Taking Tiger To Ecuador

Just this morning I got the paperwork, to bring Tiger into Ecuador with me, off to be authenticated (by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) - Animal Division) and authorized (by the Consulate of Ecuador in Burnaby, BC).

First we went to see Dr. Lazlo Simon (my Vet) at the Parksville Animal Hospital to have Tiger inoculated for internal & external parasites.  Then we went to get a couple of money orders ($20 CDN processing fee for the CFIA and $50 US processing fee for the Consulate of Ecuador). Then to Parkswest to FEDEX the document, money orders and cover letters (total cost to come later).

I highly recommend Dr. Lazlo Simon. He is a fantastic Vet. I wish he would consider moving to Ecuador so I could count on his continued assistance with Tiger (and any future animals I might have). Anyway, he and his wife are welcome to come and visit any time they wish.

Another person I would like to mention is Dr. Brian Wormald (the Vet at the CFIA office). He was extremely helpful in managing to meet a very tight deadline.

The deadline I speak of is the fact that you have a maximum of 10 days from when your Vet signs the inoculation records to the date when you board your flight to Ecuador. Because there is a weekend involved you actually only have 8 days that work gets done on. This 10 day limit is imposed by the airlines and not Ecuador according to the Consular General of Ecuador in Burnaby, BC.

I had to make a number of phone calls to try and insure that the document would make it back to me by the time I leave here on May 10th. Here's hoping!!

Tiger has been restless most of the day so far. This was the first day I took him on an excursion in his new carrying case (the one he will be in while traveling to Ecuador). Maybe he senses what's coming.