC website as of today:

Arrive at one of the 18 airports with a CDC quarantine station:

Anchorage (ANC), Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Honolulu (HNL), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), San Juan (SJU), Seattle (SEA),  Washington DC Dulles (IAD).

@ddmcghee right but most of those don't have direct flights to DR. Needs to be a port if entry... but I did forget Boston! 🤪