About Quaff

Our AIMS

QUAFF is a successful and effective membership organisation/pressure group based in the UK, run by volunteers, whose main goal, has been to force the UK government, through legal action and political pressures, to change Britain's cruel and, (until very recently), completely inflexible quarantine requirements for pet dogs, cats and other warm-blooded mammals.

Following successes so far (at least for European pets), our principle activities now revolve mainly around assisting QUAFF members with the complexities of the latest arrangements and most importantly, with helping to ensure that as few animals as possible end up in Britain's quarantine establishments. For the most part, these are not acceptable to caring pet owners and some terrible animal welfare problems have been recorded in some. QUAFF is also pushing for early inclusion of North America into the new PETS Scheme.

Very little practical assistance is available to members of the public from the Ministry of Agriculture, particularly now that the Ministry is undergoing re-structuring. But QUAFF volunteers and members have developed an impressive network of information backed up by six years of experience in dealing with all the departments concerned. We also maintain a dossier of information on the quarantine kennels authorised, supplied by customers who been obliged to use the facilities described, for those who feel they have no alternative but to quarantine their pets.

QUAFF can advise on (and provide) microchips, scanners, and in most cases the necessary documents for importing pets into the United Kingdom, throughout the six month period it takes to get the necessary certifications.

QUAFF simply requests that those in need of help or advice support the organisation by becoming a member (annual membership £35), and in return provides all necessary assistance as well as keeping members updated with on-going changes in the rules, with between four and six newsletters annually.

QUAFF - HISTORY OF MODIFIED AIMS

After taking international legal advice in 1995, QUAFF successfully sought leave for a Judicial Review on a ministerial refusal to allow a certifiably rabies-free pet from a rabies-free country to enter Britain without going through six months quarantine. QUAFF'S legal advice was that Britain was in breach of European Law in the way the rabies policy was being implemented, because the Ministry's refusal to accept that positive identification, vaccination and a bloodtest confirming that the vaccination had provided immunity to rabies was without scientific foundation and the refusal to implement a more humane method of rabies control related more to the Ministry's own convenience, internal politics and keeping the lucrative quarantine kennel business going. There was a ridiculous conflict of interest within the Ministry.

Very sensibly, in the middle of the legal proceedings the Government decided to change the quarantine laws, having first put everyone to enormous trouble and expense by mounting a vociferous, inflexible and ridiculous defence to the legal challenge!

We achieved success for animals travelling to Britain from Europe, although the restrictions are still obstructive, cumbersome and unnecessarily stringent, they can be made to work, and they are certainly a better option than any animal spending six months locked up in a miserable, unhygienic cage. However, the process takes six full months, if the necessarily certifications have not been put in place previously, even from Europe and the rabies-free islands.

To a certain extent the new rules can also be made to work for non-European animals coming from non-approved countries if they come to Europe first, but the process is time-consuming and complicated. (But QUAFF helps its members to organise this process - with foster homes if necessary). This situation exists mainly because our legal challenge had to be based on the breach of European Law that existed.

There are other possible/probable breaches of international law which could form the basis of another legal challenge (such as the Veterinary Equivalency Agreements between the EU and United States and the EU and Canada), but further legal action is not envisioned at present, whilst the Government is actively considering proposals to include North America in the present scheme. If progress is not forthcoming soon, we may have to reconsider our position on this.

How We're Organized

Quaff is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers and overseen by chartered accountants Sheen Stickland. Finance is provided by annual membership fees and members fundraising, with a separate ring-fenced account for the legal action and costs.Membership fees go towards the costs of part-time secretarial assistance,compiling and distributing a members newsletter,and maintaining a phone helpline. No officers of Quaff receive any remuneration from Quaff funds.

Contact Information

Helpline : +44 (0)1243 264173

FAX : +44 (0)1243 267599

Postal address

Quarantine Abolition Fighting Fund
P.O.Box 151
Chichester,West Sussex,PO20 6BB,UK

Electronic mail

Membership Application Form: Available here

If you're interested in receiving a membership
information pack, please include your mailing
address in any email communication.