Rabies Info Please

[AlanW]

[8-)]

We settled in France last October and hope to journey back to the UK for the first time in a few weeks.  I have checked our dog's UK Passport and all seems to be OK, the rabies jab is valid until Jan 2007.  However the French require a rabies jab every year instead of every 2 years, this means that it's out of date for France but seems to be valid for the UK

We're assuming that all will be well when we reach the Tunnel as the Passport appears to be in order, but we are confused as to what the current, interim, situation is, we will obviously have her 'jabbed' every year in future.

Does anyone know what the situatiuon is while we are 'betwixt and between' and will we encounter any problems at the Tunnel?

Thank You

Alan

[Teamedup]

You should have started re registering your animal in France now via your french vet. There have been some posts about this in the past.

I don't know how they will treat this at the port as your car will be french reg and the animal not.

[andyh4]

Alan,

you don't say, but I assume that you did get the blood tests done.

If not then sorry but pooch says in France - just having the passport is not enough to return to the UK.

I am fairly certain that provided you have the blood test confirmation, you will have no problem returning to the UK.  In theory you could have a problem going back to France since it is there that your vaccination is no longer valid, but by all accounts no one ever seems to check on the UK to France leg of the journey.

 

Take TU's advice and get the dog re-regsitered as soon as possible.

 

 

[Deimos]

To get into UK it’s a 6 month wait after the successful blood test blood sample was taken.

You may risk having problems getting back into France as under the French regime its yearly vaccinations. However, I consider that “by the letter” you would be OK. France has signed-up to the Pet Passport scheme which requires a valid from and valid to date to be entered by the vet. The Pet Passport scheme makes no requirements about rabies vaccinations being valid for only 1 year and the French have no derogation (unlike the British – in the case of the British its for the blood test and tick & tapeworm treatments stuff).

However, this is my interpretation and what I think. I don’t make the rules. Also, I would not fancy arguing the issue with a French customs officer. One think I was told about living in France ages ago (by a French person) is that there are a lot of regulations. Which of these many regulations covers a specific issue is open to interpretation and different officials will have different opinions. Then, once the official has selected which regulation is appropriate, it comes down to how that regulation is interpreted.

Also, in practice when entering France it is unlikely that anybody will look at your pets papaers. Mine have never had their papers looked at.

Ian

[Christine Animal]

"I am fairly certain that provided you have the blood test confirmation, you will have no problem returning to the UK."

Yes, but doesn't this have to be done six months before departure?

Edit : Sorry, Ian has answered this in between, but I can't delete the post.

 

[AlanW]

Thanks for your reply.

 

Yes, we had the blood tests done about 2-3 years ago, and recorded in the Passporty,  and jabs have remained up-to-date since then.  Our only mistake seems to be that we forgot the yearly vaccinations en France, but logic suggests that we should be OK for re-entering the UK, I'm just not sure what the situation is in France.  I sense an early visit to a French vet!!

Thanks again

 

Alan

[AlanW]

[quote user="AlanW"]

Thanks for your reply.

 

Yes, we had the blood tests done about 2-3 years ago, and recorded in the Passporty,  and jabs have remained up-to-date since then.  Our only mistake seems to be that we forgot the yearly vaccinations en France, but logic suggests that we should be OK for re-entering the UK, I'm just not sure what the situation is in France.  I sense an early visit to a French vet!!

Thanks again

 

Alan

[/quote]

 

An anxious visit to the vet has revealed that  the UK Rabies vaccination is valid until its expiry date, and after that it's an annual vaccination.  I hope this helps anyone who's memory is as faulty as ours and thanks to everyone who tried to help.

 

Alan

 

[godwinsj]

Just to say that I have known French vets to be very wrong on occasion. For your peace of mind, might it be better just to check with DEFRA that the rabies jab is still valid?

[Teamedup]

I think that godwinsj is right, check up, but with DEFRA. Friends were hoping to travel to the UK with their animal and their french vet told them a load of rubbish about it all.

It may not only be that your animal will get refused at the port, but you could have to redo the blood test and wait the several months before travelling.  Looks like you should have done all this  three months ago, as french law says every year for animals resident in France and they will see that your car is french registered too at the port. If they let you through then it probably will be more good luck than anything else. They have always been really strict with us and our vet made an error on our form once and we had to go to a vets in Calais to get a new one. At least all our paperwork and vaccinations were a jour.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/residency.htm

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Would this apply to our dog too? He came from Australia and as such this would be probably even cleaner than England with regards rabies. He had his rabies jabs done last September. Haven't got him a passport yet, (haven't seen a need to visit England for the time being anyway), but would they just need to give him a blood test and a passport and away he goes, or is it more complicated than that?

[AlanW]

Hi,  As I understand it, the dog should be chipped first, then have had a blood test 1 month after the rabies jab, and if that was satisfactory a passport issued but the dog could not enter the UK for 6 months after the date of the jab, and then only after treatment for ticks, fleas and worms 24-48 hours before entry to the UK.

It's quite convoluted but works quite smoothly normally after the first 6 months.

Hope this helps,

Alan

[Deimos]

[Lynda&Richard asked]: “but would they just need to give him a blood test and a passport and away he goes, or is it more complicated than that?”

