Thinking about bringing little Fifi down? It might sound difficult, but bringing a pet with you is nowhere near unreaonable. Lots of students bring their pets, because they couldn't find friends or family to adopt them for a few years, or they just didn't want to part with them for that long. You have to really love your pet to bring him to Grenada because it may require a few sacrifices and additional planning. Here are a few things to be prepared for:

VETERINARY CHECKS AND PAPERS

Before you bring your pet to Grenada, it must have a veterinary exam, be current on shots, and be provided with a health certificate for INTERNATIONAL air travel. Your veterinarian will have the information and paperwork you will need. Do not forget this at the airport. This is your pet's passport. Without it, he won't be going with you. Also, Grenada requires that you have paperwork from their Minister of Agriculture to bring the pet into the country. Thankfully, SGU helps a great deal in this respect. If you let the school know you are bringing a pet, they will provide you with the piece of paper you need and all you need to do is fill it out with your pet's info. More complicated, however, is the departure process. You will need to go to the Agriculture Department in downtown St. George's to acquire the same paper, but with new dates of travel.You might have to wait in line a while for invisible "clients ahead of you", but all it is is a piece of paper saying your pet can leave the island. Vet students don't need to do this because the vet school provides the paperwork for you.

AIRPLANES, AIRLINES, AND AIRPORTS

If your pet is unaccustomed to travel, you might ask your veterinarian about bringing medication to knock him out for the day- and some for the way back as well. This can help both you and your pet have a happier day on the airplane. There are two ways to bring your pet on the airplane: under your seat inside the plane, and in the cargo area under the plane. Check with your airline for pet size and carrier specifications. One tricky item to consider is the pet embargo. During certain months of the year, no pets are allowed in the underneath cargo area due to weather conditions. Unfortunately, these times do not correspond well with school term schedules. This may mean you will need to bring them on with you, or if your pet is too large, you may need to make arrangements for him to come or leave before or after you do. Check with your airline for specific instructions. This one detail has caused a lot of problems for students and the timing of terms. Also, some airlines, such as American Eagle, only allow a maximum of two pets per plane. You will need to notify them in advance, however, it is still considered a first come, first served basis. That means you will be rushing with everyone else to be first in line at the ticket counter. Make sure to think all of this over before you decide to bring your pet.

When travelling with your pet, bring a small food and water bowl, some food, and a towel for him to lay on. If he is drugged, he may not want the food or water- and your veterinarian may discourage you from feeding a drugged animal- but it's a good idea to bring some anyway, for the arrival and enough to hold him off until you can get food on the island.

DUTY CHARGES

When you arrive on the island, you will be charged duty on your pet- whether you think it is fair or not. The only good news it that you only pay this one time, if you keep your receipt and show it to the duty officer each time you bring your pet back to the island. If at all possible, bring a receipt from purchasing the pet, or make one up. You will be charged approximately 5% of the worth of your pet. If you do not have a receipt, the veterinary officer will make an assessment. This will, no doubt, be ridiculously overpriced. Even if you own strays, your pets will look expensive compared to what they have on the island (scrawny, mangey, poorly cared for animals). So bring a receipt!

BUYING PET SUPPLIES ON THE ISLAND

Pet supplies, as with groceries, are infrequent and varied. Sometimes there will be little choice for pet food for weeks at a time. Cat litter is espeically difficult to find during some periods. The best advice is to buy as much as you can when what you want is in. When you travel to the island with your pet, bring at least one week's supply of food with you. This is so that you will not be stressed out trying to find food right away after moving here, and your pet won't be stressed out when he could suddenly have to eat a different food at the same time he is moving to a new country. Veterinary students also get discounted Science Diet pet food for their pets, delivered to the school.