Pet Passports

[Mary P]

Hi Everyone,
We'd like to take Tia with us to France in the summer. We will be camping so will go in the car.
Has anyone had any experience of the scheme, or indeed of travelling on either ferries or train to France with their dog?
I understand that she would have to see a vet before her return - has anyone used a vet in France?
Thanks,                    

[*Jay*]

Hi Mary,

I'm about to get my boys passports done so we can go the states. Mosty of our clients who have the passports done are actually emigrating so unfortunately we don't get any feedback. But one lady took her daschshund to Belgium(I think) and she was very happy with the whole process.

The ministry I think will give you lists of vets in France that you can use.                    

[KellyP]

Hi Mary,

I investigated this when Tris and I got Millie as we wanted to do the same thing.
From what I can remember it goes something like this ... bear with me, this was last year and I have consumed alcohol and slept since then - I may have lost some of the brain cells storing the info!  :wink:

OK - you get the dog checke out by a vet, general health check - if everything is ok dog is given the first injection against rabies and the passport application starts.
You have to go back again (I forget how long, probably 2 weeks like all first time injections) to have the 2nd jab.
Once the 2nd jab is done the dog should be a ok aginast rabies, however, IF you travel within the 1st 6 months of the 2 jab when ou get to where you are staying you MUST have the dog checked over by the local vet, and when you come back into the UK the dog STILL has to be put into quarantine - which seems a tad stupid to me since you have vaccinated your dog against it and have a passport for the dog! but the government is a tad strange at times ...
Anytime after the six months and I believe you still have to have the dog checked by a local vet when you get to your destination and then checked within 48 hours or something by your vet when you get back.

So I would say get the ball rolling if you want to take Tia this year.
Tris and I haven't had Millie done yet, instead we went camping with her to Wales    :wink:                    

[Pammy]

Process pretty much as kelly says excpet it's not just check ups by the vet - it's blood tests to prove immunity - once thats Ok they get the passport - but it's ot valid until 6 months after I think the second jab date, would neet check that one. Some only have one jab and then the blood test, two are recomended to be more sure about securing immunity on the blood test.

Then depending on the country, in some you have to have your dog wormed between something like 48 and 24 hours prior to your departure back to the UK. Miss the timing and you're in quarantine.

It's worth checking exactly what the conditions are for the country you are going to and coming back from, if touring. If you get the slightest bnit wrong - you end up putting your beloved pet into quarantine.

Don;t want that to scae at all, lots of people use the system very well, but simmilarly, some have been caught out

I had thought about taking the boys to France, but the journey is just going to be too too long and it will then be so hot for them, and it will restrict what we can do etc etc, so I think I'm going back to the kennels from two years ago. We can fit that into out plans OK. Expensive but I know they're well looked after there.                    

[Daisydoo]

Mary

I have been trying to remember the link that gave all the correct info on what to do (and in what order) - best I can suggest is to search HM Govt website as I am sure I got it from there - hope that helps                    

[Tori]

Hi

I do most of the passports at work.  You must have microchip 1st then about a week later, each vet differs, you have your rabies vac.  30 days later, mustn't be earlier as the titre level takes this amount of time to reach correct level, you have your blood test.  If this comes back with the correct result, you can go out of the country but not back in the country until 6 mths after the date of blood test.  As it is only France you are going to your vet should have all the necessary paperwork themselves, namely PETS 1, PETS 5 and an EXA25, this will be your passport.  My friend who owns GSD goes to germany to mate her bitchs and show, apparently when you get into france if you tell them when you arrive they will give you a list of vets for the home trip.

DEFRA also do a very good website for information: www.defra.gov.uk then follow the links.
One client who travels regular to the continent for shows put it very aptly the other day " You get given a check list, if you follow this list you CAN NOT go wrong." Never a truer word said me thinks.

Hope this is of some use to you, happy travelling

Torie xxx                    

[spidster]

I'm about to get my boys passports done so we can go the states.

I thought you could only use the passport in EU countries and the sates i thought it was a quarantine?                    

[*Jay*]

I thought you could only use the passport in EU countries and the sates i thought it was a quarantine?

I think it was last year that the USA began participating in the scheme - something i've been waiting for for a long long time :wink: