Summary: All Paws Express got my dog safely from Hawai'i to New Zealand, one of the most difficult countries in the world to import pets. Angel is very professional, kind, and communicative. Price was average. My only complaint is that it was not a hands-off experience; I had to double check stuff, ask lots of questions, make lots of calls, and fix some mistakes.
Apologies for the long review, I figured it would be best to include more info, since it is one of their first reviews. First of all, New Zealand is, by their own admission, the most difficult country in the world to import pets. Their biosecurity is outrageous. I got quotes from three different companies, All Pets Express (APE) was right in the middle. I got the impression that since it is a new company, Angel cut me a deal on the price, but since the invoice did not have an itemized cost breakdown like the other companies, I do not know how much he charged for his services. Overall, it was a great experience and most of my complaints were due to the extreme difficulty of importing to New Zealand from Hawai'i, when the relocation company is based in California. I have zero doubt that if you were shipping a pet elsewhere, Angel would do a perfect 5-star job. Angel has lots of experience and connections in the industry, and is always available by phone or email when you need him. Both Angel and Lenny (the boarder he works with in Honolulu) are friendly, honest, and really hardworking dudes.
My only complaint is inattention to details. A few examples were:
-Several important typos of things like airway bill # and import permit #. Easily fixed, but could have been a big holdup if I hadn't proofread documents carefully.
-APE booked USDA and vet appointments in Honolulu early morning, only to find out that early morning Hawaiian Air Flight to Honolulu does not actually accept pets. Had to board the dog an extra night in Honolulu, which Angel graciously offered to cover this cost since it was his own mistake.
-There was a desperate last minute scramble to get all lab results revised on the original lab letterhead, with lab vet signature, and typed microchip number (a lot more difficult than it sounds, we all spent many hours trying to make this happen). This was not communicated to me until I already received original lab results from the vet 3 days before her flight, and then had to go back and ask for them to meet all these requirements. Revised results came through at the very last minute. All this stress could have been avoided if APE had established clear expectations with me or my vet when the blood was initially drawn. That being said, I doubt that other countries have as strict lab testing requirements as NZ, so this is probably not an issue for you.
Other companies describe the process as "you pay us, we take care of everything and tell you what to do and when." This was not the case, as I had to do much of the work organizing quarantine, import permits, lab tests, vet appointments, etc. I spent countless hours on the phone trying to figure out exactly what lab tests/vaccinations were needed and how/when to get them. That is probably the case with every company though, so just know that if you are foolish enough to ship your pet internationally (like me), you better have a lot of time and money since it ain't cheap or easy. Overall, I would recommend APE, especially if you are shipping out of California. For shipping to NZ, they will only get better with experience, so it would be a good bet too. read more