dogs and customs

There should be no customs when traveling from the Mainland US or Puerto Rico to the USVI. If you go from the USVI back to Puerto Rico or the US Mainland, that is when you would be subject to a customs screening.

They are checked by TSA at the beginning of the trip and have their crate inspected and the magic wand waved over them in the airport lobby...after that, they were home free....but then again, who's gonna let 5 Rottweilers out of their crates???? When we left we went back out through PR, I think with the same woman you are using - we had to charter a private plane to get off STX. We cleared Customs there on STX - much easier. When the guys at the airport saw the 'cargo', they sort of just waved us through - we loaded at a private strip and taxied to the main airport, went in and did Customs - the Customs officers came out to the plane to look at the dogs and then decided it was probably best to let sleeping dogs lie, if you get my drift. Because there were so many we weren't able to crate them all. Very interesting trip. Short, but interesting. In Puerto Rico we were picked up by a wonderful young man who boarded them overnight...we delivered them to Continental cargo the next morning and never let them out of the crate at all, so I don't think Customs got involved at any point. I would suppose if you had show dogs that were worth a great deal of money you would need to file something with Customs coming back, but my dogs are worthless 🙂

Dogs that are on the flight with you DO NOT go through customs. Dogs that are shipped alone DO have to go through customs. I don't make the rules, but that's how it is - I usually fly with my dog, but I shipped him alone last week through american airlines and learned of the difference.