As you are probably aware, Herself and I travel to Europe every year for a month or two.We always take our two dogs, so they are fully chipped and passported etc, for the journey, and used to be checked out in Dover with a zapper to confirm their chip number, then checked back in again on return.
Over the last couple of years there has been no check out, but they were checked back in by use of the zapper.
On our trip back in the Spring, this proceedure was still in place.
When we returned last week the man on passport control in Dunkirk checked our passports, and glanced at the dog passports, but that was all he did! No zapper, not even a check to see how many dogs we had in the van. Same again in Dover, we didn't even stop for any checks at all.
Now I know that dog restrictions have been eased of late, but surely this lacksadaisical attitude is wrong?
I could have brought half a dozen rabies-carrying mutts in and no-one would be any the wiser.
Was the man just being lazy, or is this now the norm?
Over the last couple of years there has been no check out, but they were checked back in by use of the zapper.
On our trip back in the Spring, this proceedure was still in place.
When we returned last week the man on passport control in Dunkirk checked our passports, and glanced at the dog passports, but that was all he did! No zapper, not even a check to see how many dogs we had in the van. Same again in Dover, we didn't even stop for any checks at all.
Now I know that dog restrictions have been eased of late, but surely this lacksadaisical attitude is wrong?
I could have brought half a dozen rabies-carrying mutts in and no-one would be any the wiser.
Was the man just being lazy, or is this now the norm?