Pet-owners should find travelling abroad with their furry friends a little easier this year, and cheaper too, thanks to a relaxation in the rules for pet travel rules, courtesy of DEFRA.
The government is relaxing restrictions on travelling with pets to bring the UK into line with other European Union (EU) countries, meaning people can take their dogs, cats and ferrets to other EU countries and certain non-EU countries and territories, and return with them to the UK without needing a blood test before travelling.
Changes to the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) will also reduce the length of time after vaccination that a dog may enter or return to the UK from six months to 21 days. Pets no longer need to be treated for ticks.
Tapeworm rules, which will only apply to pet dogs, require animals to be treated against tapeworm between one and five days before their scheduled arrival time in the UK, compared to 24 – 48 hours previously.
So under the new rules, dogs, cats and pet ferrets entering the UK from an EU or listed third country from January 1, 2012 must:
• be microchipped;
• be vaccinated against rabies;
• have waited 21 days after vaccination before entering
• have an EU Pet Passport
See the DEFRA website for full details of the Pet Travel Scheme.
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