Canadian border officers cause trauma to good people

3sands

New Member
Aug 29, 2010
9
0
1
Ontario
I do believe the behavior of the border guards at the Rainbow Bridge is out of control. Who is in charge of them ? I have already complained to the government, but it has fallen on deaf ears. I was so traumatized when I tried to bring back a 7 week old Miniature Schnauzer pup on August 29, 2010, I may never travel again. I have lived in Canada for almost 30 years, and have be a contibution to society. I may sell my home and everything and move out of this country.Treating me like I am doing something wrong!This is not the first time I have experienced an incident like this. They were sarcastic, rude,called me a liar, and do not even know what they are trying to enforce about bringing a pup back to Canada. Said does it have a rabies shot!You can not give a Rabies vaccine to a 7 week old pup. Said to me, Oh is this a show dog? Are you reselling it? No, it is for me ! They said I needed a broker ! ! ! ! ! It is a 7 week old pup ! Asked me to open the back hatch, but would not let me get out of the car to do it! So, they turned me around and sent me back to the US crying with this pup. Crying profusely, in severe pain from a disc problem in my back, and a numb leg, I could not even come back to my home! Thought about taking the pup back to my breeder friend, as they would not let me pass. I decided to try the other bridge.
Thoroughly nauseated from my ordeal and almost running out of gas now because the other crossing was out of my way, I got sick to my stomach on the highway and had to pull over and you know what. I was now at a stand still, as there was a mile and a half line up at the new bridge. It took me an extra 4 hour to get back home due to the back up on this new bridge. It would have been a few minutes from the other location. I was thinking to myself, what if the same thing happens here? My out of gas light came on in my car. I had been crying from the pain and sickness in my car.I was worried sick and I was not doing anything wrong. They all wear guns and I thought one move on my part and they could shoot!
The office at this new bridge asked the usual questions. I had to pay the taxes on my puppy and away I went.
So my big question is, What was their problem at the Rainbow Bridge? I had all of my vaccine papers with me and a receipt for the price I paid, expecting to pay the duty and be on my way. I live 2 minutes from the Niagara Falls Bridge.
I have had many of my breeder associates experience this abuse also. Some have been sworn at with the F word with their children in the office !
I could not sleep last night thinking about the emotional abuse I suffered for no good reason.
Canada says tourism is down at their border crossing ! I wonder why !
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
Petty bureaucrats all have the same problem with a little bit of authority

Thankfully I think they are the minority, but that doesn't make that event any more pleasurable. I've been back and forth across the border several dozen time in my life and have always been treated well- the worst case being when one butchy broad was being officious and made me park my car and open my trunk..........but I got over it. :lol::lol: In an event like that described I'd write my M.P. with a copy to the newspaper.
 

Chiliagon

Prime Minister
May 16, 2010
2,116
3
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Spruce Grove, Alberta
It's a bit much to say you may sell your house and leave the country because 1 A-Hole decides to be a complete jerk to you.

who's to say that the other co-workers would have been the same way to you?
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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I would complain, by all means, but, if I were you I'd leave out the stuff about your pain and emotional distress. You sound like you're going after money when you drag that into it, and the border guards can't let people through just because they have pain in their back, etc. The technicalities and legalities of it are all that you need to include in a complaint about not being let back into your own country because of your purchases.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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DaSleeper

Trolling Hypocrites
May 27, 2007
33,676
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113
Northern Ontario,
From your link....

"Dogs do not require rabies vaccination or certification if they are less than three (3) months of age at the time they are imported into Canada."
I did say all the necessary paperwork...
If you are using a veterinary certificate, it must:

•be written in English or French;
•be issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian;
•identify the animal (as in breed, colour, and weight);
•state that the animal has been in the exporting country since birth or for at least six (6) months immediately preceding shipment to Canada; and
•be accompanied by documentation from a competent government authority*, stating that rabies has not occurred in the country of origin for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the animal's shipment to Canada.
*Note: a competent government authority means a veterinary agency or other government agency that manages a country's animal health and welfare situation, as well as handles the responsibility of veterinary certification for international trade. The document can be either:

•a letter issued on the competent government authority's letterhead, dated, stamped, and signed by an official of the competent government authority in the country of origin; or
•a signed letter written by the licensed veterinarian who issued the certificate, which must be endorsed by the competent government authority.
Edited to add: since rabies vaccination protection can be transmitted fro Bitch to pup that is why you need a Veterinary or other certificate...
 

earth_as_one

Time Out
Jan 5, 2006
7,933
53
48
If Canadian border guards behaved unprofessionally, I'd complain. There's no need for them to be rude or arrogant when they carry out their duties, which includes controlling who and what enters Canada.

At the same time, you should be polite and respectful of people who guard our borders. There's no need for Joe citizen to give border guards attitude for doing their job, even if you disagree with their decisions.

Also, are you sure you know the law in this area? When it comes to bringing live animals, there are many rules that border guards have to enforce for very good reasons. I would have asked Canadian border services for advice first, before making the attempt.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
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In the bush near Sudbury
Know the rules first (as EAO said) Never ask the guard anything. They think you are challenging their authority. Be straight faced - but not too conspicuous about it - and Never, ever be overly cheerful or make the mistake of assuming the guard has a sense of humour. I waited four hours for inspectors to check my unmanifested load of sailboat fuel
 
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karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
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I did say all the necessary paperwork...

Edited to add: since rabies vaccination protection can be transmitted fro Bitch to pup that is why you need a Veterinary or other certificate...

It says, specifically, that dog require a rabies vaccine OR vet certification, but that pups under 3 months do not require a vaccine or certification.

Keep in mind also that the next border crossing let her in with no issue. She obviously had her ducks in a row.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
22,843
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Regina, Saskatchewan
Right or Wrong....a Border Guard has the power/authority to really wreck your day.
Even when wrong....his/her call is the final call....at that time...regardless of regs.

Be polite. Be civil. Answer direct questions with direct answers. A mile down the
road once you're through the Border, you can scream & freak out in the privacy
of your own vehicle....but not until then if you don't want to have an ugly experience.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
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Vernon, B.C.
Right or Wrong....a Border Guard has the power/authority to really wreck your day.
Even when wrong....his/her call is the final call....at that time...regardless of regs.

Be polite. Be civil. Answer direct questions with direct answers. A mile down the
road once you're through the Border, you can scream & freak out in the privacy
of your own vehicle....but not until then if you don't want to have an ugly experience.

I recommend that anyone who crosses the border read this book. Actually I've met and spoken to the author as we lived in the same town for awhile. He's credible and has the experience.
Amazon.com: I Declare: Ron Walker: Books
 

3sands

New Member
Aug 29, 2010
9
0
1
Ontario
Just a quick note to thank all of you for your input. The link to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is very informative. I would just like to add that I have had clients from New York that have brought their dogs to me for grooming and never been asked to show any paper work.
I am a professional person so I am abreast of all the rules.
I could not take my prescription for my painful condition because I had planned to drive.
If I choose to do some further complaining to my MP, I will leave the pain out of it.
I don't do too much complaining as it does not get a person anywhere.
These young punk kids working at the bridge on power trips are the ones with attitude to the older folks. What ever happened to respect your elders ?
I had an incident at another bridge where after I paid my taxes and duty and went to leave out of the door, a guard put his arm and leg over the door and said I was not going anywhere. He move his jacket to show off his piece when doing so. I was detained and called a liar over and over for an hour, then they said you can go now. Tried to crack me, but I was honest.It was near midnight and I was the only one in there with 7 of them. I had a receipt and they said I printed it out before I came over ? They searched the web to try to discredit my information !Tried to make me pay more( after I had just paid my taxes) for a similar item they found on the web going for $3,000.00 !They could not after all that ! I have to say their job must be getting to them and they loose perspective of why they are there. A receipt is no good now?
 

Bcool

Dilettante
Aug 5, 2010
383
2
18
Vancouver Island B.C.
I could not sleep last night thinking about the emotional abuse I suffered for no good reason.
Canada says tourism is down at their border crossing ! I wonder why !

It's very hard to deal with an unjust, very upsetting experience like that when in pain & feeling ill, I'm so sorry to hear you're having to deal with the after-effects let alone what you went through.

I/we've gone through the border hundreds of times over many years, not once since 9/11 though so I don't know what changes have been made. In the years we were going back & forth so much, we nearly always had our dog with us often our cat too. We had two crossings to choose from - one about a 15 min further drive than the other. The further one had always been just as friendly & fast on both sides as the other. Then they had a complete change of staff at the further away one.

