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Old 03-18-2008, 12:52 PM   #1
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Hello there. My husband and I are travelling from Kelowna to Steamboat Rock State Park in Washington this Easter Weekend and were wondering if there is a website or list of food items that you can and cannot take across the border. I also wondered if all food have to be in their original containers (I often carry tupperware with oatmeal, coffee, etc). Also dry dog kibble (who wants to carry the 50lb bag)!

Thanks for the information!

Karolyn
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Old 03-18-2008, 01:05 PM   #2
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www.bellingham.org/PDF/Border_Crossing.pdf

Above PDF is from 2005, but has phone numbers for information. Looks like dog food is only OK if of US origin and in original container.

Here's more from Milepost.

Google is your friend.
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Old 03-18-2008, 01:16 PM   #3
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You'll enjoy it there.... It's only about 35 miles from our house and we sneak up there sometimes. Be prepared for a little wind tho, we're in our "breezy" spring. Larry
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Old 03-18-2008, 01:33 PM   #4
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My favorite in the area is Spring Canyon campground. Facilities at campsites are limited but it is closer to town. We have enjoyed it when it has been less busy. I would imagine that the Laser show on the dam will not have started yet as it is early in the season.

http://www.nps.gov/laro/planyourvisit/camp...#CP_JUMP_144487
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Old 03-18-2008, 08:24 PM   #5
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Quote:
Hello there. My husband and I are travelling from Kelowna to Steamboat Rock State Park in Washington this Easter Weekend and were wondering if there is a website or list of food items that you can and cannot take across the border. I also wondered if all food have to be in their original containers (I often carry tupperware with oatmeal, coffee, etc). Also dry dog kibble (who wants to carry the 50lb bag)!

Thanks for the information!

Karolyn

Karolyn - we are contemplating a trip into the US at Sumas in early April. The last time (2006) we had our cat food confiscated, despite buying the exact same product a few miles later in Washington. We had other food taken as well, but I don't recall what. This time we called the US Customs and asked for the agriculture representative. My wife made the call, but it seemed that goat and lamb meat was forbidden - which was the dog food. The cat's food was ok this time. She called back a second time and advised that the dog food was Nutro and made in the City of Industry, Ca. He then said it was ok, but preferred a sealed bag due to risk of contamination - long story short, best to call and explain what type of food you are bringing. I am pretty sure if you bring animal food in the non-original packaging, you may lose it.
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Old 03-18-2008, 11:18 PM   #6
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One solution is to buy a small bag of pet food just for the trip so that you don't have to carry the 50 lb. size and if it is confiscated, you are not out a lot of money. We had a very unpleasant experience with US Customs Agriculture when returning from a Canadian camping trip before we had a trailer. Our minivan was loaded with tent camping gear and the agent found it necessary to rummage completely through everything and dropped a new small plastic table which broke. No apology offered. I think he hated his job.
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Old 03-19-2008, 05:48 AM   #7
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The easiest is to not bring any food in. Might be a harsh thought, but only bring prescription medicines (in original containers!) and over the counter medicine. Believe it or not, we have grocery stores here in the U.S. Any money you may think you'll save by bringing your own groceries could be offset when something is confiscated... you'll end up grocery shopping anyway. I know some pets are pretty picky about what they'll eat. If you can't bring it in anyway... what difference does it make where you buy it?
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Old 03-19-2008, 06:51 AM   #8
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I agree with Donna and that's exactly what we are going to do we we head to Bandon. Last time we went across, unless our dog was able to eat his whole container of food at the border, we had to toss it. As he was on a special diet, we had to stop at a few places until we found the same brand. We will go across with an empty fridge and just enough dog food to last a night then stock up in the states.

Happy travels,

Brenda



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Old 03-19-2008, 08:06 AM   #9
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As to shopping in Grand Coulee there is a mid-sized Safeway store there and we have found it to be very helpful. At the time found the prices to be cheaper than in B.C. but times are a changing.
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Old 03-19-2008, 09:35 AM   #10
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Thank you for all your helpful information! We are crossing at Oroville, Washington and I finally found a phone number for the border crossing directly. I spoke to an agent there and he was very helpful. I think every border crossing is a little different, so I'm happy I called. I have a very picky dog and Science Diet (made in Kansas) in an originally sealed package is ok to take across. Donna, I realize the US has grocery stores and of course will not take any meat, produce, etc. across, but as we were only going for a short holiday, I was just trying to save time.

