Pet travel new rules

Some dogs you just can’t bear to leave behind when you go on holiday and from 1st January 2012 the rules for taking pets abroad and bringing them back into the U.K. will be changing.   Dogs and cats coming in to this country must be micro-chipped, vaccinated against rabies and have waited 21 days after their vaccination before entering the U.K.  They must also have an up to date pet passport.   It means that the rules on entry will come into line with the rest of Europe  but there will no longer be any need for pets to have a blood test and then wait for six months before coming into the U.K.

The new rules are being drawn up by Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the British Veterinary Association will be informing their members who will be able to pass the exact requirements on to pet owners.