Sailing with Dogs in The Bahamas

Our pup Ruca is a 65 pound Boxer girl, with an endless amount of energy and slobber. We're pretty sure she's actually half Boxer pup, and half fish, as we can't keep her out of the water. Tail nub wagging at full speed and tongue hanging out, you can catch her scowering the Caribbean beach shallows for critters for hours and hours. Fish, crabs, stingrays, and anything else that dare show their head or make a splash - beware of the Ruca pup!

When we set out last winter to cruise the Bahamas for a three month stint, we couldn't NOT bring our best deck hand, Ruca with us. Who else would be responsible for critter spotting and coconut hunting?

Bringing a pet abroad takes considerable amount of preparation, provisioning and responsibility. We love our dog, and as silly as she can be, we also want to make sure she's safe and cared for while living aboard in the Bahamas. Here's a few things to consider when toting your pup along on our next Bahamian cruising adventure.

P.S. Please enjoy the overload of Ruca pictures :)

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Vaccinations

To enter the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, a pet must meet the following vaccination and certificate requirements:

"Rabies within not less than one (1) month and not more than ten (10) months prior to importation for the one (1) year vaccine. For the three (3) year vaccine, it must be within no less than one (1) month and not more than thirty-four (34) months prior to importation into The Bahamas.

The animal must be accompanied by a Veterinary Health Certificate presented within 48 hours of arrival in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to a licensed veterinarian for an examination."

We were able to get a Veterinary Health Certificate verifying these vaccinations from a Vet Clinic in Marathon, Florida for about $100. Remember, it must be officially signed by the doctor. Make copies of the certificate for personal records, then send the original to the Bahamas Agriculture Department via the form at this link:

http://www.bahamas.com/sites/default/files/Bahamas_Application_to_Import_Domestic_Animals_in_TIOTB.pdf

Pet Import Permit

Print and fill out the permit request form at this link. Mail it FedEx (NOT US Postal Service, it could take months, which was our first mistake!) to the Bahamas Department of Agriculture, along with a $10 money order for each pet for processing, and another $5 if you want to receive your confirmation paperwork via fax instead of via snail mail.

Unfortunately we didn't receive our permit by the time we arrived to the Bahamas. We were able to explain to our customs agent the dilemma, that we hadn't received our response in time. The agent simply charged us another $10 and reviewed our certificate and applciations again. However we can't of course, guarantee that every customs agent will be so accommodating, so it is much better to have your permit in hand before arriving. Upon arrival, customs doesn't need to see the pet and didn't request any sort of exam.

Dog Food

Our 65 pound boxer girl ended up eating a lot of boiled rice, carrots, fish, and even some Caribbean lobsters when we ran out of dog food in the Bahamas, and couldn't find more. Ruca loved it of course, but we didn't so much enjoy cooking her meals twice per day! :)

There's a lack of dog food options in the Bahamas, and it is mostly imported. When we did find dog food, it was in small bags, or sometimes cans, with high price tags, long passed expiration dates, and very low quality. It was hard on our dog to change foods every time we went shopping, and we definitely wish we'd packed TONS of her brand from the states.

If possible, pack your dog's food and treats in bulk, and consider a food vault to keep it fresh.

Medications

You may find vet clinics on larger islands such as Bimini and Nassau, but on farther out islands, vets are few and far between. For instance, Great Exuma had a vet who flew in from Florida only once every several months. If possible, get advanced supplies of prescription drugs, and have extra packs of heartworm and flea and tick treatments on hand.

Local Culture

Generally in the Bahamas, domesticated dogs are viewed as protectors of the home, and not so much as family companions. Many people were very afraid of dogs, and sometimes crossed the street when we passed to avoid walking by us, even though our Boxer girl Ruca is a friendly dog who doesn't bark at strangers, and is always in her (pink) leash and harness. We once had a crew of burly construction workers jump into the bed of their truck out of fear when they saw Ruca (even with her nub wagging at full speed for them, in hopes of a head pat!).

Additionally, wild dogs are a problem, and vicious dog packs have been rumored to cause some very serious problems. Due to this, poisoning is common, and we saw very suspicious piles of dog food placed around dumpsters and other public areas. Seeing a dog walked on a busy street is not usual, and dogs (especially big dogs) roaming off leash are in danger of poisoning or shooting.

We'd recommend avoiding public places with your dog so as not to cause fear, and, at least when on inhabited islands, keeping them on leash to monitor what they might ingest, and to avoid dangerous interactions with wild dogs.

Sunscreen

Every morning when Ben and I headed out to town or the beach, we always remembered to slather up in our SPF to protect us from the hot Bahamian sun. It wasn't until we noticed Ruca's face (the white spots around her nose) were particularly pink and chaffed, that we realized... dogs need sunscreen too!

From then on we made sure to apply natural sunscreen, or even coconut oil, to Ruca's face (because she'll lick anything that we apply to her nose), and chest, and any other white spots on her body that might catch rays.

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We hope you and your pup enjoy your time in the Bahamas as much as we did. Please let us know if you have any questions, and be sure to check noonsite.com/ for any Bahamian pet import documentation udpates.

Thank you for reading,

Ben, Quinn and Ruca

#apupslife #Bahamas