Owners are being urged to plan carefully if they want to take their pet on holiday this summer after changes were made to the rules and regulations governing European pet travel
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A vets has issued a warning to owners wanting to travel abroad with their pets following major changes in the rules on European pet travel.
As the holiday season fast approaches, the Pets‘n’Vets group, in Glasgow, is urging pet owners to act now to ensure their pets have the necessary vaccinations and documentation for foreign travel.
Veterinary surgeon Lee Shrigley said following Brexit there have been key changes to pet travel legislation and owners must be aware of the new procedures to avoid any last-minute disruption.
Lee said: “Since Brexit, pets from the UK can no longer travel to Europe under the previous Pet Passport scheme and they now require an Animal Health Certificates (AHC) to enter European countries.
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“With easing of the Covid pandemic travel restrictions, this summer will be the first for a while that pet owners might be considering taking their pet on holiday with them.
“It is essential owners know of these changes and owners planning to take their animals on holiday in the European Union know the need to obtain an AHC.
“AHCs are more complex and require a lot more planning than passports, so it is important owners organise them in good time.
“Pets need to visit a vet and pass a full health check just before travelling to obtain a certificate.
“The timing of the health check is determined by the country in which they wish to travel, so it is important to give your vet all the details they need to have everything organised. Some countries also require additional worming treatment before visiting, and the timing of this can be crucial.”
Pets‘n’Vets is advising clients to contact the practice as soon as possible to ensure the AHC health check can be correctly completed in order for them to enjoy well-earned summer breaks.
Lee added: “Owners can’t afford to leave this until the last minute. They need to give plenty of notice so vets can arrange their health check and certificate in time.
“This is vitally important as they need to be booked in with an official veterinarian who has completed additional Government training in AHCs.”
Explaining how pets cannot travel for 21 days after the primary rabies vaccine has been given, Lee reminded owners the AHC appointment cannot be booked within these 21 days.
“This means people really do need to be organised if they are heading off with their pets this summer, especially as vets can no longer write rabies vaccines into any existing EU or foreign pet passports,” said Lee.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism