Business information

Paws for thought: has your pet got a licence to travel?

Pet owners face court proceedings, hefty costs and their precious pooch or cherished cat being quarantined if they fail to comply with the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), Hertfordshire Trading Standards has warned.

It is the responsibility of pet owners to ensure that animals entering the UK have a valid pet passport. Trading Standards is responsible for enforcing the law when the requirements are not met.

The greatest risk of rabies being imported into the country is from an illegally imported animal or an animal that has failed to comply with all the requirements of PETS.

"It is imperative that pet owners are aware of the rules and comply with them when transporting animals into and out of the UK. If you do not, your pet may not be able to enter the country or may have to be quarantined on arrival, which can be expensive and must be paid for by the owner," said County Councillor Richard Smith, Executive Member for Community Safety.

A recent investigation by Hertfordshire Trading Standards highlights the importance of checking the PETS rules.

A family brought a cat into the UK from France without the authority of a licence. They had no documentation for the animal and it had not been quarantined. Trading Standards placed the animal into quarantine at the expense of the owner. The defendant was fined as a result of a prosecution brought by Hertfordshire Trading Standards. The cost of illegally importing the cat was just under £2,000.

PETS allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the requirements. It also allows UK residents to take their dogs, cats and ferrets to other EU countries and return with them.
They can also take pets to certain non-EU countries and bring them back without the need for quarantine.

To bring your dog or cat into the UK under PETS from another EU or listed country, you must have it microchipped first, then vaccinated against rabies and blood tested. It must be issued with an EU passport or, in a non-EU country, an official third country veterinary certificate and be treated against ticks and tapeworms. Your dog or cat may not enter the UK under PETS until six months after a vet took a blood sample which led to a satisfactory test result.

For more information, call the PETS helpline on 0870 2411710 or visit www.defra.gov.uk