NORTH AMERICA – UPDATE - AUGUST 2005

 

This prιcis includes all changes to the UK Pet Travel and the EU Pet Travel Schemes to date.

 

To travel, quarantine free, from North America to the UK pets must have been treated in accordance with the following protocol:

 

The procedure, which MUST be carried out in this order, is as follows:

 

1.        Arrange for your animal to be microchipped (the chip should comply with ISO 11784 or Annex A to ISO 11785). (QUAFF can supply chips to members)  HOME AGAIN chips, available in US, are acceptable. Many vets in the US provide AVID encrypted chips – see following note.

2.        THEN  - Have your animal vaccinated/re-vaccinated against rabies, using an inactivated, adjuvanted vaccine approved by the authorities of the exporting country (i.e.  USA or Canada). Ensure the chip number is written on the vaccination certificate.

3.        THEN – Allow at least ten days (**) for the titre level to rise and then tell your vet to draw & send a blood sample to one of the authorised blood testing laboratories to test for rabies antibodies, confirming the animal's immunity to rabies .  KSU lab in the States is now authorised. (He/she will take the sample, and post it, having obtained submission forms from the chosen laboratory - or from QUAFF). 

 

IT IS MANDATORY THAT YOU THEN ALLOW SIX MONTHS TO ELAPSE BETWEEN THE DATE THE SAMPLE IS DRAWN AND YOUR INTENDED DATE OF TRAVEL TO THE UK.  NOTE THAT THE MICROCHIP NUMBER MUST BE PLACED ON BOTH THE VACCINATION CERTIFICATE AND THE BLOOD SAMPLE (and thus the blood test result)

 

4.        Obtain an official EU Veterinary Certificate *. This can be obtained at any time during  the last four months of the pets stay in NA and after receipt of the blood test result. See note below. QUAFF can supply.

5.        Get the animal treated for parasites  between 24 and 48 hours prior to arrival at the checking in point of the carrier and have the vet complete the EU Veterinary Certificate above.

6.        Maintain your rabies injections, according to manufacturer's recommendations (see expiry date on extant certificate).

 

There is no need for additional blood tests, providing you ensure that vaccinations are kept up to date. Microchip numbers and other details must be entered on all subsequent certificates.

 

 

**   The UK Scheme does not specify a particular pause between vaccination and blood sampling (10 days is the minimum to assure a positive antibody level). However, the  European Union Pet Travel Scheme insists that there is a delay of 30 days. Therefore, if you are likely to want to travel to continental Europe at any stage, you should wait 30 days from the date of vaccination before drawing a blood sample.

 

Air travel from NA must be by an approved air carrier on an approved route. On these direct routes into UK the pet must travel in the hold and as cargo.  Most of these presently terminate in Heathrow and Gatwick, plus two routes into Manchester (New York and Sanford). There is no longer a requirement for your pet to be sealed in its container.  The cost of using these approved lines is very considerable. If this a factor, you are allowed to travel by air to Europe (e.g.  France – a much cheaper option on Air France – who accept pets as excess baggage) and thence by an approved ferry or Eurotunnel across the channel.  N.B. EUROSTAR will not carry pets.

Cunard QM2 is also an approved route now.

 

Microchips.

Many vets in NA supply AVID chips. These are not of the recommended standard and very few authorities or vets in Europe can read them. They MAY be used as long as they can be read at the appropriate time. The Eurotunnel, Gatwick and Heathrow airports  and Ferries in Calais can read them but we believe it is introducing an element of risk (unless you have purchased your own reader) and recommend that you obtain the recommended ISO chips. Conversely, make sure your vet in NA can read the ISO chip if that is what you use.  QUAFF can probably supply the reader if you need help.

 

Essential paperwork.

Either of the following is acceptable to the UK on arrival:

1.     The EU Veterinary Certificate referred to above – with sections I through VII completed.

2.     An EU Pet Passport – which you would have to have obtained in UK/Europe before travelling to NA. The last minute tick and worm treatment would have to be entered in this document. You MAY find that US authorities insist on other pieces of paper, but they are NOT needed for entry to UK.

 

To travel from NA to EU countries other than UK, Ireland, Malta and Sweden. The restrictions for entering EU countries is much less severe. You need to microchip and vaccinate but do not need a blood test. You MUST have a completed EU Veterinary Certificate -  sections I  through IV and need wait only 3 months from the date of blood sampling. There are no restrictions on routes/airlines. 

 

Sources of info:

 

EU Veterinary Certificate (See para DOCUMENTS):

 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/nocomm_third_en.htm

 

Approved Routes NA – UK:

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/procedures/support-info/routes.htm

 

USDA AREA OFFICES:

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/pdf/vsavic.pdf

 

From Canada to Europe:

 

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/export/petcom/euroinfoe.shtml

 

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/export/petcom/ec_ce_uk_infoe.shtml

 

 

If you have to travel into UK on a route that is NOT approved, as long as you have all the correct documentation,  you are allowed to make use of the Early Release Procedure. For this you have to arrange, at last 2 weeks in advance for your pet to be picked up on arrival by a Quarantine Kennel in UK, held for about 36 hours while papers are checked and then released. QUAFF can advise.

 

 

 

 

 

NORTH AMERICA

 

AN UPDATE -- MAY 2004

 

In April, The Ministry (DEFRA) announced changes to the regulations for carriage of pets from Long Haul countries such as USA. These changes removed the requirement for seals on the containers of dogs and cats. They also removed the requirement for pets to be flown DIRECT to UK. They may now travel via any country APPROVED under the terms of the Pet Travel Scheme, e.g. France.  The fact remains that when flown into UK from any country, they have to be flown as CARGO. This is the most expensive way to fly anything (in the order of £600 for a medium sized dog from the US). On the other hand pets can be flown as excess baggage to France (and other European countries)  at about a tenth of that price. They could then travel from Paris and cross into UK by tunnel or ferry the same day.  Owners who seek to minimise the costs of taking their pets to UK may wish to consider this alternative.

If they planned to do this, they would need, in addition to their correct vaccination certificates and blood test result (done at least six months prior to travel), a completed EU approved Veterinary Health Certificate (blank copies available from QUAFF and on Member's page) to qualify for entry into the European Community.  They should have their pet treated for parasites just before departure and obtain the official USDA certificate for treatment and then they would have to arrive at the ferry/tunnel within 24 and 48 hours of the time of parasite treatment. On arrival in Calais they would then visit a vet (QUAFF can point) and obtain an official EU Pet Passport, which permits entry to UK. (See also EU Pet Travel Scheme page on this website).

See this page for the US documentation:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/exp-pets.html

 

10th February 2003: NOTE FROM CANADA: A word of caution to anyone in the Toronto area. Make sure your vet sends the blood samples direct to Kansas State rather than through a 3rd party lab in Toronto. Our vet used such a lab to forward our samples to KSU and they charged $85 US for the test rather than the fee of $35 which is KSU's actual fee if you go direct. The required papers can be found on the KSU website.

26th January 2003: See the letter below for comprehensive guide to travel to UK with attendant problems.  

Casey stayed state-side with a friend who had him microchipped then vaccinated with the approved vaccine and chip (I used the Home-Again chip) on the 3rd of July.  He then had his blood drawn on the 23rd of July and sent to KSU for the FAVN test.  It's important to stress the FAVN test as I found out later that my vet had accidentally requested the wrong test but caught his error and resubmitted the paperwork on the 25th, the sample was tested using the FAVN test so the date of the 23rd counted, but that could have been a terrible problem.  Then Casey sat around for 6 months, spending his last 30 days in a kennel in Texas.

After 23-July I had:  Microchipped, Vaccinated, FAVN Blood Tested.  That vet eventually prepared his pet passport (filled out wrong, but didn't matter because Casey had to enter quarantine anyway), his international flight certificate, rabies vaccination record (have your vet write and certify the chip number on here if it's not pre-printed).  The pet passport was invalid because the vet wrote 23-July-02 as the start date, rather than 23-January-03 even though I pointed out the paperwork said it would be valid from 6 months from the FAVN draw the resulted in a positive test.  However, because Casey travelled on a none-approved route (there were not yet available) then he had to enter quarantine and this was a none-factor.  I also found out, at the departure area, that the pet passport requires the USDA stamp, but the International flight certificate does not.  I got both stamped to be sure.

