Pet travel — the times they are a changing

02 February 2021
Opinion
3 mins read
02 February 2021
Volume 12 · Issue 1

Abstract

One of the largely overlooked aspects of Brexit was the changes to the pet travel rules. Ian Wright outlines what these changes mean for veterinary professionals and pet owners wishing to take their dog, cat or ferret abroad.

2020 has seen many changes to our lives with COVID's arrival and Brexit finally becoming a reality. One of the largely overlooked aspects of Brexit was change to pet travel rules, with final arrangements only being announced weeks before the transition period was due to expire. The UK has been given Part 2 Listed status which means that pet passports are no longer valid for travel to EU countries. It does however, mean that rabies blood tests are also not required. Current requirements for dogs, cats and ferrets travelling within EU and listed non-EU countries are:

  • The pet must be microchipped
  • Vaccination against rabies at least 21 days before travel. There is a minimum age of 12 weeks for rabies vaccination
  • An Animal health certificate (AHC)
  • Travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route
  • Dogs entering any parts of the UK, Ireland, Finland, Norway or Malta must be treated for tapeworms by a veternary surgeon with a product containing praziquantel (or equivalent) not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (between 1 and 5 days) before arrival. This now includes pets travelling to Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK.

    • AHCs are issued in English and the language of the country in which they will first enter the EU. Travel must take place within 10 days of issue. In a similar way to the pet passport, the AHC must contain details of rabies vaccination, microchipping and if required, tapeworm treatment. Unlike a pet passport, however, a new AHC is required every time a pet travels to the EU and is valid for 4 months for onward travel in the EU or to return to the UK. AHCs will also now be required for travel from Britain to Northern Ireland, creating a potential pet travel barrier between these parts of the UK for the first time. Each AHC requires a unique identification code and these need to be ordered in advance. This is simple to do via the GOV.UK website and it is important that veterinary practices are prepared for a sudden rise in pet owners wanting to travel once COVID restrictions are relaxed.

    These changes represent the greatest seen to UK pet travel since rules were relaxed in 2012 and arguably since the pet travel scheme's inception. For official veterinarians (OVs), they will inevitably mean more paper work as an AHC will need to be filled in every time a pet travels. This will increase costs and create inconvenience for people planning to take their pets abroad, which in turn may impact on the numbers of people travelling and upset clients who have grown used to taking their pets with them. Some pet owners have holiday homes or relatives abroad and have been able to take pets abroad for long periods with ease. These changes will come as a blow, which is likely to reverberate through veterinary practices.

    As well as disruption, however, these changes represent an opportunity. Great Britain's rules for pets travelling to the UK or being permanently imported are no longer tied to the pet travel scheme. Rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment are vital to prevent the entry of rabies and Echinococcus multilocularis into the country. There are numerous other exotic parasites entering the UK, however, as pet travel, puppy importation and the rescue of domestic animals from abroad continues to increase. These include tick-borne pathogens, Leishmania infantum, Dirofilaria repens (skin worm), Thelazia callipaeda (eye worm), and Brucella spp. There are currently no other rules in place to reduce the risk from these pathogens and there is now the potential to introduce them. Possible changes could include:

  • Increasing the minimum age of entry into the country for puppies and kittens to 6 months — this would potentially have a major impact on illegal puppy and kitten importation as demand is skewed towards younger animals. It would also make it easier for veterinary surgeons to detect if pets are too young for legal importation
  • Reintroduction of the compulsory tick treatment — although no tick treatment is 100% effective, a compulsory treatment would reduce numbers of ticks on imported pets and highlight the need for tick prevention to pet owners
  • Reduction of the 5 day tapeworm treatment window — allowing up to 5 days to travel after the tapeworm treatment allows a window of opportunity for reinfection with E. multilocularis to occur.
  • Compulsory testing for parasites — this could include testing for heartworm, Leishmania, Brucella and tick-borne pathogens.

    • ESCCAP UK & Ireland supports the BVA, Dogs Trust and other veterinary organisations in calling for tightening of rules for pets entering the UK. Any changes, however, will come at a price. They will create further inconvenience and expense for clients taking their pets abroad and education is key to helping them to understand why they are necessary. They will also likely scupper any chance there might be of the UK adopting a Norway style pet passport type arrangement and AHCs being a thing of the past.

    There will always be a trade off between ease of pet movement and biosecurity. This is a pivotal moment for us to decide as a profession and a nation which we want to prioritise.