Thanks again for all the helpful comments!
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Old 03-19-2008, 10:17 AM   #11
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I was being factitious Thought if you needed to go to the store to buy one thing, may as well buy it all. As an FYI, 99% of the grocery stores in Oregon sell Science Diet. My golden retriever was on it because of seizures. Something about low ash?
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Old 03-19-2008, 02:18 PM   #12
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Umm, what does a dragging butt have to do with diet?
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Old 03-19-2008, 02:50 PM   #13
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You may have got some great answer's, Sorry I don't have time to veiw them all, But We use to have a Rv park in Montana an couple hour's from the Canadian boarder. The one thing I know there were issues with were Potato's........ Now that's going into Canada. I got so tired of guest leaving us bags of potato's that I finally asked one of them if you could take them across, cooked............. Yes, so from then on I would tell them to cook them. They made hashbrowns, tater salad etc. Now not know what can come thru from your end to the states, if you get a few miles from the boarder and you find you can't take something through raw, Cook it, Chop it, Freeze it..... Enjoy your trip. Robin
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Old 03-19-2008, 03:08 PM   #14
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As Vivian and others have said, sometimes they are a little gruff at the crossing, As I said in my first post Dh and I owned a rv park a couple hours from the boarder, After 9-11 we heard horror storie's but of course things calmed down after a while. But once in a while someone has a issue. At first I thought grumpy boarder guards, but then after waiting in a long line to get thru and watching some of the stuff that goes on, I kind of understand that the boarder crossing guy's/gals have to go thru. They ask some very simple, to the point ?'s and they get smarta$$ answer's. I use to tell guest that were heading that way, You never know what freak went thru before you and made the guy really mad, well guess who their gonna take it out on.......... You the next one thru. They are just doing their job's, yet there is always someone who will push the rules, try to get by with taking a gun, more than the alloted amounts of Booze etc. And unfortunetly you are behind them.


The car in front of you set the tone for how your expeience will be. So next time you go thru, just try to smile even though they may be tearing your rig apart. Robin
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Old 03-20-2008, 09:44 AM   #15
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Thanks Robin, you make a very good point and I'll keep that in mind as we cross the border.

Karolyn
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Old 03-20-2008, 10:08 AM   #16
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I made the mistake 2 years ago loading up the cooler from the freezer and lost it all at the border, save for chicken (I don't think I would even try chicken this year). We are planning on another trip in September and plan on bringing very little food except maybe a few canned goods/packaged goods such as hot chocolate, coffee for the first night or 2. My firewood was ok on the way down and even tho it was from my own woodpile in the back of the house, the remainder was not ok to bring back, no firewood can be brought into Canada. We did not try to bring any meat or produce back and had shopped for the day or ate at truck stops (which is where we stayed over night along the way). Looking forward (depending on a few things) to our trip this year and a little wiser from our last trip. Actually did a route with Google Earth, we are going to almost retrace our trip from when we picked up the scamp in 2004, just hope it is not as nerve racking this time.
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Old 03-20-2008, 02:19 PM   #17
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Enjoy your trip! R
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Old 03-20-2008, 03:38 PM   #18
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My firewood was ok on the way down and even tho it was from my own woodpile in the back of the house, the remainder was not ok to bring back, no firewood can be brought into Canada.
Folks traveling between the northern segment of Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota and other parts of the US have the same problem. Read about a couple of guys getting stuck with a trailer-load of firewood they couldn't get across one of the borders.
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Old 03-26-2008, 07:41 AM   #19
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Just thought I'd report on our border crossing experience. It was really a non-issue. We crossed at Osoyoos and the guard took our passports, looked at the dog and said "he doesn't appear to be foaming at the mouth" then "what's in the trailer?" we answered "no fruit and veggies or meat" and he said "No, I mean you got any drugs in there?" We weren't sure if he was kidding or not but laughed anyway and he sent us on our way! He didn't even look at the Certificate of Vaccination for the dog.

Steamboat Rock was great! Only a handful of trailers and even a brave sole in a tent. We had a wild wind storm on Sunday night but it was a great first trip of the season! Our dog adjusted well too. He's new to us and a true camping dog. He ended up in our bed during the wind storm! Very cozy with a big lab/rotti sitting on your legs!

Crossing the border back into Canada, the guard did look at the Certificate of Vaccination but only asked if we bought anything in the US.

So no worries next time crossing the border!

Thanks again for all the information.

Karolyn
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Old 03-26-2008, 10:32 AM   #20
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Just thought I'd report on our border crossing experience. It was really a non-issue. We crossed at Osoyoos and the guard took our passports, looked at the dog and said "he doesn't appear to be foaming at the mouth" then "what's in the trailer?" we answered "no fruit and veggies or meat" and he said "No, I mean you got any drugs in there?" We weren't sure if he was kidding or not but laughed anyway and he sent us on our way! He didn't even look at the Certificate of Vaccination for the dog.

Steamboat Rock was great! Only a handful of trailers and even a brave sole in a tent. We had a wild wind storm on Sunday night but it was a great first trip of the season! Our dog adjusted well too. He's new to us and a true camping dog. He ended up in our bed during the wind storm! Very cozy with a big lab/rotti sitting on your legs!

Crossing the border back into Canada, the guard did look at the Certificate of Vaccination but only asked if we bought anything in the US.

So no worries next time crossing the border!

Thanks again for all the information.

Karolyn
Yes- it was windy in our area last weekend.... Carrie and I swung by to see how you were doing, but missed you. Larry
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