Important Information on Sending Pets to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Sending animals on a banned-list to any destination country will be a catastrophe. However, some countries are more militant than others at enforcing their laws regarding what they consider to be a dangerous animal. Saudi Arabia is one of these and shipping any pets there is a difficult endeavour, requiring a great deal of careful fact-finding.

20 years ago, before the international banned lists were published regularly; Animal Travel Agency would call the destination country consulate within South Africa to have all the animal’s papers stamped, and travel to that country approved. An animal owner attempting to send their pet themselves to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia followed this procedure. Both the Official who stamped the papers and the animal owner missed the fact that the dog was on the Saudi banned-list. Hence, despite consulate approval, when the Staffie dog arrived in Jedda airport, Saudi Arabia, it was summarily put down. Due to the stringency of Saudi laws regarding banned animals, the owners were not offered a chance to ship the dog back out of the country.

All Staffordshire terriers, Bull terriers and American Staffordshire terriers are still banned in Saudi Arabia and many other countries. As it is, all dogs, whether a tiny chihuahua or a large lovable labrador, need to be classified as a guard dog, a guide dog, or a hunting dog, to be able to enter the country at all.

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