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Pet Passports


Teamedup
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As we are planning on moving our 2 cats when we finally complete on our sale (hopefully at the end of October) I have had them microchipped, rabies injections etc and have been issued with blue pet passports ~ there is even a space for a photo (optional). My vets seemed quite willing to contact Defra for the latest information on my behalf. As we are moving permanantly we did not bother with blood tests as we do not expect to have to import them back into U.K.

Hope they work when we get to customs!

gmg

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I wasn't aware of any new type passports, sounds like a better idea than the bits of paper you get now. However I did bring my dog to France earlier this year via the Chunnel. She'd had the jabs, blood test, and certificate. Surprisingly though no one looked at any of the paperwork or the dog. They certainly knew the dog was with us because it barked at the Brit and French customs people. I got the impression that this lack of interest was normal, though I'm certain the real interest is when (or if) you take the dog back.We were handed details of where to take the dog for inspection on a return trip via the Chunnel, but there was no requirement for inspection going out. Perhaps someone knows of the minimum legal requirement for taking a dog out of the country?
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My local vets (in Sarthe) are pretty well "on-the-case" as far as to/from UK regulations are concerned. when I visited last Christmas they immediately knew what to do and also told me to return in June for the New Documentation. When they are unsure they phone the Departmental Vetinary Service. So far they have been unable to get any of the new paperwork. I have a new dog who has now gione through all the regulations but I cannot get the paperwork.

Also, I read one thing somewhere that Eurotunnel were telling people who used the "old paperwork" that it would soon be no-good. Whilst (in the same thread) DEFRA had commented that Eurotunnel were wrong, at the end-of-the-day it is not DEFRA who are transporting the animal so to my mind it is not for DEFRA to say that Eurotunnel will carry an animal, but for Eurotunnel to decide which forms of paperwork they will accept. I guess if Eurotunnel wanted to say they will only carry brown dogs there is little DEFRA can do about it.

I think the best thing would actually be for DEFRA and the other vetinary services to get their act together and publish/make available/make more available the new paperwork. This new scheme has been "in the offing" for ages so it's not like its caught them unawares.

(You might get the impression I'm getting a bit irritated at not being able to get a Passport for one of my dogs who has passed all the regulations and just needs some paperwork).
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Re 'Les Anglais' reply;

I am taking my boxer over for a two months stay next weekend via the Tunnel and I was surprised that the official line is that they are not interested in animals going out, only coming back in! We have not paid for our dog to travel but were told to pay the £30 at Coquelles on return.

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Report in today's paper that pet passports will come into full force after the transitional system conducted over the summer holidays.

Cats, dogs and ferrets are included.

BUT ..... Ireland, Malta, Sweden and Britain will apply stricter criteria. What does that mean?

Any ideas?

Coral - soon to be in the Ariege along with George E and Suzie Pussybobs.
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Was at our vets yesterday here in Charente for booster rabies jabs

He is aware of new pet passports but cannot obtain them yet either.

I actually obtained mine from a vet in the UK a month ago so our vet here in France was able to use the pet passports to update the rabies information.He was very impressed with the new passport because with one booklet he is able to record rabies jabs and other booster jabs plus tick and worm treatment no more need for lots of different bits of paper.

From today to leave the UK ( or in fact to leave any EU country to go to another) with a dog or cat you need the new style pet passport,all dogs and cats need a rabies vacine and all must be microchipped or tattooed.(Tattoo does not apply to the UK as dogs /cats are microchipped only in the UK.

To enter the UK with a dog or cat the previous rules still apply ie after the rabies vacine wait a month have blood test done and the antibody found to be more than 0.5IU/ml.You still need the tick and worm treatment done between 24/48 hrs before your departure from France.

One problem we encountered Our vet in the UK retained the result of the blood test when we had our dogs done 3 years ago.The new pet passport has a portion which states

I have seen an official record of the result of a serological test for the animal taken on (date) and a space for the vets who is issueing the pet passport to sign and date  

 So make sure that you obtain the official certificate from your vet otherwise if it was done in the UK and you go to another vet for the new pet passport either here in France or the UK he may not issue until he has seen the certificate

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I checked with my vet this morning (1/oct) - as I had to take pup in to have her stitches out. Scheme started today and nobody can now issue the old UK paperwork. there was apparently something on French TV about the scheme last night.

