One of the main reasons I love Costa Rica so much is that I adopted my dog there. Here, I am telling you about the process I went through to bring Matéo (formerly known as RJ) to Canada.
Adopting a dog from another country is a very long process and costs a lot of money. However, dogs that grew up in the street often have the most love to give.
This article is based on MY experience. Obviously, it might not be the same process if you adopt from a different country than Costa Rica. Always check the requirements for your country on your government website (click here for Canada’s requirements). I still hope this article will be useful as a guide if you plan to adopt a dog from another country!
- Our story
- Contacting a rescue shelter
- Everything you need (kennel, documents …)
- Booking the flight back home
- The process of coming back home
Our story
Hi, my name is Léonie and I always dreamed of having my own dog. I never could because the only thing I wanted more than a dog was to travel for a year after I finished my studies, which I did.
While I was in Portugal in December 2022, I found online a rescue shelter in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Dog Rescue. I immediately fell in love with one of their dogs, RJ. However, I had just started my year of travel, so I just looked at his profile online. A few months passed, and I was thinking about him almost every day.
In April, I volunteered in a dog shelter in the Philippines. I had an incredible connection with one of their dogs, Roxy. It broke my heart to leave, but this experience made me start to think about adopting a dog. I knew when I came back to Canada that it would complete my life.
In June, I wrote to the Costa Rica Dog Rescue. I told them I was interested in RJ and that I would love to adopt him. They wrote right back to let me know he was still available for adoption. I then started the very long process of adopting Matéo.
In early July, I booked my ticket for November from Costa Rica to Canada for me and Matéo. Mid-July, I met Matéo for the first time at the shelter. I spent a week there with him. He stole my heart and I knew I made the right decision. I finished my year of travel and I went back to Canada to prepare everything for him.
In November, I went to Costa Rica for 5 days with the only goal to bring Matéo home. Since then, he has been the most spoiled dog ever, and he is starting to get used to his new life.
Now that you know our story, let me explain the process behind moving him from Costa Rica to Canada.
Contacting a rescue shelter
The first thing you need to do is choose a rescue shelter. Here is everything I asked when I contacted Costa Rica Dog Rescue:
- Which dogs are still available for adoption?
- I told them I was interested in RJ, but I had certain criteria and asked if any of their dogs would be a good match for me. For example, I wanted an active dog that loves outdoor activities, a dog who goes along well with other animals and kids and that loves to take car rides.
- What does the shelter do for the adoption and what do I need to do?
- What are the adoption fees?
- What are the options for the flight back to Canada?
- How long does the adoption process normally take?
- Is the dog you are interested in vaccinated and castrated?
- What does the shelter cover prior to the flight? For me, it was vaccines, deworming, CBC tests and grooming.
Everything you need
Here is a list of everything you will need to bring your dog home. The rescue shelter I chose prepared everything for me. You might need to do all the paperwork if they don’t do it for you.
- A kennel. It needs to be larger than the normal standard, so the dog can move inside the kennel during the flight.
- Exportation documentation: proof of rabies vaccination. Everything else is a +.
- A health certification indicating your pet’s breed and health status signed by a veterinarian.
- Height, length and weight of the dog (to book the flight).
Booking the flight back home
There are 3 different options I know of :
1. The one I recommend: You need to go to Costa Rica and fly with your dog. Depending on the size of your dog, it may be with you on the plane or in the cargo. My dog was in cargo. It is the cheapest option. The only complication I had was when I booked my flight. The only airline company flying from San Jose, Costa Rica to Montréal, Canada with dogs in cargo is Air Transat. I called the company and booked my flight on the telephone to make sure I also booked a place for my dog in cargo. However, Air Transat only started their flights from Costa Rica to Canada in November. I had to wait a couple of months before going to pick up my dog.
2. The easiest but most expensive option: You can use a transport company such as Pet Lounge. This company will organize everything for you. They pick up your dog in Costa Rica and bring him anywhere you want. It can be faster than picking your dog in Costa Rica because you can choose the date that you want. However, it is expensive. As you can see in the picture, this is the price (US$) for 1 dog that weighs 25kg.
3. This option was proposed to me by my shelter. I don’t know if every shelter in Costa Rica offers it. You can wait for an escort volunteer to take your dog to you. The downside of this option is that you can wait for a very long time before you have a volunteer. Also, you normally pay the flight ticket of the volunteer since they bring the dog to you. If you are interested in this option, ask your shelter for more information.
The process of coming back home
Here, I will tell you my experience of coming back to Canada with a dog from Costa Rica. I was very lucky because the shelter I chose organized everything for me. I simply met them at the airport 3 hours before my flight. They had all the documentation ready and the kennel.
*It’s important to not give food or water to the dog prior to the flight. You don’t want them to get sick in their kennel.*
We went to the Air Transat counter in San Jose’s airport. The staff verified all the documents. They put the appropriate stickers on the kennel (Live animal, Fragile). Then someone came to take my dog in his kennel directly to the plane.
When I boarded the plane, a member of Air Transat came to show me a picture of Matéo in his kennel on the plane. I really appreciate this gesture. I am sure you can ask the personnel of your airline company to do the same.
When we landed in Montréal, Matéo was waiting for me in his kennel on a special baggage carousel.
He stayed in his kennel when we passed the security. They checked his documentation, it literally took 2 minutes. Once we finished with security, we made it to the exit, and it was finally done!
