Pet Passports
You can get your pet a 'passport' under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), without having to go through quarantine.
For full details, please refer to the website of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, under Pet Passports Scheme
The first thing you should do is check whether the country you'll be travelling to qualifies under the scheme. Many countries including those in western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Cyprus and Malta are included. The mainland United States is still excluded though, because rabies is commonly found there.
Some countries in the scheme require separate documents, such as an Export Health Certificate, before they will allow your pet to enter their country. You also need to work out how you will be travelling, and contact your carrier to see what their individual requirements are.
And make sure that you do everything well in advance - the PETS certificate takes six to seven months to become valid so you will have to plan well ahead.
Here are the six steps you'll need to go through.
1. Get a microchip
Before any of the other procedures for PETS are carried out, your pet must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.
2. Get vaccinated
Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies at a vet's, who can also check the microchip or fit a microchip if your pet hasn't already got one. Before you go, check your vet is authorised by the Government as part of the PETS scheme - authorised vets are known as Local Veterinary Inspectors (LVIs).
3. Arrange a blood test
After the vaccination, arrange with your vet for your pet to have a blood test to make sure the vaccine has given the animal a satisfactory level of protection against rabies. The best time for a blood test is about 30 days after the last vaccination. If the pet fails the blood test, he will have to be vaccinated again and another blood test taken.
4. Get a PETS certificate
Once steps 1, 2 and 3 have been successfully completed, you can get an official PETS certificate from your vet. The certificate becomes valid six months after the blood test, and will be valid until your pet's rabies vaccination booster is due. The vet can advise you how long the vaccination lasts.
Once your PETS certificate becomes valid, you can take your pet out of the UK and bring him back without the need for quarantine. But there are several things you need to do before making the return journey:
5. Treat your pet against ticks and a tapeworm
A qualified vet must treat the animal against ticks and a tapeworm from 24 to 48 hours before you check in for your journey back to the UK. Both parasites can cause serious, even fatal, disease in humans. The vet must also issue an official certificate to show that this treatment has been carried out. If you're going abroad on a day-trip with your pet, you will have to have this done just before you go, so the treatment has been done 24-48 hours before you come back.
6. Sign a declaration of residency
Before your pet enters the UK, you will have to sign a declaration that he has not been outside any of the PETS qualifying countries in the previous six months.
These guidelines are very basic. For more details contact DEFRA - the Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Pet Travel Scheme
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 201
1a Page Street
London
SW1P 4PQ
Telephone +44 (0)870 241 1710
E-mail [email protected] Fax +44 (0)207 904 6834
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
This article is intended for information only and does not constitute or represent to be a definitive guide on the Pet Travel Scheme.