No paperwork available as yet.
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[quote]Report in today's paper that pet passports will come into full force after the transitional system conducted over the summer holidays.Cats, dogs and ferrets are included. BUT ..... Ireland, Malta, Sw...[/quote]

For entry to UK you need tick and tapeworm treatment between 24 and 48 hours of checking-in with your transport carrier. This needs to be done by a vet and is suppose now certified in your Pet Passport (there was previously a form). There are requirements on the type of treatment but a vet who knows what is needed will know these (I would hope).

Don't know about the other countries, just UK.
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[quote]Was at our vets yesterday here in Charente for booster rabies jabs He is aware of new pet passports but cannot obtain them yet either. I actually obtained mine from a vet in the UK a month ago so ou...[/quote]

On a slight "divergence" from the original topic, my (French) vet gives me printed sheets for rabies vaccinations. I am told these are important. They are very official looking, include the dogs chip/tatoo number, etc.

1st year I get a blue certificate and apparently I will get a red one for subsequent years (even though UK dog has a UK rabies vaccination record - this was meaningless in France).

I have been told by my dog club that I should carry the dogs rabies sheets when I am travelling with the dogs.

I have also read somewhere that should your dog be "arrested", these certificates are very important as proof of rabies vaccination. Also, I understood (from somehwere) that if your dog isn't rabies vaccinated, in public places the dog must be muzzled and on a lead - hence the importance of the certificate.

The question is - will the Pet Passport replace these certificates ?
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Hi all

Hope this helps in some way (written 28/09/04):

PETS travelling between European Union member states must have an official EU Pets Passport from next month.

The 1 October marks the official launch date of the system that will allow pets and their owners to travel easily between member states.

Under the new rules, pets only require identification, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination according to the manufacturers’ instructions.

However, the additional import requirements, which need to be recorded in the EU pet passport, for animals entering the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Republic of Ireland still stand.

For example, the tick and tapeworm treatment will be recorded in the pet’s EU passport.

European Union regulations also require that electronic scanners that can read implanted microchips be placed at all ports of entry to EU countries.

In France the passport may be issued by a government-authorized vet who holds a mandat sanitaire from the French authorities.

In most veterinary practices in France at least one of the vets holds a mandat sanitaire; alternatively a list should be on display in every Town Hall (La Mairie).

Make sure that the vet correctly completes sections I to V of the passport.

In the UK the passport will replace the existing PETS 1 certificate and will be accepted for entry to the UK from other member states and from other qualifying countries.

It will also replace the PETS 5 and other documents currently required to enter EU countries.

Existing certificate holders will have them replaced by a passport once it expires.

Sources:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/misc/cins/2004/0495.htm

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/724&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/asp/service.asp?SERVID=101&LNG=en&PAGID=527

Regards

Craig McGinty

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

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Hi teamedup

Just saw on France 3 news this evening that French vets are struggling to get their hands on the EU passports, supply problems, but according to the DEFRA website existing PETS 1 etc will be valid until a renewal; then an EU one will be issued.

DEFRA website says:

"A PETS1 certificate issued before 1 October 2004 (including any issued before 3 July 2004) will be valid for return to the UK until its expiry. PETS1 certificates will not be issued from 1 October 2004."

Regards

Craig McGinty

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My "difficulty" is that my UK dog has a UK PETS1 (which I can use for a while longer). However, my French dog has now passed all the qualifications yet I cannot get the paperwork (or rather my vet cannot get the paperwork so can't issue me with anything). Nobody seems to know when the paperwork will become available.

Strange how it always works this way round. Why can't the tax office have delays in their paperwork meaning nobody can fill in their tax returns and thus not need to pay any tax.
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  • 2 weeks later...

We received our British Pets Passport the day before our trip to France early August.  Included a history of Rabies and other injections.

On the return of that trip the Vet in France had nor seen one and still filled out the old paperwork and it caused problems with the lass as P&O Chebourg.

