OVERSEAS MARKET ACCESS REQUIREMENTS NOTIFICATION - ANIMAL PRODUCTS ACT 1999 - BIOSECURITY NEW ZEALAND

See change to importing to Australia below> > >

 

 

Ref:  AE-AU09L

Date: 03 July 2006

 

 

OMAR B DOMANIEC.AUS3 03.07.06 - DOGS AND CATS TO AUSTRALIA

 

 
1.  Statutory authority

 

Pursuant to section 60 of the Animal Products Act 1999, I notify the following overseas market access requirements, entitled dogs and cats to Australia.

 

This notice takes effect from date of signing.

 

Dated at Wellington this 11th day of July 2006.

 

 

Signed Debbie Pearson

Director Preclearance

Biosecurity New Zealand

(pursuant to delegated authority)

 

 

2.  Australia Requirements

 

Dogs and cats exported from New Zealand to Australia must comply with the import requirements of Australia listed in this notice as follows:

 

2.1              The owner/exporter must make a statutory declaration that:

 

2.1.1        The animal for export has resided in Australia and/or New Zealand for the 90 days prior to the scheduled date of export or since birth, and has not been under any quarantine restriction during the 60 days immediately prior to the scheduled date of export.

 

2.1.2        The animal for export is at least 2 months old and has been fully weaned.

 

2.1.3        In the case of a dog, the dog is not one of the following breeds: Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brazilieros, Dogos Argentinos or Presario Canario.

 

2.1.4        The animal is neither a hybrid of domestic and non-domestic animals,nor is proven to be 5th generation or more away from any pure-bred non-domestic ancestor.

 

2.1.5        In the case of a dog, the dog has never been resident in Africa /has been resident in Africa.

2.1.6        In the case of a female cat or dog, the animal is not more than 42 days pregnant.

2.1.7        The animal is being transported in accordance with the container requirements specified in the International Air Transport Association Live Animal Regulations.

 

2.2              A registered veterinarian approved to export live cats and dogs to Australia must certify the following:

 

2.2.1        I have no reason to doubt the owner/exporter’s statutory declaration.

2.2.2        New Zealand is free from rabies.

2.2.3        For dogs only, canine brucellosis (Brucella canis), canine ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) and leptospirosis (Leptospira canicola) have not been confirmed in New Zealand during the 12 months immediately preceding the scheduled date of export.

2.2.4        In the case of a dog:

EITHER          i) I am satisfied by veterinary or council registration records that the dog has been continuously resident in New Zealand since birth or since it was imported from Australia;

OR                  ii) the dog was subjected to an indirect fluorescent antibody test for Ehrlichia canis and had negative test results (at 1:40). See notes.

2.2.5        In the case of a dog that has resided in Africa, the dog has been treated for Babesia canis with imidocarb dipropionate subcutaneously:

EITHER           i) one treatment at 7.5 mg/kg;

OR                   ii) two treatments at 6.6 mg/kg with an interval of two weeks.

2.2.6        I have examined the animal for export within 72 hours of the scheduled time of shipment and have found it to be free from clinical evidence of infectious or contagious disease and fit to travel.

 

3. Revocations

 

OMAR B DOMANIEC.AUS 28.03.06 – dogs and cats to Australia is revoked and replaced by this OMAR notification.

 

 

4.  Definitions

 

For the purposes of this document:

 

Any term or expression that is defined in the Animal Products Act 1999 and used, but not defined in this document, has the same meaning as in this Act.

 

 

Explanatory note

 

This OMAR is based on the requirements provided in the export certificate dogs and cats to Australia, dated 23 December 2003, which was approved by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service on 16 December 2003.



ATTENTION: CHANGE IN EXPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR DOGS TO AUSTRALIA

Dogs that have not been continuously resident in New Zealand since birth or since importation from Australia will now require testing for Leishmania species prior to export to Australia.

Consequently, the export certificate for dogs and cats to Australia has been updated to include the following:

  • (4 iii) - the dog was tested for Leishmania species within 30 days prior to export by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) or an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with negative test results.

All samples are to be sent to IDC (Investigation and Diagnostic Centre, Wallaceville). IDC will prepare the samples for submission to an Australian reference laboratory. Results of this testing may take two to three weeks. For further enquiries regarding this testing, please contact IDC on 04 526 5600.

This new export condition comes into effect on 1st March 2007. Therefore, dogs scheduled to be exported from 1 March 2007 onwards will require Leishmania species testing prior to export and will be required to be accompanied by the latest version of the Export Certificate for Dogs and Cats to Australia dated 20 November 2006.


