EFTA00578312.pdf

Pet Travel Scheme The UK Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) USA and Canada DEFRA °.===` EFTA00578312 From I I December 2002 dogs and cats that meet the rules of PART 2: PREPARING YOUR DOG the UK Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) can travel to the UK from mainland USA and Canada without having to undergo 6 OR CAT months quarantine. Hawaii is already port of PETS. Step 1: Microchipping Parts 1-4 of this fact sheet cover the basic PETS rules and what you need to do to bring your dog or Your dog or cat must first be microchipped. In Europe, ISO cat into the UK. Parts 5 and 6 provide general (International Standards Organisation) Standard microchips information and the annex is a checklist. meeting specifications 117B4 or Annex A to ISO Standard 1 1785 are generally used. A different type of microchip is This fact sheet has been issued for the inclusion of the USA and often used in the USA and Canada. If the microchip used Canada in PETS. The fact sheets are regularly updated. Check does not correspond to one of these ISO Standards, you are our website for the latest information (part 6). advised to bring your own microchip reader, particularly if you intend to travel from the UK to Europe with your animal and then return to the UK under PETS. PART 1: THE RULES Get your vet to test that the microchip works before and after it has been fitted and each time your animal visits the vet. PETS applies to dogs and cats which have been in this order: Step 2: Rabies vaccination • microchipped (part 2, step I) Your dog or cat must be at least 3 months old before being • vaccinated against rabies (pad 2, step 2) vaccinated. The vaccination must be done after it has been microchipped. Make sure your vet checks the microchip number and enters it on the vaccination record. If your animal has been • blood tested at a recognised laboratory (port 2, step 3) vaccinated before it was fitted with a microchip, it will have to be vaccinated again. • issued with an official PETS certificate (pod 2, step 4) Vaccination record card • treated against ticks and tapeworms and issued with an When your dog or cat is vaccinated, make sure your vet records official certificate of treatment (part 2, step 5) the following on its vaccination record: • its date of birth/age (if known) • the vaccine product name Your animal can be fitted with a microchip in any country. As animals from the USA or Canada can only enter the UK direct, • the microchip number • the batch number the rabies vaccination, blood sampling (which is needed for the • the date of vaccination • the date by which the blood test) tick and tapeworm treatment and issue of official booster must be given certificates should normally be done in one qualifying country (i.e. USA or Canada). Booster vaccinations After your dog or cat has been vaccinated and successfully However, if any of these procedures were done in Europe blood tested, it will need regular booster vaccinations. These before your animal went to the USA or Canada, special rules must be given by the "Valid until" date on the PETS certificate may apply. Ring the PETS Helpline for more advice (pod 6). (step 4). If this date is missed, your animal will have to be vaccinated and blood tested again and the 6 month rule will Please note: As Hawaii has been part of PETS since 31 January apply from the date the new blood sample is taken. 2002, that State issues its own official PETS and tick and tapeworm certificates. Step 3: Blood test Dogs and cats are required to enter the UK on an approved After vaccination your dog or cat will need a blood test to make air route and travel as cargo in a container bearing an official sure that the vaccine has given sufficient protection against seal (parts 3o and b). You will also have to complete a rabies. Your vet will advise you on the best time to do this. They declaration of residence confirming that your animal has not will arrange to take a blood sample and send it for testing to a been outside certain countries in the 6 months before entering laboratory recognised by the UK's Department for Environment, the UK (port 3c). Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Make sure that the vet gives you a record of the date the sample was taken with the microchip number clearly stated. The six month rule A successful result will show that the rabies neutralising antibody titre was equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml. Ask your vet for a Your dog or cat may not enter the UK under PETS until 6 copy of the blood test result, with the microchip number clearly months have passed from the date that your vet took the stated, and keep it safe. Be warned that if your animal fails its blood sample which gave a successful test result. Once the blood test it will probably need to be vaccinated and blood vet has signed the PETS certificate and that 6 month period tested again and the 6 month rule will apply. has passed, the PETS certificate is valid and your animal may enter the UK. Step 4: PETS certificate This rule is necessary because an animal infected before After your dog or cat has passed its blood test, you should get vaccination would not be protected against rabies by the an official PETS certificate which will show that your animal has vaccine. Six months is the maximum time needed for most been microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and successfully infected animals to display any clinical signs of rabies. blood tested. How to get a certificate You are responsible for obtaining the correc Only vets authorised by the USA or Canadian government can documentation for your dog or cat to enter the UK issue the certificate. Take your animal, its vaccination record and under PETS. We strongly recommend that you obtain blood test result when you go to get the certificate. If you do not all the necessary certification before you travel. have an official certificate when you travel, you will have to Bring the supporting