This will be the first summer that holidaying French and German dogs will be seen roaming the highways and byways of Ireland freely since Irish rabies controls were adjusted last February, in line with the British "Pets Pilot Travel Scheme".
Irish people wishing to bring their cats or dogs on holiday with them to the Continent this summer have to meet certain conditions to allow them bring their pets back to the rabies-free zone of Britain and Ireland. Firstly they have to travel through Britain, or at least on the return leg. They also need a "passport" for the animals which complies with the British scheme.
Obtaining the right documents involves a seven-month process before leaving Ireland, of microchip identification, vaccination, blood testing and health certification. The animals also have to be vaccinated for "exotic diseases", such as ticks and tapeworm, 24-48 hours before they attempt re-entry into Britain, says Maeve Lynch of the Animal Health and Welfare Division in the Department of Agriculture here.
The procedure for taking a cat or dog from this country to continental Europe is less complicated. "Pet owners should contact the embassy of the relevant country a month or so before travelling, to see what their import requirements are, to give them enough time to act on the information," Lynch explains. Dogs and cats, similar to humans, may have to be vaccinated before going on holiday, and different countries have different import requirements. Once the animals have been vaccinated and have relevant documents, they will get through customs at the other side.
Lynch advises that the first step for the pet owner who is planning a holiday in continental Europe and wants to bring their cat or dog is to go to a vet. The vet will microchip the animal and vaccinate it for rabies. Thirty days later, it is brought back for a serum or blood test. This is sent to a laboratory approved by the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Britain, and the results are not given out for six months. Lynch explains that this mimics quarantine and it is done for "the very first blood test, to make sure the animal wasn't incubating the disease". Presuming the animal is certified as rabies-free, it is given a "re-entry certificate which is only valid for the six months after the results of the blood test", she says.
According to Lynch, the "Pets Pilot Travel Scheme", launched last February in Britain, is the mini version of a scheme which was brought forward a year by Downing Street. There has been a limited adjustment to Irish rabies controls to facilitate the operation in Britain.
Before pets can travel directly between Ireland and the Continent, the Government will have to approve a scheme similar to the British one, and airlines and ferries will have to agree to be carriers.
The Animal Welfare Veterinary Hospital, Charlemont Street, Dublin 2, charges £170 for micro-chipping, rabies vaccination, a health certificate and the serum (blood) test. The veterinary practice will send the blood sample to a laboratory approved by Britain's MAFF, but people should allow a few weeks either side of the six-month waiting period for the blood sample to be sent off and returned
Pets Helpline. Tel: 00-44-870- 2411710. Fax: 00-44-20- 79046834. Email: pets@ahvg.maff.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine
