We take the health of our rescues very seriously. Any knowing, pre-existent health issues will be mentioned.

General healthcare treatment:

• Adult dogs: bloodtest, flea/tick treatment and prevention, heartworm test, deworming, preventative treatment with panacur (3 days) and baycox, rabies vaccine, vaccination(s), spay/neuter.
• Puppies: bloodtest, flea/tick treatment and prevention, deworming, preventative treatment with panacur (3 days) and baycox and vaccination (most of the times the first vaccine).
• Adult cats: deworming, flea/tick treatment and prevention, FeLV and FIV test, preventative treatment with panacur (3 days) and baycox, rabies vaccine, vaccination(s), spay/neuter.
• Kittens: deworming, flea/tick treatment and prevention, preventative treatment with panacur (3 days) and baycox and vaccination (most of the times the first vaccine).

Our cats and dogs will be spayed/neutered when they’re about 4/6 months old (depending on their overall condition). A lot of our rescues are puppies and kittens. This means they won’t be spayed/neutered before their adoption. However, spaying/neutering our rescues is mandatory; this is also clearly stated in our adoption agreement.

After choosing the right family we will set up a phone call to make the process a little more personal. After that we request the vet reference check, the adoption agreement and the first payment of the adoption fee to finalize the adoption.

We will start looking for a transporter as soon as possible. How quickly this happens varies on the destination, animal and time of the year. It also depends on where and how far the adoptive family is willing to drive. Finding a transporter is often last minute work, so make sure that we are able to reach you.

As soon as we find a transporter we will send you the flight and necessary personal information of the person transporting your pet. We will also request the rest of the adoption fee.

Depending on the weight of your pet, he/she will travel in the cabin (maximum weight is 20 lbs) or as cargo. Traveling is often stressful for our rescues and we do everything we can to make sure they are as comfortable as possible. Luckily, a lifetime of happiness makes up for one day of discomfort.

The adoptive family will be ready and waiting at the airport of arrival to pick up their newest furry family member. For advice on getting your newest family member accustomed to his/her new home, take a look at our foster manual. You may find it very useful!

We will try our best to get our rescues as healthy and happy to you as we possibly can. We inform our adoptive families about their newest family members thoroughly, but there are no guarantees when it comes to their temperament, level of training or health.

We kindly request our adoptive families to send the carrier/crate back to us for our next rescue to travel in. It can be sent to our container shipping from Florida, to someone going on vacation to Aruba who is willing to transport them back to us or by ordering one from our Amazon Wishlist.

Your dog was born in Aruba where the temperature ranges from 85 to 95 degrees year round. The dog will need to adjust to the new climate where you live. He/she may be cold in even 70-degree weather. So when you bring your dog outside, please keep an eye out for signs of him or her being cold – you may need to put a sweater on the dog and be sure to keep it warm in the house while it gets accustomed to its new surroundings. This is of course dependent on the weather at the time of year.

Your dog has been dewormed. However, it is important for you to bring your new dog to the vet as soon as possible for a thorough examination, blood tests and stool tests for anemia and intestinal parasites. The dog may have been exposed to ticks (Ehrlichia is very common here) as they are abundant in Aruba – if anemic, they may need a prescription for doxycycline. Stools should be tested for tape worms and round worms as well as coccidia. Please follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and instructions to keep your dog healthy.

There are several types of diseases that can be triggered by the stress of traveling. Stress can cause a decrease in an animal’s immune system thus making it difficult for them to handle common infections or diseases. Animals may not show clinical signs of certain viral infections or tick borne disease until several days or weeks after adoption and may even be triggered by any type of stress.

• Parvo (mainly seen in puppies) is a viral infection that attacks the lining of the intestines in dogs. The virus causes depletion of cells that are part of the immune system. The virus is very contagious and is spread by the oral fecal route. Clinical signs begin 6-10 days after exposure and include: lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, and hemorrhagic diarrhea. These lead to a dehydrated state and if left untreated is fatal. It is important that your puppy or even adult dog get vaccinated for this preventable viral disease. It will take a series of boosters before your dog is considered protected, so be sure to follow up after your pets first vaccination.
• Ehrlichia is a tick borne disease seen all over the world. Clinical signs include lethargy, lack of appetite, joint swelling, fever, anemia and nasal discharge. It can take several hours to several days for transmission from the tick to occur and some dogs may be infected for several weeks to years before clinical signs can appear. Treatment is available and can be successful with early detection. It is important to have your dog tested yearly at your veterinarian with a 4DX test that tests for heartworms and 3 types of tick borne diseases.

Your cat was born in Aruba where the temperature ranges from 85 to 95 degrees year round. The cat will need to adjust to the new climate where you live.

He/she has also been dewormed. However, it is important for you to bring your new cat to the vet as soon as possible for a thorough examination. Stools should be tested for tape worms and round worms as well as coccidia. Please follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and instructions to keep your cat healthy.

There are several types of diseases that can be triggered by the stress of traveling. Stress can cause a decrease in an animal’s immune system thus making it difficult for them to handle common infections or diseases. Animals may not show clinical signs of certain viral infections or tick borne disease until several days or weeks after adoption and may even be triggered with any type of stress.

• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (also known as feline AIDS): this is a virus that is spread mostly by bite wounds that occur from fighting, most commonly in unneutered male cats. Rarely is it spread from mother to kittens, grooming or via food bowls. Usually cats infected with this virus have a very poor immune system and have a hard time overcoming infections. Vaccination is available, but once cats are vaccinated they will always test positive.
• Feline Leukemia is commonly seen worldwide in cats. This virus is easily spread via saliva and nasal secretions. It is also possible for kittens to be infected in utero and by nursing from an infected mother.

Clinical signs for both FIV and Feline Leukemia can range from oral infections, GI disease, ocular disease and inability to clear other infections. If you suspect your cat is showing signs of infection it is important to have an examination by a veterinarian so they can appropriately treat your pet.