dog travel to Spain

[vab]

We have just waved off some friends who visited us from spain and they want us to return the gesture and stay with them sometime. They have kindly said we can take our dog with us but can we cross the border with a dog easily. She has had the required jabs to come to France but not to return to UK so is this adequate for going to Spain?  Any help would be great.

[Loiseau]

Might be more fruitful to post this question on the Pets part of the forum?

Angela

[vab]

Yes, good idea. Just thought someone may have travelled with a pooch to Spain from this area. Thanks for replying.

[Christine Animal]

You obviously need the European Pet Passport, this may help :

http://www.ilspartentavecnous.org/ipan/pass.htm

 

[Boiling a frog]

We have travelled back and forth to Spain from France and have never been stopped let alone asked for any documents for the dogs but if you have the new style european pet passport with up to date rabies that is all you need

[Annabell]

We have just returned from Spain with our 3 dogs and 2 cats, all on the back seat of the car.

I too was anxious regarding paperwork etc, but because the dog is not travelling back to the UK it just needs relevant paperwork stating the dog has had all need injections including rabies.

We too were neither checked on the way there or on the way back.

Also, don't know what part of Spain you are travelling to but we were advised to buy the collars for all the animals to protect agains sandfly etc.

Another scary thing to watch out for are the pine caterpillars, they are nasty little things that kill animals and there is no prevention nor cure for them.

I think they are most active though between Jan and March, but you'd need to check.

Good luck.

[Deimos]

To visit Spain all you need is a Pet Passport. This requires a rabies vaccination (which it sounds like you already have). It is issued by your vet. There are special procedures for taking you Pet to the UK that do not apply to most of Europe (e.g. blood test and 6 month wait). The Pet Passport does not require these special UK procedures. The Pet Passport document has been designed for travel round Europe and including the UK so there are sections for the blood test, "tick & tapeworm" treatments, etc. but for most of Europe these are just left blank.

My own vet issued Pet Passports for both my dogs free (it takes a couple of moments to fill in the few sections. even if yours charges, it will be pretty cheap or you are being ripped-off).

However, and I always say this - people plans and circumstances can change. The 6 month wait after the blood sample that tests OK for pet entry into the UK means that when people's circumstances change un-expectedly, this can present a major problem with their pet(s). As a result one sees loads of poor pets requiring a new home. The blood test is all that is needed. It is a "one off" (i.e. only needs to be done once provided you keep the rabies boosters up-to-date"). It is pretty cheap and you can then have the peace of mind that, should anything unexpected happen you pet can travel and keep living with you. Always depresses me seeing all the "never returning to UK" and the "needs a new home because we cannot wait the 6 months ..."

Ian

[chaiq]

hi  we travel from spain to menigoute near poitiers several times a year, our 2 dogs have a passport which includes rabies information, before we set off we go to a local vet who examins the dogs and signs to say they are/were ok to travel to france and uk... we go to france and return via the somport tunnel     ( pau oleron )  and as yet have not seen a customs officer never mind being stopped by one