Important Pet Travel Scheme Update

[Lovo]

Hello All.
We regularly visit France for the summer holidays and as well as the gang of children we also bring our dog, Lucy.

We are planning next years trip and I have just received this update from Eruotunnel. Quite interesting and anyone who take their beloved pooch to the continent needs to see how things unfold over the next few months!

Tony

Euro Tunnel

As a customer who has previously travelled on Eurotunnel with your pet, we wanted to make you aware of DEFRA’s update on the Pet Travel Scheme if there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

DEFRA have today announced their recommendation that pet owners planning to travel immediately after 29th March 2019 contact their vet at least four months in advance of travel to check what they need to do.

For example, if you are travelling on 30th March 2019 the recommendation is that you visit your vet as soon as possible, and before the end of November 2018 at the latest.

DEFRA have advised that you will still be able to travel with your pet to Europe after Britain leaves the EU, however you may need to take some additional steps to allow your pet/s to travel in a ‘no deal’ scenario.

Stay up to date with the latest advice by visiting www.gov.uk and searching "pet travel". Updates will also be available at eurotunnel.com.

 

[otherclive]

Hello All.
We regularly visit France for the summer holidays and as well as the gang of children we also bring our dog, Lucy.

We are planning next years trip and I have just received this update from Eruotunnel. Quite interesting and anyone who take their beloved pooch to the continent needs to see how things unfold over the next few months!

Tony

Euro Tunnel

As a customer who has previously travelled on Eurotunnel with your pet, we wanted to make you aware of DEFRA’s update on the Pet Travel Scheme if there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

DEFRA have today announced their recommendation that pet owners planning to travel immediately after 29th March 2019 contact their vet at least four months in advance of travel to check what they need to do.

For example, if you are travelling on 30th March 2019 the recommendation is that you visit your vet as soon as possible, and before the end of November 2018 at the latest.

DEFRA have advised that you will still be able to travel with your pet to Europe after Britain leaves the EU, however you may need to take some additional steps to allow your pet/s to travel in a ‘no deal’ scenario.

Stay up to date with the latest advice by visiting www.gov.uk and searching "pet travel". Updates will also be available at eurotunnel.com.

That actually says "b****r all". Its typical buck passing as I doubt the vets know what will be required. Since it was UK that was instrumental in pushing for a Pet Passport scheme and UK is rabies-free and doesn't have the nasty worms either. I thought it was magical when Mrs Merkel announced last year that new more stringent requirements would be introduced to allow UK pets to enter Europe. Why is the obvious question? At present you don't need 3-4 months notice and see vet before travelling with a Passported pet. I doubt that the diseases have evolved that much since the Brexit vote condemned us to Third Country Status.

PS The Gov website is more useful than Eurotunnel. Only real change for UK pets with existing passports and who have had blood tests confirming antibodies is that they will now need a Certificate of Health prior to leaving UK. If they have not had anti body results then there will be a delay before they can enter Europe once anti body results have been confirmed. Luckily our two dogs had passports issued when antibody tests were mandatory.

 

[Hutch]

OC, One of my Dogs is 10 years old and his passport had the blood test marked in it but as his passport was full he now has a new one, so now I will have to carry both his old and new one.
And have to get the younger dog blood tested, " Just in case", what a faff about. Another hit to the Holiday wallet.

 

[otherclive]

OC, One of my Dogs is 10 years old and his passport had the blood test marked in it but as his passport was full he now has a new one, so now I will have to carry both his old and new one.
And have to get the younger dog blood tested, " Just in case", what a faff about. Another hit to the Holiday wallet.

Mine have the anti body results in their passports too. But don't forget you may need to obtain Certificates of Health if things go to rats/pot

 

[GSP666]

All we can do is wait and see. I’m involved in Sleddog Sports so regularly travel back and forth across the Channel and Baltic with the dogs. As we also enter non PTS countries, we maintain the rabies vaccinations annually (a necessity for Russia and Belarus) and ensure that all dogs are tiger tested.
Personally I feel changes to make pet travel more difficult via more checks and health certificates can only be a good thing as it will help eliminate puppy farmers and illegal entries.
At the end of the day, non of the current or potential new regulations are as restrictive as the old quarantine scheme so I got one will not be complaining and the cost of tiger tests (providing the ongoing vaccine schedule is adhered to) is a one off fee that gives added assurance that my dogs are definitely protected by the vaccine.
As for obtaining health or fitness to travel certificates, again these are just a formality providing the pet is healthy and if it’s not, then it should not necessarily be travelling.

 

[Hutch]

GSP, I think you mean Titer test , not Tiger, finger slip.
Fully agree, only twice in France did my dogs have a full health check but Three times in Switzerland, but had to show them where to stamp the Dogs Passports.

 

[otherclive]

I am not that sure if changes to regulations will defeat the overseas illegal puppy trade as by definition they are smuggled into UK.

We had relative come over from Belgium and her dog didn't have the flea/tick and worm treatments required at that time. Although the Belgian vet was happy to stamp the Pet Passport prior to travel to UK without seeing the dog.

 

[Lovo]

Fully agree Clive, let's not forget the massive issue here with intensive puppy breading in the UK. We are a family that has always had pedigree spaniels and whippets and as part of our family we want to take the dogs away with us. Our last cocker died last year, on my birthday at the grand old age of 14. We swore no more dogs, two months later we ended up with Lucy, a spaniel, whippet cross. Took us nine hours round trip to get her but she may sound a crazy mix but she's supper. As a precaution we are booked in with our vets to sort out blood work ready for our next french adventure!!!

 

[Hutch]

Fully agree Clive, let's not forget the massive issue here with intensive puppy breading in the UK. We are a family that has always had pedigree spaniels and whippets and as part of our family we want to take the dogs away with us. Our last cocker died last year, on my birthday at the grand old age of 14. We swore no more dogs, two months later we ended up with Lucy, a spaniel, whippet cross. Took us nine hours round trip to get her but she may sound a crazy mix but she's supper. As a precaution we are booked in with our vets to sort out blood work ready for our next french adventure!!!

Lovo, hope she is super, not supper, Yes get her sorted out, we never go anywhere with out our two dogs.

 

[otherclive]

Fully agree Clive, let's not forget the massive issue here with intensive puppy breading in the UK. We are a family that has always had pedigree spaniels and whippets and as part of our family we want to take the dogs away with us. Our last cocker died last year, on my birthday at the grand old age of 14. We swore no more dogs, two months later we ended up with Lucy, a spaniel, whippet cross. Took us nine hours round trip to get her but she may sound a crazy mix but she's supper. As a precaution we are booked in with our vets to sort out blood work ready for our next french adventure!!!

I carry out rehoming checks for Many Tears Rescue (advert) and you’d be surprised at the number of dogs that still arrive from puppy farms. When the pressure came the Welsh farms they moved to Ireland.

One of my springers was free to a good home on a internet advert I saw one Saturday evening. I collected her from Coventry by 1000 h the next day.

I think your new dog has struck gold.