Not complicated but more onerous. The blood test is not a “foregone conclusion” and sometimes dogs have not acquired adequate immunity and need boosters and re-testing (a procedure that delays a successful result and may require further boosters, etc.).

Once a successful level of immunity is shown in the blood test you need to wait 6 months from when the successful blood sample was taken before your pet can enter the UK. If you may need to visit the UK (or return) ever please get the blood test done a.s.a.p. The reason is the number of dogs one sees requiring a new home because the owner unexpectedly has to return to the UK and cannot wait the 6 months. Its heartbreaking for the owner, dog, et al. You see so many posts where the people are “never returning” and also so many posts where “circumstances have changed”. Blood tests are not too expensive in relation to keeping a dog and once done the better. (Also, with yearly vaccinations and the “over vaccination” issues, I personally believe a dog will show a better reaction to rabies vaccine when young that after many years of yearly (and unnecessary) booster vaccinations – but there is divided opinion on that one.

Also, between 24 and 48 hours of check-in for each return to UK your pet needs to be treated for ticks and tapeworm by vet, recorded in passport, etc.

Its not complex but there is no flexibility in interpretation of the rules.

In the future (some time away) the UK may lose it derogation which will force them into using the Pet Passport scheme properly – but that’s some time away (and they are trying to justify keeping it as well).

Ian

[Maddie]

I got caught with precisely the same problem.  Fortunately it was at the time when the old system of pet passports were in place so I still had "valid" UK documents.  My French vet hastily revaccinated the dog concerned, told me to use the UK papers to get back into the Uk but the new French papers he reissued when I came back to France.  Not sure how it stands if you still have the old style passsport as I'm not sure they are any longer accepted.  So in theory a new one one have to be reissued by a French vet and therefore your dog, which has not had it's yearly rabies jabs in France, may no longer qualify.  Best to check with DEFRA, as everyone says.

[Brilec]

I spoke with my UK vet on just this subject recently.

Provided that your UK issued Pet Passport is still valid, you will have no problem entering the UK. Just remember the tick and worm treatment 24/48 hrs before embarkation.

I have never had any pet paperwork looked at on entry to France.

It also doesn't follow that if you are in a French registered car, any pet with you is French, as you could be picking one up from the UK which you left behind. Of course, then the UK pet passport would cover you.

[Teamedup]

Brilec,  they aren't bringing it back, they are taking it out of France.

It is a french animal now as it has been here over the time limit and probably without the proper vaccinations under french law. So as they are trying to get out, animals paperwork, in my experience at least comes under far closer scrutiny. And having a french reg car could probably mean that the there will be questions about the animals residence. We have had lots of questions asked and ours is a french dog with a french car. 

And we have been stopped on the UK side too and all paperwork gone through with a fine toothcomb.

 

[Deimos]

One year I lost the sticker that Brittany Ferries give you for returning to UK and got stopped on the UK side (as I had this obvious dog in the back of a Land Rover). I was asking if I had anything “I should not have” aboard to which I said no and they allowed me to continue un-hindered.

A lot may depend on the carrier. With Brittany Ferries, although they record the registration plate (French) with the info they fax through to the UK, it has never made any difference to checks.

One of mine is British and has been in France for quite few years now and not yet been registered as French. This is actually not for “want of trying” and I used to ask the vets on every visit. I was continually given different reasons why he need not be registered (a bit like the Monty Python “Cheese Shop game”). Eventually they decided he should be re-registered and set about trying to get the appropriate forms and that was the last I heard. That has never caused me problems visiting the UK as he fully complies with the requirements for entry into UK and has yearly rabies booster. I was surprised once on return to France when they actually bothered to scan the dogs chips at the UK ferry port (but I have no idea what they actually looked at in their paperwork)..

Ian

[AlanW]

The man from DEFRA says:-

 

" The UK does not require annual rabies vaccinations. With regards to the Pet Travel Scheme in the UK cats and dogs must be vaccinated for rabies by the 'valid until' date as stated on the rabies vaccine manufacturer's datasheet, this can be in one, two or even three years.

If the rabies booster your dog received is valid for two years as stated by the rabies vaccine manufacturer's datasheet and there are no national laws in the country it is administered which requires pets to be vaccinated annually for rabies then your dog will not require a rabies booster until the two years are up and can enter the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme.

Please note if there is a national law which states pets must be vaccinated annually for rabies then you must comply with this in order for your dog to continue to qualify for the Pet Travel Scheme and re-enter the UK without quarantine."

Still confused!

[Deimos]

I think part of the confusion might lie in the “Entry to UK” or “Entry to France” (i.e. any return). I have tended to find that DEFRA either totally avoid commenting of “Entry to France” regs (or give duff advice) but obviously are definitive when it comes to “Entry to the UK”.

From the original post, although the question was only about getting into the UK I sort or made the assumed (as I think others did) that there would be a return to France afterwards.

Ian

[Teamedup]

Is there confusion? Your dog is now french and will come under french national law which states that these jabs have to be done every year.

Your choice now, if you take the risk and get caught your animal could end up in quarantine. Or you could get through.

Or you could start the process all over again.