MAF approved veterinarians to certify cats and dogs to Australia, are requested to return old export certificates to Jenine Connolly, AgriQuality Limited, Private Bag 3080, Hamilton. AgriQuality will replace these with the latest version of the Export Certificate for Dogs and Cats to Australia.


Additional Information on OMAR Notification: DOMANIEC.AUS3 03.07.06

 

 

1.     A Permit to Import is not required.

2.     Importation of hybrid animals, such as bengal cats and wolf crosses, is subject to the legislation of Environment Australia. Hybrids of domestic and non-domestic animals are not eligible for import unless they are proven to be 5th generation or more away from any pure-bred, non-domestic ancestor. Please contact Wildlife Permits and Enforcement Section, Environment Australia on 02 6274 1111 for further information.

3.     The statutory declaration must be completed before animals are examined and certified by the approved veterinarian.

4.     A registered veterinarian approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to certify dogs and cats to Australia must examine the animal. The MAF registration number is the number given to the MAF approved registered veterinarian upon approval to certify cats and dogs to Australia.

5.     Dogs that have previously been imported from Australia are required to provide the export certificate (or a biosecurity clearance record) used for this importation.

   Exporters can acquire biosecurity clearance records from Jim McLaggan on 07 856 1814, or email mclagganj@maf.govt.nz. Copies of veterinary or council records do not need to be attached to the export certificates but should be kept in the certifying veterinarian’s files.

6.     Dogs that have been previously imported into New Zealand and tested for Ehrlichia canis with negative results (at a dilution of 1:40) prior to entry into New Zealand, are not required to be retested prior to export to Australia. This is provided that the veterinarian has sighted a copy of the test results.

7.     For dogs that have resided previously in Africa:

·          In cases where dogs have been resident in Africa, but have entered Australia prior to entering New Zealand, then no further imidocarb diproprionate treatment is required. This is provided that the animal has not returned to Africa since leaving Australia. The veterinarian will be able to ascertain this by examining either the yearly veterinary or council records. In this case, the dog would have been treated upon entry into Australia.  Please also ensure that a copy of the AQIS export certificate (or a biosecurity clearance record) used for importation is attached to the MAF export certificate.

·     In cases where the dog has travelled directly from Africa to New Zealand and imidocarb treatment has been given previously in Africa or New Zealand, no further treatment is required.

·     In cases where the dog has been resident in Africa and has come via another country (except Australia) to New Zealand (without imidocarb diproprionate treatment), then the New Zealand certifying veterinarian will have to administer the treatment and certify this.

    The certifying veterinarians are required to modify the existing export certificates to comply with AQIS’s requirements. The acceptable modifications are (in the same order as above):

·     Delete both treatments and then write “Not applicable as dog has been imported from Australia and not returned to Africa since importation. (See attached copy of certificate)”.

·     Delete both treatments and write “Dog imported directly from Africa and received imidocarb treatment previously”.

·     No modifications required, complete the appropriate treatment administered by the veterinarian.

8.     Dogs and cats must be transported to Australia in accordance with the container requirements specified in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations. These specify, among other things that the container must:

·     be strong enough to prevent the animal escaping;

·     have a total ventilation area of at least 16% of the total surface area of the four sides but that these shall be of such size that it is impossible for the animal’s nose or paws to protrude outside the container; and

·     allow the animal to have enough space to turn around normally while standing, to stand and sit erect, and lie in a natural position.

    For more details regarding IATA regulations contact your airline. The IATA standards have been developed to prevent escape and injury during transportation.


           Note: Disability assistance dogs may travel with their handler in the cabin.


9.     AQIS must be given at least three days notice of the animal’s arrival in Australia. If the dog is a disability assistance dog, please inform AQIS of this. This should be done by faxing the AQIS Veterinary Officers located in the state in which your pet will first arrive in Australia.

10.   Documentation must be in order and all import requirements must be met. Any animal arriving in Australia having not met the above requirements may be ordered into quarantine or re-shipped to New Zealand at the importer's expense. The original documentation must accompany the animal.

11.   For general enquiries regarding this export certificate, please contact Jenine Connolly on (07) 8502834 or email connollyj@agriquality.com.

12.   Copies of export certificates are to be sent to Jenine Connolly, AgriQuality Limited, Private Bag 3080, Hamilton.

 

13.  A list of registered veterinarians approved to export cats and dogs to Australia is available from the Biosecurity New Zealand website at:

 

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/exports/animals/aus-vet-list.htm