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@Julia Palumbo I’ll let you know how it goes as I leave from Pearson on May 13th!!!  I have a dog and two cats coming with me. How did you find out all that was needed for them paperwork-wise?  I’ve been trying to find out and I’m afraid I don’t have everything I need in regards to vaccinations for them, paperwork etc…

I don't normally do this but I will suggest a Facebook group for you about animals. There are many in the group who know the rules and how it works really well.  DCDR - Dogs and Cats Dominican Republic they are a big well known group who do really good work here. Look for them on FB.

In terms of where to live many recommend boots on the ground. Sosua to Cabarete is a pretty large area.  Many can give you feedback on the various areas. Then you need to come and check things out, walk or drive neighborhoods etc to see what works for you! Staying a couple weeks in a dog friendly short term rental will allow you to find what might work for you longer term!

@devaneely SOOOO much time online, searching everything out, it's super overwhelming and there's a lot of conflicting information. I've been down once with one of my dogs already.

I went to my vet and updated rabies and any necessary vaccines. I got a written letter from my vet saying their shots were up to date. Then, less than 7 days before my flight, I had to get my dog checked by a vet and from there bring that info to the Canada food and inspection agency for them to certify that everything was in order. I also had all of my paperwork in both English and Spanish to avoid any issues. When I got there, I had to pay a fee (which I don't remember but it wasn't anything worth note).

I hope I'm not forgetting anything

PLEASE keep me posted on how it goes for you

@planner That's exactly our plan. Rent something for a month and in that time search around. Thank you for the FB group suggestion. As of right now this is the biggest stressor.

@Julia Palumbo thank you! How did you get the paperwork in Spanish?

@devaneely There's an option to print it in English or Spanish right from the Canadian Food and Inspection agency. Anything from my vet I just translated myself

DCDR might be able to help, but they mostly have experience getting dogs out of the DR, not in! Even if they can't help you, they are a great organization to get involved with down here! They have groups throughout the country, including here in Las Terrenas where I am, but their main shelter is in Luperon, Puerto Plata.