# Transporting mice from America to England.



## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

I really want to do this at some point in the future, and want to do some research about it now.
Just wondering if any of you guys know anything about how much it costs, any licenses etc.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

It cost me about $2,000 USD to go the other direction (from Europe to the US).

All the mice you have in the UK are better or equal to ours anyway, except for varieties which aren't found there like brindle (Avy) and Splashed (Spl). What would you be importing?

I have heard that in the UK, mice sometimes have to be held for 6 months in quarantine. Needless to say, this is nearly the entire reproductive life of some does so that presents a huge obstacle. I don't know enough about UK laws to say whether this is true or not, though.

If you can wait two years, I will help. You pay for the actual shipping costs and the mice (any that I have access to) themselves will be free. I will be getting out of graduate school in the summer of 2013 and before settling down I hope to come England for a visit. It would be wonderful to bring mice with me and take mice back. I'm familiar with bringing mice into the US, but not so much with sending them out.

When I take animals into Canada, they're in the back seat of a car. That's so much easier!


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## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

Ooo that's exciting! Where in the UK will you be going? 
I would like to bring in any coat varieties that we don't have in the UK, Brindle and splashed  Bringing mice into the UK that we already have is just silly for me to do. Have you looked into how you would bring them into the UK? It's not like you can stuff them in a suit case  and the x-rays in the hand luggage scanner will kill live stuff and also finds them ): 2013 will give me enough time to make up my mind and save up 

Yes the quarentine is 6 months for animals- but I wonder if they make exceptions for smaller animals. I'll try and get hold of my ex aquatics tutor- She now works at Heathrow airport (close to me) in the animal headquaters placey thing.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

I would fly them on my own private spaceship since I'm an (illegal) alien. 

Actually, I guess I'd send them in a shipping crate via cargo on the airlines. That's how I got my mice into the US and how all the folks I know who've shipped to the Continent have shipped them. I plan to go somewhere in England.

It's a bit in the future still so I don't know where I'd be staying but I'm already saving up for the trip. Even though there are lots of things for visitors to see and do in England, what I'm most interested in seeing is an NMC show. I mean, I'm sure Big Ben is lovely and all, but he doesn't have whiskers. 

If you import with a 6 month quarantine, I guess it's best to get all males and expect some to die (as they tend to do during any 6 month period). That also presents problems because they'd all need their own cages, too, I'd imagine...


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## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

Oh boy! Do you know Agent J and Agent K??  

I'm contacting a couriering company in the morning to ask them all about it.  Would be ace to see you at a show 

Do clock arms count as whiskers???
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... CC4Q9QEwBw
You can see the resemblance


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

Hahaha!

I think the best bet would be to do it as a collective (or as a very wealthy individual, lol) if possible since you could divide up all the costs not only in terms of money but in terms of phone calls, appointments, shopping, and so forth. It really can be a lot more work than you might imagine, even without a 6 month quarantine period!

I also found that (in the US at least), our Customs department really was quite clueless about mice. Luckily for the mice, I had researched Customs procedures for months and had printed off all the relevant rules they were citing to show them they were wrong, but I can't really blame them. It's not every day (or every decade, even) that they deal with individuals (as opposed to laboratories) importing show (as opposed to lab) mice. I think they were also a bit taken aback because at some points I was, quite literally, telling them what to do and what their own rules were.


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## SiamMeece (Sep 21, 2010)

Megzilla, you could also visit one of the shows in Holland, next spring I might have some tris/splashed available  (and I may not be the only one)

I know of Dutch breeders who visit the (Bradford?)show in january, they travel to the UK by car (and ferry) shop and with al their furry treasures on the backseat back to Holland...

In april I had some people from Scotland at my stand looking for black and tans, so I guess from Holland to the UK shouldn't be a problem either?


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

That was another suggestion of mine if America-to-Britain is too complicated: make a stop in-between (such as in the Netherlands). It seems that importing mice from continental Europe is easier than from North America?


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## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

Jack, If I were to import from the US I think i'm going to have to do that ): DEFRA says that one person can only import 5 pet animals in his/her lifetime :/ (GAY!)

I don't think you have to put animals in quatanteen if they're from Holland/certain EU countried do you? My friend went to I thinke Houten animal show and was going to bring some mice back for me.. sadly there were no mice there ):
I would love to come to a dutch show though! Give me a chance to pick the language back up lol  I can pretty much understand it but I can't talk it ): If i do it means that I have a lot of saving up to do; visit to Spain, Holland, and my 'twin' from Perth is visiting xD all in a few months!!