My youngest daughter was about 18 months old, the other two years older, it was in the evening & both were sleeping in the bed of our VW van. I'd bought my youngest a new pair of leotards, about $2.00 & had also bought a small pack of disposable panties for her as I'd realized I'd forgotten to restock the van & also because she had been complaining about feeling sick - why we immediately headed home. She'd thrown up within minutes of starting for home, so I cleaned her up of course, opened the panties pack & put a pair of those & the new leotards on her. I'd put the rinsed out clothes in the plastic bag the leotards had been in, nothing hidden, the bag & the packet of panties in full display on the back window shelf VW vans used to have - automatically putting the sales slip from the bag into the visor clip on thingy where we always put sales slips for border crossings so they'd be handy.

Now, I don't know about present rules, but it was always no duty no sales tax if you were bringing back under ten dollars worth of goods, so it never crossed my mind about the leotards & disposable panties, which was all we were bringing back.

So out came this young Can border guard grimly stomping up to the van, shouting loudly as he leaned in my open window (why mine? my husband was driving...) "What are you bringing back?" So loudly & harshly both our daughters immediately woke up terrified, our youngest screaming! I turned to calm them down, as did my husband. Well, that was it! The next fifteen minutes or more were his raging rants about me smuggling (the bag of wet clothes & the disposable panties), how we were all going to be charged, strip searched, child services called in, could we prove these were our children anyway....??? All while we're trying to deal with two terrified little ones & me whispering to my husband to keep his cool, he was grey with anger & I knew he was going to deck this guy any minute! He rarely loses his temper being a big guy, but when he does... Whew!

We were rescued by a charmingly courteous US policeman who had been waiting to get through. He took the almost foaming at the mouth by now young border guard to one side and calmly but firmly talked over the ranting until the border guy shut up and listened. We don't know what he said to him, the girls were still hysterically sobbing, but he stomped furiously back into the small customs building. The wonderful US policeman gave us a calm, beautiful smile, knelt down and comforted our girls - let them ooh & aah over his shiny buttons & shield & stuff, and then told us to not let it upset us and to get in our van & go home. (I made sure I got his name & he got a thank you letter & more letters, photo's & cards from us for years.) As we were leaving I looked back & he was cheerfully waving everyone through the crossing - no-one from the customs office had come out. What a guy!

Thing is, we avoided that crossing for years afterwards. It wasn't just us, others were being treated very badly there too. In fact, two women friends of mine were strip searched & jailed for the night, no reason given, they were terrified of course. Can Customs had to settle with them out of court eventually. But it was years before there was a change for the better at that crossing despite hundreds of complaints, it was notorious - and it was avoided so much they shut it down from 8:00 pm to 8 am every night!

I was a basket case for days, so my husband packed us all up & we came over to our happy place - Victoria! We all felt way better the minute the ferry headed out. :smile:

So don't let a minor bureaucrat who had goodness knows what going on in his personal life, which shouldn't have affected his professional judgement but it did, make you feel so badly and especially don't make any major decisions or changes. Maybe when you're up to it, as many have suggested follow up on it - that book JLM suggested sounds like a really good idea, go talk to or phone the staff at your MP's office - that's what they're there for, to deal with stuff like this.

You were treated very badly, but if he did it to you he may well be doing it others. If so, he's going to do it to the wrong person who knows the right people & he'll be very sorry then.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
If Canadian border guards behaved unprofessionally, I'd complain. There's no need for them to be rude or arrogant when they carry out their duties, which includes controlling who and what enters Canada.

At the same time, you should be polite and respectful of people who guard our borders. There's no need for Joe citizen to give border guards attitude for doing their job, even if you disagree with their decisions.

Also, are you sure you know the law in this area? When it comes to bringing live animals, there are many rules that border guards have to enforce for very good reasons. I would have asked Canadian border services for advice first, before making the attempt.

she allready explained that she has done this before without any problems, had all of the necessary
papers, and is familiar with the rules, taking a pup across the border.

the guy was obviously on a power trip, no necessity for that behavior.

obviusly she had no problems when she crossed the second crossing, things went smoothly, as she
had the proper papers, and was allowed to proceed.

