Travelling abroad with your pet

More and more pets are travelling abroad with their owners under The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). The scheme enables dogs, cats and ferrets to return to the UK after travelling to a number of qualifying countries both within the EU and beyond without the need for quarantine.
From 1 January 2012 all pet dogs (including guide and hearing dogs) can enter or re-enter the UK from any country in the world without quarantine provided they meet the rules of the scheme, which will be different depending on the country or territory the pet is coming from. The changes will mean that the rules on rabies vaccination for entry into the UK will be in line with the rest of Europe.
Animals which do not meet all the rules must be licensed into quarantine. They might then be able to obtain early release if they can be shown to comply with the necessary pet travel requirements.
Dogs travelling to the UK, on or after 1 January 2012, can undergo the necessary pre-entry treatment (e.g microchipping, vaccination and blood testing as required) either before they travel in the country of origin, or if they enter quarantine in the UK, whilst they are in quarantine.
Before you can bring your dog into the UK from the EU and listed non-EU countries, you need to:

• Step 1 – Have your dog microchipped – First your dog must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.
  
  
• Step 2 – Have your dog vaccinated– Your dog must be vaccinated against rabies. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date. You will need to wait 21 days after the first vaccination date before you can enter the UK. A waiting period is not required for subsequent entries into the UK, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date. If the vaccination is in two parts, the 21 day wait will be from the date of the second vaccination.
  
  
• Step 3 – Get pet travel documentation – For animals arriving in the UK from an EU country, get an EU pet passport. From a non-EU listed country or territory you will need to obtain an official third country veterinary certificate (NB Croatia, Gibraltar, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland are also issuing passports).(see http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/documentation/ for more details)
  
  
• Step 4 – Tapeworm treatment – The European Commission and European Parliament have agreed that the UK can continue to require dogs to be treated against tapeworms. This is because of the potential risk of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis being introduced into the UK which would represent a public health concern. The new regulation will ensure that a dog must be treated by a veterinary surgeon 24 to 120 hours (1-5 days) before entering one of the countries listed as EM-free (UK, Ireland, Finland and Malta).

There is no longer a mandatory requirement for tick treatment. (see http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/parasites/ for more details), although the British Veterinary Association recommends very strongly that owners continue to treat their animals both before and during travel to prevent infection with tick-borne diseases such as   and Ehrlichiosis, which can often be life threatening to pets.

• Step 5 – Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route – Your dog must enter the UK from a listed country or territory travelling with an approved transport company on an authorised route.

Preparing your dog for entry into the UK from unlisted non-EU countries:

• Step 1 – Have your dog microchipped – First your dog must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.
  
  
• Step 2 – Have your dog vaccinated –Your dog must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement, even if your dog has a current rabies vaccination. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date.
  
  
• Step 3 – Arrange a blood test – After your dog has been vaccinated, it must be blood tested to make sure the vaccine has given it a satisfactory level of protection against rabies. The blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after vaccination. The length of the waiting period before entry to the UK is three calendar months from the date your vet took the blood sample which led to a satisfactory test result. The three month waiting period will not apply if your dog was vaccinated and blood tested in the EU and issued with an EU pet passport before it went to an unlisted country
  
  
• Step 4 – Get pet travel documentation –You will need to obtain an official third country veterinary certificate.(see http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/documentation/ for more details)
  
  
• Step 5 – Tapeworm treatment – The European Commission and European Parliament have agreed that the UK can continue to require dogs to be treated against tapeworms. This is because of the potential risk of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis being introduced into the UK which would represent a public health concern. The new regulation will ensure that a dog must be treated by a veterinary surgeon 24 to 120 hours (1-5 days) before entering one of the countries listed as EM-free (UK, Ireland, Finland and Malta).

There is no longer a mandatory requirement for tick treatment. (see http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/parasites/ for more details), although the British Veterinary Association recommends very strongly that owners continue to treat their animals both before and during travel to prevent infection with tick-borne diseases such as Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis, which can often be life threatening to pets.

• Step 6 – Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route – Your dog must enter the UK with an approved transport company on an authorised route.

In addition to adhering to these requirements, the UK veterinary profession recommends that owners talk to a vet as early as possible to make sure your dog is protected from all diseases and parasites encountered abroad.

Always consider your dog’s welfare and think about planning your trip to ensure that they have sufficient stops to stretch their legs and relax along the way.  Think carefully about the temperatures that they are exposed to and make sure you have plans in place to keep them well hydrated and cool.  Finally, remember to pack a ‘travel bag’ for your pet including his bedding, food, a water supply and things like his favourite toys.  Your dog should also have plenty of room to turn around and lie down while you’re on route.

For further information on travelling abroad with your dog, contact your vet.