Gaborone - Post Report Question and Answers
Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Veterinarians are available. We order specialized cat food from the US, but cat food is available here. Litter is poor quality but our cat puts up with it. Cats aren't too hard to bring in. Dogs are a bit harder. No quarantine. - Aug 2024
I do not have a pet, but those who do seem satisfied with the local veterinary care. - Dec 2023
I did not have a pet but lots of people had dogs and cats. Some people bought dogs there from breeders. - Jul 2019
I had a very good vet for my dog. I think there are many quality vets in town and around the country. In Botswana I often think the healthcare for pets is better than health care for humans. - Apr 2017
There are good vets and kennels. A lot of dog lovers here. We adopted a street dog here and she's been wonderful. t's expensive to get animals in and out (shipping) but can be done. - Jul 2016
There are vets. I know there is one kennel but I have not had any experience with it. - Oct 2014
Getting pets into Botswana can be a pain because they often have to travel through South Africa which is very difficult to transit due to vaccination requirements, etc. It is also very costly. You should expect to spend approximately US$3,000 to get your pet into Botswana. - Nov 2013
No, but it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to bring dogs into the country; they must transit South Africa, which has stiff regulations for dog imports, including a blood test that only 2 laboratories in the U.S. perform, to the tune of US$500. The blood must be drawn, tested, results mailed, and the animal shipped all within 30 calendar days, which proves nearly impossible with the airlines not always guaranteeing a spot on the flight you select for the animal (best to ship separate from PCS because of these stressful logistics). The air shipping is expensive. A pet expeditor must be used at least on the South African side, and typically a road transfer from there to Botswana, all at high cost. Cats are easy to import. - Jul 2013
Not necessarily. We brought our dog from the US. We were happy to have him with u,s but it was extremely difficult and expensive to get him into South Africa. Think carefully about it. South Africa has extensive regulations about importing pets. We had to ship blood samples to Kansas to test for rare diseases. If you do bring a dog, don't skimp on the tests. They can and do ship pets back if everything is not up to par. Once you're in South Africa, all you need is an easily obtainable certificate to get your pet from South Africa to Botswana. - Apr 2013
No. - Jun 2010