It's hard to be polite and respectfull to people who are treating you like sh*t,
and not treating 'you' with politeness and respect, that uniform they wear doesn't
give them those rights, unless you begin treating them in a way that is threatening,
doesn't sound like this person was doing anything of the kind.
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
24
38
Calgary, AB
I haven't had to deal with the customs officials from many countries, just the UK, the US and ours but I have to say both in personal and professional travels, our guys are more likely to be jerks. The Brits were a breeze, the Americans were generally pretty decent (get the odd one with a chip on their shoulder) but Canadian customs guys are about a 50-50 split in my experience between decent but professional and officious pricks who make mountains out of (sometimes imaginary) molehills.

I've had technicians coming to Canada stopped because they had a couple screwdrivers, a crescent wrench and a multi-meter when they were supervising the installation of thousands of dollars worth of imported equipment. I've had techs hassled coming in (after they'd been warned not bring any tools) for saying they were just overseeing some installs, where the CIS officers asked why a Canadian couldn't do the work... and the guys had letters of introduction and summary of their tasks from the head of engineering at the company I worked for (a major corporation). I was twice given the 3rd degree by someone who wanted me to declare a value for sales information (a textbook style manual the first time and the second it was magazine style publications... which are valueless unless you intend to buy the associated equipment, and then it comes with more in depth user/instruction manuals) by American vendors I visited on business trips to the US lasting a couple weeks where my import exemptions were no where close to being used. This isn't counting the surly and at times downright rude demeanour of other agents. And I've heard many many horror stories from others that strengthen my belief that our people are more likely to be assholes.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
she allready explained that she has done this before without any problems, had all of the necessary
papers, and is familiar with the rules, taking a pup across the border.

the guy was obviously on a power trip, no necessity for that behavior.

obviusly she had no problems when she crossed the second crossing, things went smoothly, as she
had the proper papers, and was allowed to proceed.

It's hard to be polite and respectfull to people who are treating you like sh*t,
and not treating 'you' with politeness and respect, that uniform they wear doesn't
give them those rights, unless you begin treating them in a way that is threatening,
doesn't sound like this person was doing anything of the kind.

I don't think there is a damn thing a person can do to protect him/herself from the occasional jerk.......they work at being an A$$hole:lol::lol:. There IS a lot you can do to make sure the crossing goes smoothly 99% of the time.
1. Read Ron Walker's book "I Declare"
2. Remember that customs officials are very good at "reading" attitude before you even get the vehicle stopped.
3. Answer their questions precisely with a straight face.....................don't not make the mistake of adding anything.
4. Have all receipts & documents ready in your shirt pocket so you are not delaying them.
5. Never lie to an official.
6. Have your vehicle in a neat tidy condition so if they want to do an inspection, it can be done with a cursory glance.
I've almost without exception found them very obliging in both directions U.S. equally as obliging as Canada.
Years ago we were headed for Reno through the Peace Arch crossing, the U.S. customs guy was an older guy in his 60s. He said "where are you headed?". I said "Reno", he said "On your way". Granted that was some years prior to 9/11. :smile:
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
My husband and I were returning from Seattle a few years back. We had our camper full to the roof
with plumbing supplies, for our new house. sink, well material, and many other things, all in cartons
and piled all over the place.
We made sure we had all our receipts/invoices etc. at the ready, and thought they might pull us over
to inspect everything, which was fine, we could understand that.

Well, they did pull us over. We went in and filled out some forms, etc., and talked to the person.

Then we 'all' went back to the truck, and they began rummaging all thru the cab of the truck, in the
glove compartment, the middle container between seats, etc.
They didn't pay any attention at all to 'what' we had in the camper.
This took quite a while, and we began to question them 'as to' just what they were doing, and what
they were looking for, as we had all the paper work needed.

Finally after about 20 minutes of walking around, searching here and there, the one guy looked at
my husband and said "Nice jacket you have there", we looked at each other, and it didn't take long
to figure out that they thought we were trying to smuggle our 'leather' jackets across the border.
We both had fairly expensive fairly new leather jackets on, purchased right here in Courtenay.
We smiled at each other, and my husband said. "That's what this is all about?", " our jackets?".
"Yes", the man said, our superior inside asked us to find out about those jackets.
We both took our jackets off, showed them the label inside, clearly, made in Canada, they looked
ridiculous, as though someone kicked them square in the butts.

"OK, you can go", and that was that. We drove on thru, with mixed feelings of shock and glee
at what fools they made of themselves, and that we could have had a camper full of drugs, etc.,
as they didn't look at anything back there at all, not once.