Friends in Texas got him ready for his flight with his pre-flight medical (the standard one for Domestic USA flights, required within 10 days of travel)  My vet previously had stated that Casey was fit to fly in colder weather on the International travel form.

The IATA large kennel I bought from Petsmart that claimed to meet all IATA requirements almost stopped Casey flying.  There were no vents on the rear side of the kennel.  Fortunately the friend dropping Casey off had a drill with a 1/2" hole drill bit and bored about a dozen holes on the kennel.  My friend also had a USDA Vet friend of his meet him at BA and he put the USDA seals on the kennel prior to departure.  I found out that the seal numbers had to be recorded on his documentation.  This was not made clear by BA, but the Vet insisted and it turns out that was essential also.  Casey's kennel also had a standard airline approved absorbent liner, but I then added a 2" pad because of the long time he'd be in the kennel.  Food and water trays available from the front for filling are also required by the airlines. 

I then had my friends put stickers all over the kennel, with the live animals (up) stickers on all sides, the RED DEFRA quarantine sticker on top (with airway bill number noted at the departure area).  I printed contact info (USA and UK) as well as quarantine kennel info on a large avery sticky label and stuck that to his kennel.  Then I taped a large letter sized plastic (weatherproof) envelope on top of his kennel to hold all the documents required by the quarantine kennel.

I was able to track Casey's Airway Bill Number on BA's cargo web site.

Casey arrived at Gatwick, was picked up by AirPets Oceanic on 23-January and transferred to their quarantine kennel.  He arrived too late (though his flight landed at 8:10am) to see their vet that day.  However, he saw the vet on the 24th of January, had the required worm treatment and was released on the 25th of January.  It turns out I could have flown Casey here on the 21st and had him out on the 23rd, but I couldn't get a clear response to that question prior to flying Casey here.

The information provided by QUAFF gave me 100% of the information I needed to get Casey here with a minimal stay in quarantine.  My parents brought a dog back to the UK 5 years ago that had to spend 6 months in quarantine.  My mum visited 3 times a week and it was a horrible experience for both her and the dog.  Casey's trip, though exhausting in effort, was much kinder, and now that the law has passed, anyone knowing they're going to move can have the dog ready by the time they travel.  I understand Airpets Oceanic also transports dogs that qualify under the PETS scheme on approved routes so they can enter their normal kennels rather than the quarantine ones.  This, I believe, mostly saves costs and also allows someone travelling to have their dog taken care of while they manage to move themselves.  I dealt with about 5 different people at AirPets and was very pleased with the service.  Their kennels were clean and in good order.  I would certainly use them again in the future.

Things I learned:
* Be careful of the friends you entrust your animal with if you have to leave them behind.  The reason Casey spent his last month in a standard kennel was that my "friend" had been neglecting him.  He hadn't been for a walk in 5 months.  The kennel in Texas took him for extra play-time every day, he lost a fair amount of weight and regained strength in his back legs.  But he is still a long way from being the fit and trim dog that I'd entrusted with my friend.
* Have the chip scanned, rescanned, and rescanned.  I've heard of the chip not implanting properly or even of the documents with the chip being a different number than the chip itself.  Check it with a scanner and have it rescanned next time you visit the vet, just to make sure it's still there.  Every thing you do with the dog, have the chip number noted.  I didn't have any problems but there were plenty of times I received required documents from the vet and had to ask them to write the chip number on the document.  This is what DEFRA uses to link that document with your pet.
* Make sure you use an ISO chip.  I kept hearing, "If it's an American chip you need to bring your own scanner" which is expensive.  The Home-Again chip is ISO approved and can be read by European scanners.  There are others, but contact the manufacturer and make sure. BY QUAFF: AVID Encrypted chips are commonly used in NA. These require dedicated readers (which are held at Heathrow and Gatwick)
* Now that he's here I assume I have to register his chip with the RSPCA so a vet can find it in the database should Casey ever be lost and without his collar. BY QUAFF: It is not obligatory, just sensible. See www.identichip.co.uk
* Your pet can be released from quarantine on the 6 month date from his blood draw.  In other words, the request can be made early for release on that date.  I thought he had to already qualify for the request to be made.  This delayed his arrival home by 2 days.
* If anything goes wrong with documents, other than the very date sensitive things like the chip, the vaccine, or the blood draw, then your pet will enter into quarantine until the documents can be sorted out.  Casey came in with an invalid pet passport (dates written wrong by the vet) and on a none-approved route (there were none).  He was out of quarantine in less than 48 hours. BY QUAFF: In the absence of an approved airline, you HAVE to use the Early Release procedure. Under this procedure you do not need the US/CAN Travel Certificate nor do you need to carry out the Parasite Treatment before arriving in UK. It is done in kennel.
* He's very content to be home, but obviously exhausted.  He's gone through a lot the last week, he's being spoiled rotten, but he panics every time I walk out the front door.  Plan on spending plenty of time when your pet finally makes it home.  He's also very attracted to the two pieces of furniture he recognises, my bed, and the futon in my home office.  He knows he's home. BY QUAFF: Welcome home Casey !!

 

 

26th January 2003: KSU Laboratory offer at least two types of blood test.  It is ESSENTIAL that you ask for the FAVN test. Only this test is acceptable for the UK PETS Scheme.

 

14th January 2003: The Canadian Travel and Parasite Certificates have been produced. The Travel Certificate must be obtained from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency office while the Parasite Certificate and regulations are promulgated at:  http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/export/uk-rue.shtml

 

 

8th January 2003 : We are now informed that the certificates have been modified to conform to DEFRA requirements.

 

 

5th January 2003:  WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY DEFRA THAT THE CERTIFICATES MENTIONED BELOW ARE NOT YET APPROVED!

 

PET TRAVEL SCHEME CERTIFICATES - 3 JAN 2003

 

Both the required certificates are now available. Regrettably no airline has yet been approved. In the meantime, you will have to use the Early Release scheme.

Pets using Early Release procedure may be either treated against parasites (ticks and worms) while in the kennel and at least 24 hours before release OR by you within 24 and 48 hours of embarking on flight to UK. Your choice, although we recommend the former method.)  They must also have been vaccinated against:

Hepatitis, Distemper, Leptospirosis and Parvovirus and also treated against Kennel cough.  Cats must be vaccinated against Feline enteritis and Cat Flu. These are conditions for entry to the kennel and not of the PETS Scheme.

While you can download the Parasite Certificate from the USDA website, the Travel Certificate is only available to vets from their local USDA, APHIS, VS office.

 

For the USDA office address list see here.

 

( http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/iregs/animals/vsavic.pdf )

 

For the USDA outline procedure see here.

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/iregs/animals/UK%20pets%20scheme%20outline.pdf

 

For the USDA procedure flowchart see here.

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/iregs/animals/UK%20PET%20SCHEME%20flow%20chart.pdf

 

For the US Parasite Treatment Certificate see here.

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/iregs/animals/UK%20Pet%20SchemeTicksTapeworms_.pdf

 

 

21 November 2002  

 

 USA and CANADA

are to be included in the PETS Scheme from 11 December 2002.

All the required information is available at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm and then hit USA and Canada.

 

                                                                      

1 October 2002:    TAKING PETS TO FRANCE FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN EU MEMBER STATES

 

While it is expected that the European Union will introduce their Pet Travel Scheme in the autumn of 2003 , France has somewhat unexpectedly jumped the gun and introduced very similar legislation effective from 2 November 2002. This requires that cats and dogs (all carnivorous domestic animals) be treated as follows:

a. Those from IOE designated rabies-free countries must be identified by tattoo or microchip and vaccinated against rabies. It must have resided in a rabies-free country for 6 months prior to entry, and it must have been vaccinated against:

          Dogs – canine distemper, canine parvovirus, canine leptospirosis, and infectious canine hepatitis.

          Cats – infectious feline leucopenia.

b. Those from countries not rabies-free as designated by IOE must additionally be blood tested by an official laboratory no less than 30 days from the vaccination and 3 months before travelling to France.

An official French language 'Certificate Sanitaire' must be completed by your vet.

 

Members can find this 'Certificate Sanitaire' on the Member's page.

 

The Legislation may be seen at:

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=AGRG0201612A

Latest press release (1st July 2002).

 

DEFRA questions and answers on NA.

 

PREPARING FOR THE UK PET TRAVEL SCHEME (Jul 2002)