Bringing a pet to Panama is a bad idea unless one is planning a lengthy or permanent stay. Dogs and cats must be quarantined for 30 days, though a recent law allows for home quarantine in lieu of a stay in a kennel.

Travelers on the road will obviously not be able to provide a home in which to quarantine the pets, so kenneling at the quarantine office may be the only option. There is also considerable paperwork involved that may require the help of a lawyer or at least a relocation-service agent. (José Saenz—based in Panama City, cell 6614-7811, tel./fax 399-4003 or 251-0698, www.goldenfrog.net— provides such a service.)

The process can’t be started any sooner than 10 days before the pets are shipped, because all documents must be as up-to-date as possible. Leaving the country with a pet requires a whole other round of permissions. Requirements are more stringent for birds and other animals. Contact a Panamanian consulate for current requirements.