documents (e.g. vaccination licence your dog or cat into quarantine in the UK before you card, blood test result) with you. travel with a view to obtaining its early release (pod So). Bring EFTA00578313 your animal's vaccination record and blood test result with you licensed into quarantine — part 5a). Airlines can help you with to support a request for early release. these arrangements, so contact the airline as early as possible before you travel. Validity of the certificate The certificate will show "Valid from" and "Valid until" dales. IF the seal is broken during the journey, a government official of Your dog or cat can enter the UK only between these dates. The the country in which it was broken must replace it with a new "Valid from" date will be 6 months from the date that the blood seal. The official must certify in writing that your dog or cat did sample was taken which gave a successful test result. not come into contact with any other animal between the time the original seal was broken and the new one was applied. The Ask your vet For a renewal certificate each time your animal is new seal number must be recorded as indicated above. given its rabies booster. The booster must be given by the "Valid until" date (see step 2 if the dale is missed). Renewal certificates If it is necessary for your animal to be removed from its are valid as soon as they are issued. container, the airline will do so under official supervision. (c) The declaration of residence Step 5: Treatment against parasites When you arrive in the UK with your dog or cat you must fill in Before your dog or cat can enter the UK, it must be treated a PETS 3 form. This is a declaration that your animal hos not been outside the PETS countries in the previous 6 months. The against certain ticks and tapeworms. Any registered vet can do list of countries is shown on the PETS 3A Form accompanying this. You cannot give the treatment yourself. Make sure the vet checks your animal's microchip number with a scanner before PETS 3. You can either get these forms from the transport company when they check your pet or in advance by ringing treatment. the PETS Helpline (part 64. This treatment must be done between 24 and 48 hours before your animal is checked-in on an approved route You may still sign this declaration as long as your dog or cat has to the UK. It must be done every lime your animal enters the UK. not left its container (unless under official supervision) during transit or stopover on its journey to the UK. Dogs and cats must be treated for the tapeworm with a product containing praziquantel and For ticks with a product licensed For (d) Customs formalities use against ticks which has a marketing authorisation in the You are required to complete Customs formalities for dogs and country in which it is given. Tick collars are not acceptable. cats entering the UK from the USA or Canada. An agent, travel Dogs and cats entering quarantine with a view to early release company or airline should be able to do this for you and may can have the treatment done when in quarantine. charge for this service. Alternatively, you might be able to make The certificate of treatment your own arrangements. This would involve contacting the Customs authorities at your arrival point in the UK to obtain After your dog or cat has been treated, the vet must give you an details of the necessary procedures and the appropriate official certificate (not a private veterinary certificate or headed Customs form. We advise you to discuss these charges with your lever) to show that it hos been done. An official certificate is one agent, etc before you travel as they might be included as part of issued for the purposes of PETS by a government authority of the a package. The UK Government does not set these charges. USA or Canada. It will have the name of the government department at the bp. (e) Charges on arrival in the UK Make sure the certificate shows your animal's microchip number, Airlines will usually cover flight and UK handling charges in the the dote and time of treatment and the products used. The vet ticket price for your dog or cat. Check when you make your must also sign, stamp and date it. Keep the certificate safe. booking. No charges are made by Defra. PART 3: TRAVELLING TO THE UK PART 4: THE PETS CHECK (a) How to travel Dogs and cats will be checked at the airport when they land in England. Your animal's microchip and both the official PETS Dogs and cats travelling from the USA or Canada are required certificates will be checked. You will also have to provide the to travel to the UK on an air route approved for PETS by the UK top copy of the completed PETS 3. The seal on your animal's Government. These routes will take you only to an airport in container should also be intact. England, not one in Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. Animals If any of these checks foil, your dog or cat will either have to go travelling from the USA or Canada may not enter the UK on a into quarantine or be reexported. If your animal has failed only route departing from any other country. must also travel as because it hos not met the rules on tick and tapeworm treatment, cargo in a container bearing an official seal (part 3b). Check it may be possible to have it treated on arrival and then held for costs, requirements and procedures with your travel company 24 hours after treatment. If the animal arrives at Heathrow, this well before you travel. con be done at the airport. In other cases it will have to be done at local quarantine premises. If it is treated in quarantine, you Visit the PETS website or call the Helpline for the latest will have to seek approval for its early release (part 5a). information on routes (pod 6). We strongly recommend that you check that all is in order If your animal does not travel on an approved route, before you before you travel to the UK with your dog or cat. travel you will need to arrange for it to be licensed into quarantine on its arrival in