The pet passport has been running for some time now and this has allowed the importation of new blood lines to the UK.  It has also allowed us to enter our dogs at European shows as well as simply taking pets on holiday.

There has also been a rise in exhibitors coming to our shows from other countries which makes for healthy competition for all.

Nothing much has changed since the beginning of the Pet Passport apart from more routes taking dogs.  There are now many more airlines and shipping routes taking part in the scheme.

There is a new ferry operator now running from Rosyth to Zeebrugge, the Norfolk Line.  A spokesperson for Norfolk Line informed us of all the details. There are more restrictions than with the previous operator: for example, only five dogs are allowed per trip; dogs are not allowed in the cabins as before; dogs must now go into onboard kennels. These kennels are giant sized Vari Kennels, only one dog can be placed in each kennel.  In some circumstances they will allow two very small dogs to travel together.  Visits to these kennels are only allowed twice on the 20 hour journey and exercise is allowed on the top deck.  We were also informed that the deck has three solid sides and one side with railings.  If using this deck for exercise extreme care should be taken that your dog did not slip its lead (we all know this can happen) as it could fall through the railings on to the deck below which would be fatal.

Some time ago there were articles in the dog press stating that the waiting time after blood tests was being reduced but a spokes-person for DEFRA has confirmed there is no intention of this happening in the near future.

Up to date information including new operators in the pet passport scheme is available from the DEFRA site.  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/TravellingAbroad/BeforeYouTravel/DG_4000019

SHOWING YOUR DOG IN THE UK

Anyone outside the UK who is interested in showing a dog at a UK dog show must first apply to the Kennel Club for an Authority To Compete (ATC) number which must then be stated on the Show entry form - entries from outside the UK cannot be accepted without this.
An application form for an ATC can be downloaded direct from the Kennel Club using this link.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=2757


A Standard EU Passport must be obtained from your Veterinary Surgeon and completed with all details of the dog, i.e. Microchip Number, Rabies details with Blood Test Date, up to date Rabies vaccination and details of flea and tick treatment with date and time given.


Here are some guidelines on timing for taking your dog overseas:

List of dog friendly hotels (PDF)