At QUAFF we are growing increasingly concerned that members who are waiting to travel with their pets may not have understood the time frames for micro-chipping, vaccination and blood-testing that will most likely be necessary for movement on the pilot scheme.

Those who wish to travel immediately must have the animal microchipped with an ISO approved chip, vaccinated, using a de-activated and adjuvanted vaccine (eg Rabisin) which has been approved by European Pharmacopoeia and, blood sera-tested for rabies antibodies by an approved laboratory to confirm immunity to the disease - and here is the difficulty - six months before travel.

This is (scientifically speaking) quite unnecessary for animals coming from rabies-free islands and EU member states and will put paid to most spontaneous travel with pets for the time being. However, once the animal has been successfully blood-tested, it will not be necessary to repeat that test, only to continue to have the vaccinations annually. Intervals between vaccinations from the very first one, should not be greater than 12 months or the blood-test may have to be repeated.

Two problems currently exist with making preparations. The Ministry of Agriculture obstructs the sale of rabies vaccines in this country. Veterinary surgeons have to apply to MAFF's divisional officer for permission to obtain them. MAFF usually refuses permission unless an export licence has been applied for, giving dates and means of travel, etc. It does not seem worth fighting about and QUAFF suggests that in the event of access to vaccines being refused, members swallow their pride and fill in an export licence. Export licences are not required by any other member state for importing pets therefore this absurd exercise is for MAFF's information only. No one can be forced to leave the country just because they have completed an export licence, so if you cannot obtain your vaccine by any other means, this is obviously the way forward.

The second problem is with blood-testing. At present the Ministry is still refusing to say which laboratories will be acceptable. MAFF currently denies that a list of laboratories which is accepted for 'traded dogs and cats' exists, and says in the same breath that the laboratories acceptable for 'traded' dogs and cats may not be the same as those acceptable for pet dogs and cats because the risk is not the same. The Kennedy report confirms that there is no difference in risk.

We publish a list of national laboratories currently able to carry the required rabies antibody blood-tests (currently known to be acceptable to MAFF for 'traded' dogs and cats), and whose professional qualifications and certifications we are, in any event, legally obliged to accept.

MAFF has no noted expertise in blood sera testing for rabies antibodies but is nevertheless currently engaging in a pointless hoop-jumping exercise, having requested that these national laboratories which are run by the national experts in their field, participate in a series of proficiency testing so that they can be accredited by MAFF.

As of June 2 1999, some laboratories were still reporting that MAFF had sent them old samples which had deteriorated to the extent that they were unusable or would produce a result of no value, replacement samples had also been old and in other cases samples were unusable because of bacterial contamination.

If MAFF succeeds in irritating the other national laboratories sufficiently, some of them may withdraw from any sort of participation at all. Therefore, we suggest that in making preparations for blood-testing, members telephone the relevant laboratory to enquire what the present status is, before taking the animal to the vet and having the blood sample drawn.