Cruising with a dog

[daveyw]

So I'm planning on a cruise around N Europe next year. Taking the mutt shouldn't be a problem until I want to come home. My last port prior to returning to UK will be Iceland. Now, you can't bring a dog into UK on a private boat, it has to be with a scheduled carrier. However, I can get round that by entering Eire before entering UK. Does anyone know if I can do the same with the Isle of Man?

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Get a vet to do an initial check for numbers of rabies antibodies, or something like that I don't know the medical terminology exactly, but...I was talking to a yachtsman earlier today, who meticulously set up all the dog vet paperwork, in advance but had to alter his long Scandinavian cruise, after a Norwegian gov. vet quibbled about the antibody count at the last minute. I got the impression it's something of a lottery ..if not actually a minefield..

 

[sailaboutvic]

We cruised Northern Europe and the Med for many years with a dog and a cat no one has bothered about their passports no one been interested in them other then when we arrived in Malta where they where both checked ,
As a pet lover I sure that you have has already shorted passports for your pet .
I cant help with bring them back in the UK ,
but other to say the one time we brought ours back we came back through the tunnel , and they checked the pets and the papers ,
Sadly both have died and it's been decided until we give up the cruising live we won't have another pet .

 

[Cactus Sailing]

wasnt there a company (a person) bringing pets back from france to the uk (obviously all above board with paperwork and pet passport etc) but was just a way to get your pet on an "approved vessel" for such folk as us, i've read this somewhere but cant remeber the name or where, but other destinations / routes were mentioned

we did consider for our stinky little ginger seahound but changed our destination in the end, he wasnt very well and had a heart condition which just complicated the whole pet passport and medication / vacination front, sadly he passed away quite recently as his health took a rapid turn for the worse

it is a minefield and we even considered one of us just getting the ferry back from france taking the dog as it would be easier, and meet up back in the UK!

its not the same sailing without our dog and we miss him dearly, but it's only now we realise how much it influenced our destinations, (close to shore anchorages (or even marinas) for wees and poos, passage times, passport nonsense etc.)

 

[geem]

Get a vet to do an initial check for numbers of rabies antibodies, or something like that I don't know the medical terminology exactly, but...I was talking to a yachtsman earlier today, who meticulously set up all the dog vet paperwork, in advance but had to alter his long Scandinavian cruise, after a Norwegian gov. vet quibbled about the antibody count at the last minute. I got the impression it's something of a lottery ..if not actually a minefield..

Its not a lottery or a minefield. Its a system you either comply or you dont. We have traveled extensively with our dogs. We have European pet passports and all necessary paperwork and injections. In addition our dogs are titre tested which allows us to travel around the Caribbean with prove that our dogs rabies injection actually worked! The only current way to bring a dog back in to the UK as a foot passenger is via the Stena ferry from Hook of Holland to Harwich. We fly from the Caribbean to Amsterdam then train to Hook of Holland. This saves thousands on flying dogs in to the UK.

 

[[3889]]

Just had this issue with a cat. As you say, transiting via Ireland is the only viable option. CIs, IoM etc don't help. But a day or two in Dublin is never a bad thing.

 

[[3889]]

Its not a lottery or a minefield.

I demur. It is the usual feckfest that arises when government devolves governmental responsibities to private corporations. It is impossible to travel directly as a foot passanger from Europe to UK with a pet. Why? Not because of any legislative hurdles but because the 'authorised' carriers can't be rs'ed to provide the service. Hence, only yesterday, Mrs Q had to make a 200 mile Eurotunnel return trip by car to facilitate me crossing the Channel with a cat in a box - no different than any other piece of luggage as far as the carrier is concerned. The system is a disgrace.
Kudos to Irish ferries for allowing foot passangers to travel with pets, but not so good in that they cancelled my pre-booked Dublin Holyhead sailing with a spurious excuse about technical issues when it is as plain as the nose on Rory Best's face that it was for reasons stemming from low demand.

To the OP, having extensively researched pet travel to UK, I'm fairly sure routeing via Ireland is your only (legitimate) option.

 

[dgadee]

Durkheim's view on pets would have been interesting in these times of growing pet ownership. Social anomie? Or is it just there's a growing psychological need for dumb pets.

I remember being in Stromness after one effer had put his dog bed in the washing and drying machine. The stench! The lack of interest in others!

 

[Stork_III]

I demur. It is the usual feckfest that arises when government devolves governmental responsibities to private corporations. It is impossible to travel directly as a foot passanger from Europe to UK with a pet. Why? Not because of any legislative hurdles but because the 'authorised' carriers can't be rs'ed to provide the service. Hence, only yesterday, Mrs Q had to make a 200 mile Eurotunnel return trip by car to facilitate me crossing the Channel with a cat in a box - no different than any other piece of luggage as far as the carrier is concerned. The system is a disgrace.
Kudos to Irish ferries for allowing foot passangers to travel with pets, but not so good in that they cancelled my pre-booked Dublin Holyhead sailing with a spurious excuse about technical issues when it is as plain as the nose on Rory Best's face that it was for reasons stemming from low demand.

To the OP, having extensively researched pet travel to UK, I'm fairly sure routeing via Ireland is your only (legitimate) option.

Stena LIne Hook of Holland/Harwich allow foot passenger with pet, must be placed in onboard kennel.

 

[daveyw]

Thanks for all your input. Looks like I'll be paying a visit to Dublin!

 

[KellysEye]

We saw many long distance boats with dogs they all had health check certfiicates and pet pasport. In the Caribbean we didn't wear shoes and we used to visit an American yacht we knew well who had a NorfolkTerrier, it would lick our feet when we went on board.

 

[geem]

I demur. It is the usual feckfest that arises when government devolves governmental responsibities to private corporations. It is impossible to travel directly as a foot passanger from Europe to UK with a pet. Why? Not because of any legislative hurdles but because the 'authorised' carriers can't be rs'ed to provide the service. Hence, only yesterday, Mrs Q had to make a 200 mile Eurotunnel return trip by car to facilitate me crossing the Channel with a cat in a box - no different than any other piece of luggage as far as the carrier is concerned. The system is a disgrace.
Kudos to Irish ferries for allowing foot passangers to travel with pets, but not so good in that they cancelled my pre-booked Dublin Holyhead sailing with a spurious excuse about technical issues when it is as plain as the nose on Rory Best's face that it was for reasons stemming from low demand.

To the OP, having extensively researched pet travel to UK, I'm fairly sure routeing via Ireland is your only (legitimate) option.

You can get a taxi to pick you up on the French side if you dont want yer Missies to drive. Friends do that! As
I said and you ignored, ferry from Hook of Holland to Harwich. Been doing it for five years as a foot passenger and two dogs. Also done the French trip over in the tunnel to pick up the Misses and the dogs but the whole flying in the Paris and getting from Paris to UK is a pain compared with flying in to Amsterdam.
If you think thats all a pain try organising to fly dogs in to the UK? The agents wanted £4k for handling our two dogs and that didnt even cover the cost of the flight! That is a scandal. The cost of bringing the dogs on the ferry is €20 each!