Health Certificates & Pet Purchasing

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Health Certificates

Health certificates may be required for traveling with your pet, selling a pet, or to attend companion animal events such as shows or competitions. Red Bank Veterinary Hospital offers certified health certificates for our patients’ needs.

Pet Health Certificates

Your Red Bank Veterinary Hospitals veterinarians can perform an exam and issue a health certificate called a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), to verify your pet is free from infectious diseases and current on all vaccinations. This health certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of signature.

If your pet is travelling across state lines, be aware of entry regulations for each state and request a CVI from your veterinarian along with signed copies. When using a commercial transport service, ground or air, USDA regulations require a health certificate issued within 10 days of shipment accompanying companion animals.

Purchasing a Pet

If you are purchasing a pet, we strongly recommend a physical examination conducted by a qualified veterinarian. This helps assure you are buying a healthy animal. Most quality breeders and pet adoption services will provide a health certificate for the animal upon request.
International Health Certificates

Red Bank Veterinary Hospital is able to fulfill pet import and export requirements regarding pet inspection and issuing of International Health Certificates. Obtaining an International Health Certificate is a process that can take months of planning. If you know you may be leaving the country, contact our hospital immediately to begin the process.

Whether you are military personnel or simply traveling abroad, the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is one of three federal agencies that you encounter as you travel with your pet. International health certificates for the export of animals from the United States are completed by an APHIS-accredited veterinarian who certifies animal health status, conducts tests, and records test results for the individual animals being exported.

Completed and signed International Health Certificates for the export of animals from the United States must be endorsed by a veterinary services area office in order to be valid. To obtain the USDA endorsement of an international health certificate or any other documents relating to traveling with your pet, the documents must be completed by an APHIS-accredited veterinarian.

Visit the USDA website for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Taking pets to another country requires contacting that country’s consulate or embassy for requirements. A listing of consulates can be found at the U.S. Department of State website.

Health Certificates & Pet Purchasing

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