2012 Pet Travel Scheme Updates - DEFRA's New Rules Explained Plus Tips on Travelling with your Pet

There's good news all round for pet owners wishing to travel with their pets throughout the EU. A new pet travel scheme has been put in place which relaxes regulations for owners travelling with their pets in the European Union as of 1 January 2012.

The updated regulations under the Government’s PETS travel scheme will mean that dogs, cats and ferrets travelling into the UK from any country throughout the world will no longer need to spend the dreaded six months in quarantine as long as they meet certain criteria, which will vary according to country of origin.

The period in quarantine used to be a must for animals coming into the UK from certain countries to help keep the UK rabies free. However, these strict rules are considered to be old fashioned and are no longer deemed necessary, as the Government believes that current vaccines and treatments minimise the risks.

There's more than just Rabies to consider though. Existing measures including obligatory deworming will remain to help ensure the UK remains free from diseases relating to tapeworms, present a risk to both human and animal safety.

The Rabies blood test, which was previously mandatory to prove the effectiveness of vaccinations against rabies, will no longer be needed for animals coming into the UK from the EU and specific non-EU countries, although you will still require documentation to prove that your pet's Rabies vaccination is up to date. This means that you could have your pet vaccinated today and travel tomorrow whereas before you'd have to first wait a couple of weeks to see if the rabies vaccine had taken effect and then an additional six months before you could actually travel with your pet. It will also be necessary for your pet to be microchipped so they can be identified at the border.

All in all the updates to DEFRA's rules makes it a whole lot easier and less time consuming to travel into the UK with a pet.

· Make sure your pet is microchipped and that the contact details are correct and up to date.

· Make sure your pet is wearing a collar and tag which clearly displays the owner’s contact details. This is of course a legal requirement in the UK for dogs so most pets will already have their ID tags, but when you're travelling you might also wish to include any additional travel details such as country dialling code and destination address if possible.

· Bring a lead so that you can walk your dog safely in unknown areas

· If your pet is on medication or has specific dietary requirements, make sure you take enough with you for the duration of your holiday. You may also want to take pet travel sickness medication.

· Make sure all your pet's vaccinations, worming and flea treatments are up to date and take your vaccination record card.

· Take your pet’s favourite blanket, toys and bed which will have familiar smells on them.

· Bring your pet's bed with you for use throughout the journey.

Have you travelled anywhere with your pet? What was your experience?