What are the steps necessary to bring a dog from the US to the UK and then to Italy?

I know that for entry into the UK it involves a 30 day quarantine unless the policy has recently changed. The quarantine is in a govt facility and I imagine pretty lonely for the dog.

Not sure what then going to Italy would entail.

Is there any way you can spare the dog this?

We kinda went the other way, and I did none of the prep work. However, I do remember that we gave the dog tranquilizers, and that some nefarious ne’er-do-well at the Milano airport took her food bowl and chew toys.
Hope it helps.

From what I’ve read so far on the DEFRA site, it seems that the UK considers the US to be a “listed country”. This means that with certain requirements met (rabies shot/blood test, microchip, flea/tick treatment), the dog doesn’t have to be quarantined.

I guess what I was hoping for in posting this question is there might be people who have done this first-hand or who have knowledge of the process, to make sure I’m understanding the website and the rules correctly.

There are people who specialize in dog transport. When I moved to Australia I used a lady in california. Here is a link to one I found on google.

Prior to contacting this lady, I checked on the Australian website regarding the requirements for taking a dog into the country. It was quite involved with shots and blood titers done on a regular basis for weeks in advance. This was to ensure that my dog only had to remain in quarantine the absolute minimum amount of time.

I thought UK was rabies free and therefore very particular about dogs coming in from countries with rabies, but that could have changed.

You could also check with a UK embassy in America.

Kennel, United States, for as long as it takes. Moved dog to middle eastern country, it costs lots of money, distress, and drugs to your dog. if its less then six months then you should kennel the dog, if its more, then CALL YOUR AIRLINE! THEY WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW! THAT IS HOW THEY MAKE MONEY.

You might contact a show dog company, they are probably familiar with the process.

I went to the UK it was a 6 months quarrentine (to keep rabies out).
That was a long time so we left our dog with a good friend who always loved her.

I wanted to post a follow-up in case anyone Googles this, like I was doing. What I discovered is that it’s possible to take a dog into the UK as long as a lot of hoops are jumped through. I can’t remember exactly what, but it was along the lines of ISO microchip, rabies shot, rabies blood test within a couple of weeks of departure, health certificate, flea/tick medicine, deworming, etc. The problem was that the UK has very strict rules regarding rabies, so even though I could get the dog to the UK, they had a regulation stating he would have to stay in the UK for 3 weeks prior to being allowed to travel to another EU country.

That meant that suddenly, I was going to Italy for the summer, as I would be able to book a direct flight to Italy, thereby only dealing with one country’s pet import regulations. I found that most airlines have restrictions on when pets can travel in cargo. Some go by date (such as Delta, the cutoff was May 15), others by temperature at the start, stops, and destination of the plane (American, max temp is 85 F). I booked with American, who allowed me to take the dog in the cabin for the SF to JFK leg, and then I checked him as cargo for the JFK to Milan leg. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and all went way more smoothly than I’d anticipated.

Ultimately, what I had to do to get the dog into Italy is: ISO microchip, current rabies shot, health certificate (Italian pet import health certificate downloaded from the consul site) both filled out by the vet and then taken to a local USDA office to have stamped by a USDA vet. To be safe, the dog was given a dewormer and flea and tick medicine (also noted on the health certificate). The airline had to be notified in advance that I was traveling with a pet, and it cost $100 from SF to NY, $150 from NY to Milan.

Once I got there, he was deposited in the baggage area and I was waved through Customs (the sole agent was busy chatting with someone, God, I love Italy!). After all the worry and preparations and more worry, it was pretty much anti-climactic. The puppy arrived safely, has settled right into village life, and is a pretty contended little pooch. :)