Urgent! How to get my Russian tortoise to Germany??

[mamafee]

Hi everyone!
We are a German family who has been living here for three years. now that my husbands assignment comes to its end, we are moving back to Germany end of march...
we have a Russian tortoise which we bought a year ago. His name is speedy and to be able to take him back home with us, he requires CITES documents.. We were told it takes several months to get the necessary documents from the US and Germany!!! When we bought the tortoise we did not know that he was a protected species and that the shipping would therefor be so difficult. We will leave the country, and our tortoise is not able to come with us at that time.. he has to be shipped later, whenever these papers are available...This makes us really sad we definitely do not want to rehome him. We would probably be able to find somebody here in Omaha who takes care of him until he can be shipped, but we are still desperately looking for a way to get him shipped. The offer from the pet shipper is 3000 dollars to get him from Omaha to Germany via Newark. This price really blew our mind
To be honest, we are totally frustrated...... if there is anybody here that can help with some information on shipping tortoises international, that would be wonderful and more than appreciated. We love speedy and he has to come with us..... thank you so much for any tips that might help us.

 

[dmmj]

Russian tortoises are not a protected species at least not in the US

 

[mamafee]

The Russian tortoise is a protected species!!! This info we received directly from the nature and wildlife org...

 

[Pearly]

Wow! I feel for you! I don't know about tortoises, I had brought my dog from communist country (right before the democratic changes took place in Mid/Eastern Europe) to the US, and yes, it was some red tape, mainly vet papers done by government approved agencies with notarized translations and little work with the airlines carrier, my dog came with me on this same plane. There was of course some cost for all that but good golly! Not 3K! Ugghhhh! I wish i could do something! But leave no stone unturned, call State Departments of both countries and plea with them is where I'd probably start. In crossing borders they always worry about diseases, parasites, etc, and this you should be able to overcome. Have you spoken to your tortie's vet herp vet? Maybe he/she knows? Or knows someone who knows? And if all else fails... could you just smuggle little Speedy in your carry-on? ... probably not bcs of the xrays... but smugglers smuggle life animals all the time. Google "smuggling tortoise" I bet there is something on the web about that. For goodness sakes you can get instructions on making explosives and stuff, so should be able to find something on "what to do to not absndon my belowed pet". I know that what I just wrote here is probably against some law, but all those people moving and leaving behind their pets drive me nuts! And here you are, wanting to do the right thing by your family pet... there must be something! Don't give up! I'm sure there is some way to get this done legally, and someone somewhere out there knows what this is. Keep knocking on all the doors (and windows ) till you get some answers. Hugs and good joo-joo going your way. Best of luck, and keep us posted. I'll be looking around too, and i know more of us on TFO will too to help you with ideas. We are all here "tortoise crazy" and would feel this same way as you do. Take care❤

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to move animals internationally.

 

[mamafee]

Getting the CItES documents is not the problem, it's 75 dollars and the waiting time to get them.the problem will simply be how to get Speedy over to Germany without having to pay 3000 dollars! I have no idea what makes it so expensive.i would think 1000 would be realistic to get him from Omaha to Frankfurt via Newark, but 3000 ???
It makes me mad, because prices like this push people having to rehome their beloved pet...

 

[Alexio]

Have you tried calling different airlines and asking if you bought your tiny turtle an airplane ticket and you bough one next to him if they'd let him fly on a plane? Its not like he wouldn't fit in a shoe box.
You could try explaining your plight to the airlines to be honest it does sound crazy how much money they want.

 

[mamafee]

hi! the problem is that we need to wait for the CITES documents! it takes 2-6 months to get them.... the tortoise is not able to be exported before that. since our plane back home to germany leaves 31st of march, he will need to stay with someone until all paperwork has been received. but finding someone who takes care of him for a couple of months is also not easy! we did not find someone yet!!!!but thank you so much for trying to help out. its very much appreciated...

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

hi! the problem is that we need to wait for the CITES documents! it takes 2-6 months to get them.... the tortoise is not able to be exported before that. since our plane back home to germany leaves 31st of march, he will need to stay with someone until all paperwork has been received. but finding someone who takes care of him for a couple of months is also not easy! we did not find someone yet!!!!but thank you so much for trying to help out. its very much appreciated...

Perhaps someone local to you on the forum would be willing to foster him for the two to six months of waiting. That is, unfortunately, quite a long time so I can understand why you have had a hard time finding someone willing to do it (outside of the costly pet-sitting service). Have you contacted local vets to ask if they'd be willing to board him for an affordable rate during this time?

 

[mamafee]

thats a good idea! if i dont find anyone, i might ask here in the forum if someone in the omaha area will take care of him for the time needed! i would of course pay for it. everything is cheaper than giving him to a pet hotel!!! whoever would be willing to take care of him would also need to take him to the vet not earlier than 10 days before departure, since we will need a USDA approved health certificate to be able to export him...this is sooooooooo complicated!! but thanks for your help.....

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Good luck with that.
Is he a wild caught tortoise ? Or captive bred ?
If you don't mind my asking.

 

[JoesMum]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Good luck with that.
Is he a wild caught tortoise ? Or captive bred ?
If you don't mind my asking.

Bought in the US, he is probably wild caught

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Bought in the US, he is probably wild caught

Quite.
So i'm interested how the OP got CITES permits, Lena, you know.

 

[JoesMum]

Quite.
So i'm interested how the OP got CITES permits, Lena, you know.

Hmmm. I see what you mean. Lena couldn't get permits to take her wild caughts into the European Union. Denmark rather than Germany in Lena's case, but the same rules apply across the EU.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hmmm. I see what you mean. Lena couldn't get permits to take her wild caughts into the European Union. Denmark rather than Germany in Lena's case, but the same rules apply across the EU.

And maybe we can get some clues to help her.

 

[JoesMum]

And maybe we can get some clues to help her.

The snag is likely to be that Russians are not native to the US, but Greeks are native to Turkey. Some kind of permit would have been arranged to import to the US.

Also, I suspect the Americans are somewhat more cooperative and organised with official paperwork than the Turks.