Changes to UK pet travel (for the good)

Looks like the fat-cat (pun intended) quarantine business lobbies lost:

New rules mean it will be easier and cheaper to travel abroad with pets « Defra News

"It will become cheaper and easier to travel abroad with pets when new rules are introduced at the start of next year.

The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union from 1 January 2012, bringing the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme into line with the most recent science. The UK will maintain its high level of protection against animal diseases after the changes, which have the potential to save pet owners around £7 million in fees.

Forcing pets to spend six months in quarantine, a practice dating from the 1800s, is no longer necessary because of vastly improved rabies vaccines and treatments.

All pets will still need to be vaccinated against rabies. Pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia will no longer need a blood test and will only have to wait 21 days before they travel. Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will be able to enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test and a three-month wait before they enter the UK.

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I think this is good but do query the no blood test needed,is this good for the animal or not,having had another titre failure at work although it may not be many
there would be animals travelling where the owners assume they are safe when in fact they are not.
One GSD failed three times for the rabies vaccine to take & it turned out to have a problem with its immune system although it appears to be a happy normal healthy dog,if that had travelled under the new scheme & had been faced with any threat it could have been in big trouble,so although it does have its good points I think I would still want to know that my animal was as safe as possible & not one of the "few"that wasn't covered.

Thank you Peter, it's very good news:)

We hear the news a few weeks ago, and I know that a lot off breeders bin happy with this new rule.

We were informed at work a few weeks ago about the change in rules & as in earlier post think its a good idea but still feel that by relaxing the rules so far in one go is still perhaps a step too far.Most of our clients who get their animals pet passported are either travelling to France or through France for their holidays,what country lost their rabies free status in 2010,fair enough still a low risk but it only takes one animal & as I tried to point out in previous post that one animal could bite the one animal that the vaccine hadn't covered,I know I wouldn't want to put any of mine at risk for the sake of making things cheaper.I also know if for any reason I wanted to take any of mine across water in any direction I would still back up with a blood test to make sure the animal was covered,now even getting to the point where I do wonder if GB has to become a country where it is going to be advisable to have rabies as a routine part of vaccination as in other places which is a bit sad really but.....