18/09/2026
Wow!
🇿🇦🐾 JUST A QUICK REMINDER BEFORE READING THIS POST
These figures are based on Cyber’s journey from South Africa to America and what it cost our family.
Cyber weighed 67 kg including his travel crate, so his size and the airline requirements had a big impact on the cost. Smaller dogs can cost considerably less, depending on their weight, crate size, airline, route, agent and individual circumstances.
We also could not afford to pay for everything upfront. We had to save up over time to make it possible to bring Cyber to America. ❤️🐾
So please don't look at Cyber's costs as a fixed price for every dog. Every pet's journey is different.
🇿🇦🐾 WHAT IT REALLY TOOK TO BRING CYBER FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO AMERICA 🇺🇸
A lot of people have asked us: “How much did it cost, and what did you have to do to get Cyber to America?”
So we thought we would share the full process — because bringing a dog from South Africa to the USA is not as simple as putting him on an airplane. There are strict requirements, waiting periods, blood tests, paperwork, CDC requirements, travel arrangements and a lot of planning.
And in Cyber’s case, the whole process took months of preparation.
🐾 STEP 1 — VETERINARY RECORDS
Before the process can even begin, your dog needs a complete veterinary history.
All vaccinations and veterinary records need to be up to date and properly documented, including the required vaccinations from the time the dog was a puppy.
Cyber was missing 2 vaccination, which unfortunately added approximately 20 days to our process.
🐾 STEP 2 — INTERNATIONAL MICROCHIP
Cyber had to receive a 15-digit international microchip that meets the requirements for international travel.
🐾 STEP 3 — RABIES VACCINATION
After the microchip requirements were completed, Cyber had to receive his required rabies vaccination. A 28-day waiting period before the next step.
There are specific waiting periods involved before the next stage can happen.
🩸 STEP 4 — RABIES TITER BLOOD TEST
Approximately 3 weeks after the rabies vaccination, Cyber was able to have his rabies antibody titer blood test.
The blood sample was sent to Onderstepoort in South Africa.
💰 Titer blood test: approximately R4,500
Then came another difficult part...
We had to wait approximately 6 weeks for the results.
Only after receiving the results could we continue with the next stages of the process.
From step 1 tot step 5 it was about 110 days.
✈️ STEP 5 — PET TRAVEL AGENT
Once we had the necessary results, we needed a professional pet travel agent.
Cyber's international travel was handled by Pet Travel Agent South Africa, with Sam handling the arrangements.
Sam was especially important because she was able to arrange for Cyber to travel from George to Johannesburg by air.
Some of the other agents we contacted could only offer road transportation from George.
The entire travel preparation process with the agent took approximately 4 weeks and involved coordinating the veterinary requirements, documentation, airline arrangements, kennel requirements and international travel.
Pet Travel cost to the USA $79000
💰 SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY & PRE-TRAVEL COSTS
The rabies vaccination, microchip, titer blood test and other veterinary costs came to approximately:
R8,700
🏠 STEP 6 — SIX MONTHS IN A KENNEL
Because of the required waiting period, Cyber could not simply fly to America immediately.
He had to remain safely in South Africa while we waited for the required period to pass.
Cyber stayed at The Dog Box in Mossel Bay for approximately 6 months.
💰 R4,500 per month × 6 months = R27,000
This was incredibly difficult for our family because Cyber is not just a dog to us.
He is Ricardi's best friend, training partner and beach buddy.
But we knew that this was the only way we could eventually bring him home.
✈️ STEP 7 — INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
Once everything was ready, Sam and the travel team took over the international travel arrangements.
💰 International travel cost: R79,000
That covered the extensive arrangements required to get Cyber from South Africa to the USA.
🇺🇸 STEP 8 — CDC PORT OF ENTRY
Then we had another major decision to make.
There are designated CDC-approved ports of entry for dogs entering the United States, and the cost can vary depending on where you enter.
New York was the closest option for us, but the CDC-related cost was approximately $3,000.
Instead, we chose Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
💰 CDC cost at Dulles: approximately $1,600
We also had to deal with the travel kennel after Cyber arrived.
If you leave the travel kennel with the CDC/handling agent, there was an additional:
💰 $75 kennel disposal/handling cost
🇺🇸🐕 CYBER FINALLY ARRIVES IN AMERICA!
When Cyber finally landed at Dulles International Airport, a CDC handling agent from Chantilly collected him.
Cyber then had to go through his required checks and clearance process.
And then came the phone call we had been waiting months for...
⏰ About 5 hours after landing, we were finally able to go and collect Cyber.
After everything he had been through...
CYBER WAS FINALLY IN AMERICA! 🇺🇸🐾
💰 SO WHAT DID IT ALL COST?
Here is the South African portion:
🇿🇦 Veterinary costs, microchip, rabies, titer and other vet requirements: R8,700
🏠 The Dog Box kennel: R27,000
✈️ International pet travel: R79,000
🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICAN TOTAL:
R114,700
And then in the USA:
🇺🇸 CDC/arrival cost at Dulles: approximately $1,600
🐾 Travel kennel handling/disposal: $75
🇺🇸 USA TOTAL:
Approximately $1,675
So Cyber's journey from Mossel Bay, South Africa 🇿🇦 to America 🇺🇸 was a major financial and logistical commitment.
And that's before you even count all the smaller costs involved with documents, transport, food, care and everything else along the way.
❤️ WHY DID WE DO IT?
Because Cyber is family.
He spent months separated from us while we waited and worked through the process.
There were moments when we wondered how we were going to make it happen.
But we never gave up.
Cyber waited.
We waited.
And finally...
🐾 Mossel Bay → Johannesburg → America
🇿🇦 TO 🇺🇸
CYBER IS IN AMERICA!
And now the next chapter begins...
🌎🐕 Cyber's American Adventure!
From the beaches of Mossel Bay to America — White House, Manhattan, snow, new adventures and a whole lot of exploring!
Welcome to America, Cyber. ❤️🇿🇦🇺🇸🐾
