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If you plan to bring your cat or dog (or perhaps other pets) to Iwakuni, you will need to begin the process of preparing your pet immediately, because the entire process from start to finish takes a considerable amount of time. You are allowed to bring a maximum of two fur-bearing pets to Iwakuni. Please be aware, however, that dogs are only allowed to reside in the townhouses, which are currently undergoing renovation for new air conditioners. Cats are allowed in both the mid-rises and townhouses.
Bringing pets along is complicated, but it is not impossible. This is the timeline that I was provided by the base veterinarian at Camp Lejeune, current as of July 2006:
Step 1: Microchip ID first, followed at the same visit by the first of two rabies vaccinations. To begin the process for your pet, call your local base veterinary treatment facility and inform them of your upcoming overseas move. They will make an appointment for your pet to begin the necessary requirements. At this appointment, the pet will be implanted with a microchip (a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice imprinted with a bar code, which can be scanned using a hand-held scanner to identify the animal). If the pet already has an approved microchip, you will be required to present documentation for verification (approved microchips are Avid and Home Again). Your pet will also be administered the first of two required rabies vaccinations. I also strongly recommend that you take this opportunity to catch up on all other vaccinations for your pet, and the vet will likely require you to do so anyway. Start your pet on a monthly flea and tick preventative, such as FrontLine or Revolution. Though this is not a requirement, it is required that the pet not be infested with such pests, and beginning a monthly routine now will avoid the problem later.
Step 2: (30 Days after Step 1): Second Rabies Vaccination You will need to make an appointment for the second rabies vaccination sometime after the first appointment, because most base VTF's do not keep appointment scheudles 30 days ahead of time.
Step 3: (2 weeks after Step 2 if your pet has had Rabies vaccinations previously; 4 weeks after Step 2 if not): FAVN Test. At least two weeks after the second rabies vaccination, you will need to schedule an appointment to have blood drawn for a simple blood test, which will ensure that your pet has the required rabies antibody titer (level) in the bloodstream to sufficiently protect the animal from being infected with rabies. This level must be 0.5ul or greater. You will be required to pay the expenses to ship the blood sample overnight to an approved laboratory (cost is about $50). The vet clinic will give you instructions on how to do so, and where to send the sample. Just be aware of the fact that you will need to make time to drop off the sample at the nearest overnight shipping facility (Mailboxes, Etc., for example) immediately after the vet appointment.
Step 4: (1 day after Step 3): Begin 180-day quarantine. The 180-day quarantine period begins the day after the blood is drawn for the rabies titer, provided the titer meets the specified requirement of 0.5ul. Under the new rules at MCAS Iwakuni, you are allowed to bring your pet into Japan and keep it in on-base quarters (housing) or in the kennel on base during the quarantine period, you just can’t take the pet off base or have it around other animals on base during the quarantine period.
All steps through Step 3 must be completed before the pet will be granted entry into Japan. The quarantine may be completed at Iwakuni.
If you will be moving to Iwakuni before the quarantine has ended, you will be required to continue the quarantine on base, either by boarding your pet at the base Veterinary facility, on base in your own base housing (or with someone living in base housing who is willing to take in your pet), or off base in a Japanese Veterinary facility (the most expensive option).
Also note: you will be required to have the pet examined and a Health Certificate completed by either a military or civilian veterinarian, not to exceed 10 days before your arrival in Japan. If you choose to have a civilian veterinarian do this for you, you will also need to obtain USDA Certification from a Federal USDA Veterinarian, which will cause additional delay to get the paperwork done (this is typically done through the mail, and documents can get lost or mail can be delayed, so I strongly recommend that you have a military veterinarian do the Health Certificate for you when at all possible, even if it means additional travel for you, because Military Veterinarians may use the form MDJ OP 2209 without the requirement for the USDA Certification). The Health Certificate is valid for
30 days, however, it needs to be done within 10 days of the date you will arrive in Japan to be valid for the airlines.
Both health and rabies certificates must be endorsed with raised seals.
If your pet is still under quarantine upon arrival at Iwakuni, you will be requried to bring your pet to the vet every 30 days until the end of quarantine for a simple check-up to verify the health of the animal.
You should begin the process of preparing your pet as soon as you find out that you have orders, because it is a lengthy process, and the less time you have left to complet the quarantine once in Japan, the easier it will be on both you and your pet. If your pet has never had an ID chip before, for example, it will take about 7.5 months from the time the ID chip is obtained until the quarantine period ends. It can take even longer if you have delays obtaining veterinary appointments. The portion of the process that is absolutely required before going to Iwakuni includes the first three steps listed here. The quarantine may be completed in any proportion between your current residence and after arrival at Iwakuni (for example: you might have time to complete all but the last two months of quarantine before you leave, therefore, you would only need to adhere to the quarantine policy for the first two months you are in Japan).
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