Yokosuka Veterinary Treatment Facility Provides Resources to Ease Pet Owners’ Stress During Move

Photo By Seaman Lillian Olen | Lucy poses for a photo for the Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka Welcome Aboard Package. This image is associated with the Yokosuka Veterinary Treatment Facility page discussing pet quarantine import laws in Japan. (US Navy Photo by SN Lillian Olen)  

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

12.15.2023

Story by Seaman Lillian Olen 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

Personnel in the PCS process and planning to bring their pets to Japan must satisfy the Government of Japan’s import laws before their pet is allowed to enter the country.

The requirements are available in English through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The process, while time-consuming and detail-oriented, is streamlined with illustrated guides on how to navigate the procedures efficiently.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Japan’s last diagnosed case of rabies in an animal was in 1957 when an infected stray cat was captured.

To ensure this record is maintained, Japanese Customs Officers strictly enforce all pets travelling into the country go through a quarantine process and receive the proper certifications of health.

The Yokosuka Naval Base Veterinary Treatment Facility assists base community members to minimize added stress and provides the resources to meet Japanese Customs’ standards.

SOFA-sponsored personnel deciding to bring their pet into Japan have two options: 1) complete the certification process outside of Japan (usually in the States), or 2) completing a 180-day quarantine while the pet is inside the borders of Japan.

The VTF recommends personnel who have orders at least three to four months before their expected travel date to complete the process while outside of Japan. For those who do not have that time, it is possible to begin the process while outside of Japan and complete the process in Japan.

SOFA-sponsored personnel needing to quarantine pets inside the borders of Japan need to plan on their pet being forced to stay on base.

Those assigned to live off base, non-certified pets must remain on base until VTF verifies the quarantine process is complete; that can mean out-of-pocket kennel fees at the NEX if available, having a family friend who lives on base take care of the pet; or, most likely, leaving your pet at the VTF and visiting daily to exercise, feed and care for the animal.

For more information, please visit the Yokosuka Veterinary Treatment Facility Facebook page or their official website.

All Pets Must Be Registered at VTF, CFAY

CFAY policy mandates SOFA pet owners register their animals at the Yokosuka VTF.

Personnel who add pets to their household after arriving in Japan are also required to visit the VTF to register their new family member. Whether the pet was purchased at a shop, through a licensed breeder, received as a gift, adopted, or rescued off of the street, all base community members must comply.

Families of unregistered pets should consider the potential of a Non-combatant Evacuation Order, or NEO, due to natural disaster. Pets living overseas and not properly registered at installation VTFs will not be evacuated in the event of an NEO.

For more information, please visit the Yokosuka Naval Base Veterinary Treatment Facility or visit their Facebook page.

• Date Taken: 12.15.2023
• Date Posted: 12.29.2023 00:58
• Story ID: 460989
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP