Pets Travel Scheme and Pet Passports
Enjoy a nice time abroad on holiday with
the WHOLE family - with no worries of anyone left behind!
Vets2home
offer pet owners with pampered pooches and spoiled felines to sort out all the
practical arrangements around preparing your pet (or pets) to travel freely
from the UK and in/out of the EU and many other participating countries - once
completing the passport procedure. All we need is to see you and your pet at
home on 2-3 different occasions within a month to provide your pet with this
easy life-long travel document!
Important- Your pet will need
to start this program at least 7 months before you intend to travel and return
to the UK - as the first time you travel back to the UK with your pet must be at
least 6 months after the exact date the passing blood test was taken.
To obtain a Pet Passport to enable your
pet to return to the UK after being abroad, he/she will need to be
microchipped, to be vaccinated against Rabies and to have proven to have obtained
the proper protection against this disease, by passing a blood test taken 2
weeks after the 1st (or 2nd) Rabies vaccination which is
tested at the official Laboratory. The result is available 10 days after the
blood sample is taken.
We always recommend having 2 vaccinations
two weeks apart as ~5% of vaccinated pets don't pass the blood test if only
given one immunisation (we discount significantly on the cost of the second
booster injection for this reason).
Once the blood test is passed our veterinary
surgeon - who is especially appointed by DEFRA (Department of Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs) as a
Licensed Veterinary Inspector - will be able to immediately issue a valid
passport for your pet.
The
passport is valid lifelong for your pet
- as long as the Rabies booster vaccinations are kept strictly up-to-date and
given before the expiry date. If you fail to do this the whole lengthy
procedure will have to be started over. The type of vaccine we use has 2-3
years of validity depending on whether it's a cat or a dog being vaccinated, so
there is plenty of time to keep it up-to-date in between travels.
Lastly we recommend that you always check
out the official DEFRA website (use link below) before you travel with your pet
-for the latest specific regulations related to your chosen destination as some
countries differ slightly on which additional requirements to meet and when
(flea/tick/worm treatment required and other relevant treatment).
Checklist
for obtaining a Pet Passport:
-
Microchip
-
Rabies Vaccination; either 1 or 2 injections 2 weeks apart
-
Blood sample 2 weeks after last rabies immunisation
-
Laboratory test for obtained protection level against Rabies
-
Passing blood test after 10 days = Passport issuing
-
6 months wait after blood test date until return to UK on first travel
-
Approved worm & tick treatment before returning to UK
-
Other special requirement by destination country
For more information please check the
official link:
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
DEFRA Helpline: (+44) 0870 241 1710
(Mon-Friday)
Vets2home wish you and your furry one(s)
happy travels!
