Taking our dog to France

[Kaste]

We are planning a first time cross channel trip to France end of May with three other craft - a sort of cruise in company. We have a fully chipped, pet passport dog and are aware that we need him innoculated and checked out by a registered vet before we go and 24/48 hrs before we return. We have been advised that, legally, we cannot return him to the UK on our own craft as it is not an approved vessel.

Help!

Is this correct? and can other forumites advise what they do in similar circumstances without compromising themselves. Some advise us to take a chance and who is to know where we've been when we return to the UK.

Thanks

Steve

 

[Nick_H]

Unless it's changed recently they also need to be "landed" at an approved port, and there are very few, Dover, Heathrow and maybe some others.

I do agree with the taking the risk comment though, who's checking? Worst case I suppose is you get caught and you have to quarantine the dog. Could you be without him/her for 6 months?

 

[DAKA]

We are planning a first time cross channel trip to France end of May with three other craft - a sort of cruise in company. We have a fully chipped, pet passport dog and are aware that we need him innoculated and checked out by a registered vet before we go and 24/48 hrs before we return. We have been advised that, legally, we cannot return him to the UK on our own craft as it is not an approved vessel.

Help!

Is this correct? and can other forumites advise what they do in similar circumstances without compromising themselves. Some advise us to take a chance and who is to know where we've been when we return to the UK.

Thanks

Steve

You dont need a passport as long as you keep him, on the floating pontoons and your boat.
As long as your dog does not touch french soil/sand/concrete you can go to France and have a week on your boat taking it in turns for you to eat out walk around(too hot in May to leave a dog on a boat unattended before 2100 hrs).

Or you could send your wife on the ferry with your dog there and back just meeting up on your boat in France.
Of course both of these suggestions are legal but run the risk of not being believed and you run the risk of your dog being quarantined for 6 months, costly and hideous thought, it will not be much of a holiday for any of you with this worry and in my honest opinion you will be much better leaving your dog with family / friends at home, even a kennel for a couple of weeks has to be better than quarantine for 6 months.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Or you could send your wife on the ferry with your dog there and back just meeting up on your boat in France.
QUOTE]

Yes you can do that, BUT the dog has to travel in a car, she can't go as a foot passanger.

I'd also advise checking very carefully that the pet passport has been filled in correctly. Our dog was almost refused entry onto the ferry cos the date of his being chipped was missing, even though he had a chip and the numbers tallied with those in the passport.

 

[DaveRo]

There was an programme on the radio the other day about parasites - including those carried by dogs.

Case Notes - Parasites

I'm not making any particular point here - just thought you'd be interested.

 

[DAKA]

I do agree with the taking the risk comment though, who's checking?

I got boarded by Dover customs a few years back after returning from France specifically about our Lab.
I guess marina staff had reported me after seeing me walk our Lab on the pontoons in Dover, it was before pet passports.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

You dont need a passport as long as you keep him, on the floating pontoons and your boat.
As long as your dog does not touch french soil/sand/concrete you can go to France and have a week on your boat taking it in turns for you to eat out walk around(too hot in May to leave a dog on a boat unattended before 2100 hrs).

Or you could send your wife on the ferry with your dog there and back just meeting up on your boat in France.
Of course both of these suggestions are legal but run the risk of not being believed and you run the risk of your dog being quarantined for 6 months, costly and hideous thought, it will not be much of a holiday for any of you with this worry and in my honest opinion you will be much better leaving your dog with family / friends at home, even a kennel for a couple of weeks has to be better than quarantine for 6 months.

This is or was the case in the CI. We once took our large dog to Guernsey on the boat thinking mistakenly that the CI was part of the UK. As soon as the harbourmaster saw him, we were banned from the inner harbour, excommunicated to a buoy on the far side of the outer harbour and told in no uncertain terms not to land the dog otherwise he would be impounded. Unfortunately, the weather blew in that evening and we didn't go anywhere for 3 days.
That dog was a well trained boat dog and knew on pain of death that he was not allowed to do his number ones or twos on the boat. Despite our encouragement and despite me physically lifting his back legs over the side of the boat, he simply refused to go. On the second night in the wee hours, I took pity on him and snuck him ashore in the dinghy under cover of a wet weather jacket. That dog has long gone but I can still see the look of massive relief on his face as he emptied his bladder on the first lamp post he found

 

[hlb]

This is or was the case in the CI. We once took our large dog to Guernsey on the boat thinking mistakenly that the CI was part of the UK. As soon as the harbourmaster saw him, we were banned from the inner harbour, excommunicated to a buoy on the far side of the outer harbour and told in no uncertain terms not to land the dog otherwise he would be impounded. Unfortunately, the weather blew in that evening and we didn't go anywhere for 3 days.
That dog was a well trained boat dog and knew on pain of death that he was not allowed to do his number ones or twos on the boat. Despite our encouragement and despite me physically lifting his back legs over the side of the boat, he simply refused to go. On the second night in the wee hours, I took pity on him and snuck him ashore in the dinghy under cover of a wet weather jacket. That dog has long gone but I can still see the look of massive relief on his face as he emptied his bladder on the first lamp post he found

Thats not quite right. You can take your dog ashore in the CI's. You just can not take him into the marina.

So he was crossing his legs fer nowt.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Maybe now but not then. This was about 8-9 yrs ago

 

[longjohnsilver]

Thats not quite right. You can take your dog ashore in the CI's. You just can not take him into the marina.

So he was crossing his legs fer nowt.

Probably Mike they didn't want ashore, obvious misunderstanding

 

[hlb]

Probably Mike they didn't want ashore, obvious misunderstanding

Didn't we both have dogs with us when we met up in Alderney, or was it just us?? Anyway, wev'e taken the dog to the CI's a few times in the last five years. Just were not let into the marinas, but going ashore was OK.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Didn't we both have dogs with us when we met up in Alderney, or was it just us?? Anyway, wev'e taken the dog to the CI's a few times in the last five years. Just were not let into the marinas, but going ashore was OK.

Yes no dogs in marinas but no problem taking them ashore in CIs

 

[Jonrob]

We took our 2 labs to France, Belgium & Holland last year & 2008 by taking the boat to Calais, returning by foot traffic on the ferry, collecting the car, dogs & wife & going back via the tunnel, leaving the car at Calais marina, having our holiday, & reversing the process to return. There is a good vet in Calais about 5 mins drive from the Marina to check the dogs back between 24 & 48 hrs before returning. It sounds complicated, but has worked well on both occasions.
Hope this helps