The Mistake I Made Before Flying to Mexico With Beckham
The first international trip I ever took with Beckham was to Mexico. It was also the trip that made me realize sometimes you think you have all the bases covered only to find out at the last minute you missed one.
Looking back this mistake was easily avoidable had I had better information in front of me, and was the start of the idea this site was needed for people like me.
My first trip with Beckham
A few years ago Beckham and I were in Victoria BC Canada which is located on Vancouver Island. I had decided to go to Mexico for a week long vacation and bring my pug Beckham. So I spent about a week online researching everything I could find about traveling to Mexico with my dog.
I read Reddit posts, blogs, government websites and I think even a post on a realtors website. I quickly realized there is a lot of information out there, some of it obviously outdated, some of it vague enough to have two answers it seemed, and of course the clinical government speak you have to sometimes decipher.
After about a week and more than a few sheets of handwritten notes I had it figured out. Knew everything Mexico required of me to allow Beckham into the country. I was actually surprised, because we were coming from Canada, all I needed to do was show Beckham had his rabies shot and was free from fleas and parasites. No problem he had the pill every month for that and I got a letter from our vet showing a month earlier he had received all his core vaccinations and rabies shot.
I booked our flight for the following Monday and was on a ferry to Vancouver Sunday night so I could be at the airport for our morning flight. Everything was smooth as butter.
Hard lesson to learn
Monday morning, we hopped in an Uber and went to the airport. I had all the paperwork, Beckham was clean and ready to fly. Brand new carrier purchased. What could possibly go wrong?
Tried to check in at the self check kiosk, realized when you are traveling with your dog you have to go to the counter so they can verify everything in person. No problem I wait in line and when we get to the counter they quickly look at Beckham and the carrier, no problems there. They ask for the paperwork and that’s when it all came crashing down for us.
The Air Canada attendant looked over the paperwork and then asked me for his health certificate. I said I don’t have one. Mexico doesn’t require one. They said well you need one. So I pulled up the Mexican government website on my phone and pointed to where it says dogs coming from Canada don’t need a health certificate. I pleaded with them and when I didn’t get anywhere asked to talk to a supervisor. Showed them the Mexican government website and that the health certificate isn’t needed. To which the answer all along, their internal procedures show that a health certificate is required for Beckham to board the plane. It didn’t matter if Mexico didn’t need it, their rules are non-negotiable.
So I was denied boarding. And to make matters worse I had spent so much time arguing my case with them, because I was sure I was in the right, that I missed the window to call in and rebook my ticket. Instead I was classified as a no-show.
The aftermath
So I had to book a new Airbnb and call around to find a veterinarian who could take Beckham in last minute. I got an appointment which was two days away, so I wound up missing the first three days of my vacation.
In hindsight, knowing all that I know now about traveling with a dog, it was a blessing in disguise that this happened. I found an amazing place Atlas Pet Hospital where the vet who saw us was super knowledgeable about international pet travel. He walked us through the certificate, we gave Beckham a new parasite treatment just in case and armed with the proper paperwork we were ready to fly.
The next day, everything went smooth. The check-in process took about five minutes. Security screening was a breeze and before we knew it Beckham was on his way to Mexico with me. Landing in Mexico the inspection process was quick and painless. They looked over the paperwork, checked Beckham for fleas, and gave his carrier a spray down. Said welcome to Mexico and let us go.
My advice
When it comes to going anywhere internationally with your dog, never assume the airline plays by the same rules as the country you are flying into. Some countries have somewhat relaxed rules around health certificates and it has been my experience that every airline we have flown on so far has asked for a health certificate at check-in. So I just default to getting one no matter what. It just cost me almost a thousand dollars to learn that lesson. So let my mistake save you stress and money.
