Microchip failure

[Russethouse]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-11371288

 Looks like it might be best to get these chips checked locally before travel - 100 dogs a year  seems quite a lot to me!

[Judie]

Surely the vet who deals with the dog's passport in France must check the microchip as part of the return procedure?

At least that way they would have known before they got back to Dunkirk.

[Bugsy]

A little tip, given to me a while ago, and used on one occasion.

If the 'checker' at the port has difficulty in finding the chip ask him/her to change the battery on the reader. They are rechargeable and topped-up spares are kept in the office.

Worked for us and stopped an unbelieveable panic.

.

[JeanS]

Took Amber to the vet for her 'return to UK' check - they didn't check her chip. May call in on our way out later just to be sure.

[ViVienne]

we always get them to check at the port on the way out of the uk.

[JeanS]

All was ok - did notice that Brittany Ferries are really cracking down on dogs being muzzled in the ferry terminal.

[PaulT]

Can get a little fraught at the Tunnel when we come back and we have to wave the machine about for longer than normal before the code pops up.

The first couple of visits to the vet meant that they checked the chip but, as the vet now sees her 5 times a year he no longer checks.

On a slightly different matter, when we came back last time there was a woman who had a piece of paper refusing passage for the dog. The visit to the vat had been less than 24 hours so, rightly, the dog was refused passage and she was told to 'come back tomorrow'. And the reply to 'can't you turn a blind eye' was no. She was getting most irate and, 'no, I do not know if you will have to pay more because you have not travelled on the shuttle you are booked on'.

It seemed eveyones fault bar hers. You would have thought that it would be publicised that travel has to be within 24 and 48 hours after the visit - oh sorry, they do!

Paul