Advise please re importing pets into Sabah
 

We are expats & it looks like we will be moving to KK, bringing our 2 dogs & 1 cat with us from outside Malaysia. I have some questions that I hope some of you may be able to help with, or point me in the right direction!

1. From this forum I learnt that I can get Import forms & details from the Sabah vet/government department but cannot get into the web site (http://www.davetsa.sabah.gov.my/app/) . Does anyone have an email address & or tel no so I can contact them to ask relevant questions?

2. Do you know if it is possible to bring animals from another country direct to Sabah, or do we have to go via KL? For instance, if we perhaps flew into Singapore, then to Sabah.

3. Given where we are coming from, our animals will have to do at least 1 month quarantine. If we have to go via KL, do the animals have to do quarantine there, or can they instead do it in Sabah, where we could visit them? If they have to do quarantine in KL, do they also have to do any quarantine in Sabah, given that regulations are different in Sabah to KL?!

4. Have any of you experience of bringing pets into Sabah by boat, or know of anyone who has? I'm not sure if this is allowable from authorities point of view as I can't get any response via the web site. But we want to look into this as one of our dogs got very ill after her last flight; & it was a much shorter, direct flight than it would be this time. (Even tho she is a sweet dog, she is quite large & looks scary to a lot of people, so I am concerned that she won't get as much care as she needs pre & post flight, and in transit - As far as we can gather this was at the route of the problem the last flight.)

5. Can you recommend a vet in KK who can help advise us?


Many thanks for any help you can offer!

Re: Advise please re importing pets into Sabah
 

Hi AnimalLover, and welcome to Petfinder!

Although I do not have personal experience of importing pets to Sabah, here is the new link to Sabah's DVS page of frequently asked questions, including telephone numbers and a link to apply for import permits.

http://vet.sabah.gov.my/index.php?q=soalan_lazim

Here is the link for the Malaysia DVS page on pet imports, but that says if you're importing to Sabah or Sarawak, you should refer to those states' pages, which suggests you do not need to stop in KL first.

http://www.dvs.gov.my/en/faq-import-haiwan-kesayangan

On a personal note, I would advise speaking with someone at Sabah DVS or a pet import agent in Sabah rather than relying solely upon what is posted on-line. I'm in the process now of exporting my two cats from KL to Phnom Penh, and I've discovered that the requirements -- where documents are obtained, who may obtain them and the fees -- change regularly. It's maddening! Of course, this may not be the case in Sabah, I don't know. The East Malaysian states have quite a great degree of autonomy in these matters and may operate much more consistently.

Best of luck to you, and I hope a Petfinder member with Sabah experience will show up on the thread soon!

Re: Advise please re importing pets into Sabah
 

Thanks Maneki Neko!

Coincidentally I finally managed to access the Sabah Vet/govt site & had a reply, enabling me to submit my profile. So now it seems I just need to wait for a few days to be able to access info, forms, etc.

Thanks for your advice. I will definitely be asking questions from official & unofficial sources. It always seems to be a maddening process, with no one definitive answer. Like you, for each move we've made I have found the story tends to change dependent upon which person you talk to, even though they are in the same dept! I just keep asking the same questions until I run out of different versions of answers, then proceed so I am prepared for any eventuality!!

Thanks again. Hopefully someone from Sabah will have further input to give me too.

Re: Advise please re importing pets into Sabah
 

Heya,

So were you successful in bringing your pets over?

I have two dogs over in KL and would like to have them here with me in KK and in the early process of researching, am not turning up with much. Any updates on your progress would be much much much appreciated!

Thanks much :)