Returning pets to the UK

[mickandbee]

Has anyone any RECENT experience, ie in the last 6 months, of returning to the UK with a pet on board? I'm looking for practical experience not connections to DEFRA websites and in particular if you returned from a non EU country.

Thanks for any help

Mick

 

[Koeketiene]

We looked at this in detail a couple of months ago. If you're entering from a non EU country (in fact there's a list of 'approved' countries on the DEFRA website) it's a bureaucratic nightmare.

We did not 'solve' the problem, but found a way round it. Our dog was already chipped & blood tested. We took her to France, handed her over to friends who brought her home via the Eurotunnel's PETS scheme. Six days later she was very happy to see us.

Hope this is of some use to you.

 

[Talbot]

From my reading of the regs, this is the only legal way of doing this, and understandably is the only possible way of being able to exercise the regulations.

 

[ccscott49]

You cannot bring your pet back to the UK aboard your own boat. It must be by commercial means, ferry etc. The rest of the informnaation is available, such as chipping, lassporty, vet inspections etc. on the website. I did this just recently, its a nightmare, getting vet inspections etc, 24 hours before travel. We just flew the dog home, from Portugal on the same plane as us and collected him at the special place for animals, at the airport. This is also not cheap, but a very effective way of doing it.

 

[mickandbee]

Thanks for the info-which really confirms what we already know. However when you returned from France did you use a French vet and if so do you remember who? Were they au fait with our rules and regs? How long notice did you have to give the Euro Tunnel carrier that you were travelling back with a dog?/do they advise what vets to use?

Lastly what was the situation in France like arriving from a non EU country and where was it? Will it be betterto get a Vets Certificate in Nova Scotia for entering the EU or just worry about it when we get to France? All her rabies jabs and Boosters are up to date.

We are probably going to enter France at Cherbourg.

Any advice/help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Grehan]

We miss our yellow lab Chloe terribly. In June last year our youngest son collected her from us in Carcassonne and drove her back via the Cherbourg ferry. Apart from the obvious chipping and innoculating (which must be up to date - ours barely scraped under the time limit) and certificates, you have to have the dog inspected and certified by a vet between 24hrs and 48hrs before they board the ferry. I recollect they must have taken their worming (Drontal?) doses too.

There is a vet's near the ferry in Calais - Dr Christiane Petry and Dr Laurence Maniez, 1148 Bvd du General de Gaulle, Calais 62100 France Tel : 0033 321 347 739 - who I am told are very good. When we drove back from St Jean de Losne to catch a Monday ferry last March our local vet there did the inspection thing on the Saturday morning (not open Sunday, see) but dated the documentation Sunday (so it was between 24 and 48hrs old when we arrived).

woof woof!