On our visit and return this month the Vet in France said that the French passport was due to be issued in October/November and still completed the old documentation.  At least the lass at P&O Cherbourg recognised it and the process was quicker than the previous trip.

Ian

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Rang my vets today and he cannot get hold of any passports as yet. He says that the papers I have are sufficient for the moment.

I have tried ringing a couple of the ferry companies but cannot get a straight answer from them as yet, as I would like to know if they will accept our papers as they are.

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Just got in tonight to a letter from my UK vet, which says:

" We write to inform you that as from 1st October 2004, it will be necessary to be in possession of the new pet passport should you wish to return to this country from overseas"...blah, blah  " Please contact the surgery regarding updating of the passport"

Am slightly cross: posted earlier as I was told much the same on 2nd September when returning to the UK via Eurotunnel by their staff, rang vet who knew nothing, rang Defra who said it wasn't obligatory to change the documents to the new passport,but STRONGLY advisable (she said that twice!). Rang back the vets to repeat the Defra conversation, and they said they'd issue a new style passport for a fee, so I thought that as long as it wasn't mandatory, why waste money?

Now it looks as though I'll have to rush to the vet and get a new style passport as we travel back to France next week!!

However, as the woman at Defra said to me: how will people living all over Europe (some of whom, presumaby, have healthy dogs and cats and don't necessarily surf the net) know about the change, until they come to travel and find their documents aren't valid/accepted?

 

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My thoughts are that it is actually nothing to do with DEFRA what constraints transport companies put on as requirements for transporting pets. After all its not DEFRA's boat or train. They would be quite within their rights (though a daft example) to say no brown dogs - even though DEFRA may insist that this is not the case. Fortunately the transport companies are (amongst other requirements) checking that the UK entry entry regulations for your pet are complied with (and thus your pet will not have to go into quarantine).

It is quite fair for transport companies to decline to accept old format paperwork (there are even some valid reasons such as staff being less familiar with old paperwork might not spot errors or omissions properly, etc.)

I think it is now pretty important that DEFRA and their European conterparts get their act(s) together and make the new paperwork available.

I am now in the situation where one of my dogs (French) has passed all the requirements for a passport but I just cannot get the paperwork and thus cannot travel. Vets can no longer issue the old UK paperwork.
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Currently due to lack of available new EU passoprots to french vets the UK will accept old french paperwork and certainly my vet will happily issue old style paperwork until new Blue EU ones are available.

Wisper is it could be as long as Dec before new passports are available in France. however most of the rest of the EU has managed to get its act together.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I believe DEFRA have said that the old paperwork can be issued due to the lack of the new paperwork.  However, unfortunately, they had previously said that after the 30 Sept 2004 old paperwork can no longer be issued - and this information was well circulated.  The "if you can't get new paperwork, get your vet to issue the old" seems to be being done "casually" and rather unofficially.  Unless it becomes a well circulated official policy I doubt many vets will issue "old paperwork" and risk people being rejected at their "check-in".

I don't know about France to UK, but before initially moving out, when getting my papers prepared by my UK vet they were very clear about the fact that they had no liability if my dog was not allowed to travel for any reason.  apparently another patient had been issued with PETS forms and the owners were now talking about suing the vet as their dog were not allowed to travel (for some undisclosed reason).

I checked with my vet again yesterday and still none of the new passports available.
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And now ( maybe)  you see my point just because information has been widely circulated doesn't mean its correct this information has been widely circulated by amongst others QUAFF only trouble is its not always accurate.  Last two dogs that I transported to the UK arrived yesterday am paperwork including old style pets passports issued on Thursday. Both dogs entered the UK on French pets passports. I have another seven due to leave on in the next few days .it remains to be seen what paperwork they travel on the good news my vets have received and ordered the new style EU pets passport applications but as yet they are still on order I have ben told they can be expected to arrive by the 15th of this month.

Now that remains to be seen..............

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[quote]And now ( maybe) you see my point just because information has been widely circulated doesn't mean its correct this information has been widely circulated by amongst others QUAFF only trouble is its ...[/quote]

I guess you must breed dogs? What sort do you breed? We are going to buy a small dog soon and am curious.
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