The United Kingdom has jealousy protected its rabies-free status by enforcing strict quarantine controls for many decades. In 1901 a rabies outbreak killed 173 people in Britain , but once the six month quarantine rule was established this number quickly fell. With the introduction of the new pet passport scheme, travellers are now able to bring their pets with them from most countries in Europe including Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Dogs from abroad are now able to enter such prestigious shows as Crufts, which has become the largest dog show in the world, and those with holiday homes abroad can now also transport their pets across international borders.
Process for obtaining a Pet Passport
The whole process of obtaining pet passports to comply with the Pet Travel Scheme, known as PETS, takes a minimum of seven months, so it is advisable to start the process well ahead of your holiday trip. The rules are strict; complying with all the necessary requirements can be difficult, and obtaining a pet passport is not cheap. However, compared with the inconvenience and cost of quarantine it is by far the most sensible solution. There are approved transport companies and approved routes which must be used for transporting your pet into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme.
Pets must be over 3 months old before the pet passport process can begin. A vet will organize the paperwork and ensure that all the procedures have been complied with. These are the steps which are required for obtaining a Pet Passport.
Each cat or dog needs to be:
- Identified with a microchip injected into the pet between the shoulder blades
- Vaccinated against rabies
- Have a blood test for rabies antibodies
- Be treated for ticks and tapeworm
- Be issued with an official PETS certificate
PETS Certificate
A local vet can carry out most of these procedures and will complete the paperwork, but a government authorized Vetinary Inspector will verify all the steps have been completed, and he will issue the PETS certificate to the owner. He cannot issue the certificate until 6 months has elapsed after the rabies blood test has been successfully taken to ensure that rabies was not present at the time of the vaccination.
The pet needs to have booster injections every year. If the vaccinations lapse then the blood test needs to be repeated before another passport can be issued, meaning a further 6-month wait, so it is essential to keep the vaccinations up to date.
Note that every time a pet is brought back into the UK it must have treatment for ticks and tapeworm. This must be done no less than 24 hours and no more than 48 hours before entering the UK . Delays in travel, port blockades and strikes may mean the animal has to be revaccinated once that window has passed, but the rules are strict and no exceptions can be made.
Additional PETS guidance and advice
We have a wealth of additional information on the PETS scheme and pet passport application process. Take a look at the following informative articles