England. It may be eligible for early release from quarantine (port 5o). PART 5: DOGS AND CATS IN THE UK Arrange with the transport company for the PETS certificate and the tick and tapeworm certificate to accompany your pet (keep Dogs and cats that have first entered England under PETS can copies For reference). travel freely within the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of (b) Seals on containers Man) and between these countries and the Republic of Ireland Dogs and cats coming to the UK under PETS, or those entering without the need for any additional documentation. However, under early release arrangements, must travel in a container take your PETS documents with you in case you need to complying with International Air Transport Association (IATA) show them. standards and bearing an official seal. The seal ensures that (a) Early release from quarantine your animal is not exposed to the risk of infection from rabies on its journey. A government official (such as a customs or Dogs and cots entering the UK which do not meet all the immigration officer) must apply the seal and record the seal requirements of PETS must be licensed into quarantine. An number either on the official certificate of tick and tapeworm animal in quarantine can become eligible for early release from treatment or on the import licence (iF your animal is being the date that it can be shown to comply with all the necessary EFTA00578314 requirements of PETS. To licence your dog or cat into Annex A quarantine, you must obtain an import licence from Defra before it travels. You will need to arrange with the transport company For the licence to accompany your animal (you PETS checklist should keep a copy for reference). You will have to meet the costs of quarantine. This list is to help you prepare your dog or cat for PETS. It is not exhaustive. See advice in Part 6 of For more information and details of how to apply for an the fact sheet. import licence, ring the Quarantine Section at Doha on +01 1 Tick the boxes os you follow the steps. 44 20 7904 6214 or write to them at Defra, Area 211 lA Preparing your dog or cat Page Street, London, SWIP 4PQ, or visit the PETS website (port 6). Step 1 (b) Taking your dog or cat out of the UK My dog or cat has first been lifted with a microchip I have a microchip reader if the microchip does not If you take your dog or cat from the UK to a European PETS meet an ISO Standard country and want to return later, you will need to get a UK PETS I certificate from a government-authorised va in the UK The microchip can be read before you go. Make sure you bring your animal's Step 2 vaccination record and a copy of its blood test result with My animal has been vaccinated against rabies, you. For more information, including details of requirements after it was fitted with a microchip for your animal to enter other European PETS countries, see the Pet Travel Scheme European Countries Fact sheet The microchip number has been entered correctly available on the PETS website (part 6). 6y the vet on the vaccination record card Step 3 (c) Dangerous dogs I have a record from the vet of the date the blood It is illegal to possess certain types of dogs in the UK. For sample was taken, showing the microchip number. a list of prohibited breeds visit the Defra website at The blood sample was taken after the vaccination www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare (click on 'policy on My animal has had a successful blood test at a Defra general animal welfare' and scroll down to 'The Control of recognised laboratory Dogs') or phone Defra on +011 44 20 7904 6910. If you bring one of these dogs into the UK, you could be I have a copy of the successful blood test result prosecuted and the dog seized and destroyed. IF in doubt, showing my animal's microchip number don't travel with it. Step 4 (d) Health and welfare of your dog or cat I have (if available) a fully and correctly completed official PETS certificate ❑ We strongly recommend that you consult your vet if you have The certificate will be valid for entry to the UK on any doubts about the health and welfare of your dog or cat the date of arrival when travelling. If your animal is ill or injured, it may not be 0 healthy enough to withstand the trip. It may also bring Step 5 (not necessary if your pet is entering quarantine on diseases to the UK. Get your vet to check that your animal is anneal in the UK) in good health before you make travel arrangements. If you A vet has given my animal the tick and tapeworm are in doubt about its health, don't let it travel. A leaflet on treatment within the required timescale ❑ how to protect the welfare of your animal is available from I have (if available) a fully and correctly completed official the PETS Helpline and website (part 6). certificate of tick and tapeworm treatment from a vet 0 Travelling to the UK PART 6: MORE INFORMATION I have arranged for my animal to travel on an approved PETS route to an airport in England where it will be • PETS Helpline: +011 44 870 241 1710 (Monday to checked. Friday - 8.30am to 5pm UK time) I have arranged for my animal to travel in a sealed • Website: www.dara.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine container • E-mail: [email protected] (enclose your If my animal is entering quarantine, I have obtained address and daytime telephone number) an import licence from Defra before travelling • Fax: +011 44 20 7904 6834 On the day of travel, I have completed a declaration of residence for my animal (PETS 3) While this fact sheet provides information about the Scheme, it cannot cover every possible situation. Ring the PETS Helpline if your questions are not answered 6y this fact sheet. DEFRA n o Department for Ito rra Environment, Food & Rural Affairs PETS He aline Produced by the Department for Environment +011 44 870 2411710 Food & Rural Affairs © Crown copyright November 2002. PB7659 e-mail: Printed on recycled paper containing [email protected] 75% post consumer waste. EFTA00578315