Do you have Merle in Holland? Plus, what do other mouse breeders breed that you know of? If I do go then I may get a little wanted list from other UK breeders


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## SiamMeece (Sep 21, 2010)

The Houten Animalshow (Exorodent) is twice a year, in december and april but the aprilshow is larger and attracts more mousepeople. If you are interested in something particular I can always do some informing for you, this way I helped out a Swedish breeder a couple of months ago who was looking for rumpwhites.

No Merle in Holland (yet) but Roland Fisher in Germany breeds them, though he doesn't adopt them out if I'm well informed. He does adopt out recessive Red (and of course Splashed and Tricolor).

I have relatives in the US and Australia and their Dutch sounds so funny with an American/Aussie accent, mixing Dutch and English words...


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## Roland (Aug 17, 2009)

SiamMeece said:


> The Houten Animalshow (Exorodent) is twice a year, in december and april but the aprilshow is larger and attracts more mousepeople. If you are interested in something particular I can always do some informing for you, this way I helped out a Swedish breeder a couple of months ago who was looking for rumpwhites.
> 
> No Merle in Holland (yet) but Roland Fischer in Germany breeds them, though he doesn't adopt them out if I'm well informed. He does adopt out recessive Red (and of course Splashed and Tricolor).


Before I introduced/shared Splashed and Tricolor in Europe I needed some time to establish them well enough for sharing. Now many friends from different European countries got them and they will be available everywhere in Europe soon. The same is true for the recessive Reds. I share e/e already, but they should be bred carefully, because the amount of pheomelanines and the type can be improved, and should be improved. It makes little sense to breed Recessive Yellow, we all want Recessive Reds and it is quite easy to do this.
Merle are doing well in my stud and I have very nice success to improve them. It takes some time, because they are recessive and I use linebreeding instead of inbreeding, but I will not sit on them forever. 
The breeding of 4-coloured Merle (Black Tan Merle Piebald Satins) will EXPLODE some day! I promiss this.

Best regards, Roland
Chilloutarea Mousery - Tricolor , Splashed , Merle , Recessive Red


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Ok, rules for importing mice into the UK from the US:
(I'm a licensed LVI Panel 2)

1) Movement between European Union (EU) countries or into the EU from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican are not subject to any requirements. (Possible halfway houses, no idea what the import regs are for these countries though.)

2) From the States, they will have to do 6 months quarantine. And will need an import license from the Governments here before you travel.

2) You can only bring 5 animals with you! (unless coming from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland or the Vatican.)

3) They have to come in through certain airports - Heathrow or Gatwick from 1st October. (Except: Pets from other EU countries and from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican are able to enter the UK on any route at any point of entry, subject to the agreement and conditions of carriage of the transport company.)

Does the US have a base in the Republic of Cyprus (not N Cyprus)? That's another option - ship them to Cyprus and then into the UK that way.

Edit: Meant to link to relevant Guide:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/p ... 100915.pdf


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## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

Hmm.. wondering if I can do it through Norway. At the moment I have 2 students living with me for the school year -one spanish, one Norwegian. If it's easier than mice may to to England via Norway. Her family's scared of mice, but she loves them. (black tan being her favorite!)



Kallan said:


> Does the US have a base in the Republic of Cyprus (not N Cyprus)? That's another option - ship them to Cyprus and then into the UK that way.


Hmm.. that's a good point. I'll defo look into that  Do you know of any agencies/companies I could ask?


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

US Customs requires that there is an approved international airport on both sides of the transport. There is one in Louisville, KY and one in Frankfurt Germany but other than that I don't know.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

BTW, would it be easier to drive the mice into Canada and then ship them from Canada? Or does Canada require a six-month quarantine, too?


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Canada would be 6 month quarantine too.


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## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't know the regulations of anywhere appart from England ): Would it be 6 months quarantine on the way out though?

The Germany way is an option though! My brother's friend's Fiance lives in Germany I think.. I could ask to see where she lives 

~I would like to say a big thank you for all the help that everyone's given so far!  Pats on the head for everyone!~


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

I wish we all lived on Sealand. Then we could do whatever we want! :lol:


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

I think EU gives easy entrance to the UK because entrance to EU is strict also.

I can only give you info about the UK system


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