Bringing a dog or cat into the UK - it's easier than you may think

In November 2011, in one of my very first posts on the English blog I gave the good news that at long last the UK was coming into line with the rest of Europe. From 1^st January 2012, our draconian and outdated quarantine laws changed.  Dogs, cats and ferrets can now enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the rules.

To bring a dog, a cat (or indeed a ferret) into the UK from another EU country, such as Spain or Holland, or a listed non-EU company, these are the current requirements:-               

1. The first thing you must to is have the animal microchipped.

2.  Following that the pet needs to be vaccinated against rabies. This must be done even if your pet has a current rabies vaccination. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date.

3.  The vaccination must be done 21 days before the date of entry to the UK. If it is in two parts, the 21-day wait will run from the date of the second vaccination.

4.  Now you will need the correct travel documentation, the Pet Passport.   

5.   Dogs, but not cats or ferrets, must be treated for tapeworm. The treatment must be administered by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (1-5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK.

6.  There is no mandatory requirement for tick treatment.

7. The animal must travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route.

I know of a couple of transport companies in the UK that are actually run by vets. I don’t have any direct knowledge of them, but they may be worth checking out. Several airlines also transport directly. British Airways has a specialist arm, IAG Cargo, which ships animals on their behalf. I don’t know how the costs compare with the costs of the airlines flying our dogs from Malaga to Holland and Belgium. However, there are various rescue organisations both in the UK and in Spain that either transport or arrange transport, some by road.

Companies such as Dogwatch, help dogs from overseas find safe homes in the UK. This includes dogs from Spain – Dogwatch liaises with Ibizan Hound Rescue and Paws Patas in Almeria. They take a few dogs every six months from the former and foster them until they can find them forever homes. By doing this they free up space at the refuge, allowing IHR to save more dogs from the hunters. The ‘Spain to UKAnimal Adoption Community’ has created a Facebook page to enable discussion on all aspects of rehoming Spanish animals to the UK. They are hoping to create a network of individuals and rescue groups in Spain and the UK who would be willing to help in the coordination, transportation and adoption of these animals into caring homes in the UK.

Spanish Stray Dogs UK is another organisation that re homes Spanish dogs. A registered UK charity, set up in 2012, it seeks out caring and patient families who will offer homes to Spanish stray dogs, rescued from the streets. They also raise funds to go towards the costs of transport and to cover such things as veterinary bills. They also collect such items as medicines – flea and tick treatment – treats, toys, blankets etc. to send to Spain. Their sister organisation Spanish Stray Dogs NPO is based in Spain. The two organisations work closely together and remain in close contact with the dogs they bring into the UK.

I don’t have any direct knowledge of any of these organisations, though I have no reason to believe they are not reputable. It may be that they are already known to ACE, perhaps the organisations are already collaborating. If not, and should they be suitable, they may be able to offer help and advice about bringing our beloved rescues to the UK. It would take some time to set up a branch of ACE in the UK, it would need a lot of work and organisation, so maybe collaboration might be the way to re-home just a few. It might be a start – every little helps. 

P.S. I have just been having a quick read of the Facebook page set up by Spain to UK Animal Adoption Community (link above) and it does look very useful. Apart from other information they have regular reviews of pet transport companies, by people who have recently used them. I'm adding this postscript partly because the site is well worth a visit but also because one transport company, based in Spain, called Pet Taxi Transport has had the most appalling reviews and I wanted to draw this to your attention, so that you can be warned. Read the reviews though, don't just take my word for it.