No plans to change quarantine laws

THERE are no plans to change the six month quarantine law for pets coming from abroad, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said yesterday.

Ireland and Britain operate tough quarantine laws to retain their rabies free status, but allow free movement of pets between the two countries.

The British Ministry of Agriculture is currently reviewing the laws as a result of the "large number of people" who have expressed dissatisfaction with the rule.

A spokeswoman for the British Agriculture Minister, Mr Douglas Hogg, said the ministry was "looking at ways in which we could change the system but retain the same degree of security. Our top priority is human health".

The review had started two years ago and there was no date set for taking any decision, she said.

The London Times yesterday reported that Mr Hogg has circulated a paper among cabinet colleagues, suggesting it might be time to abandon quarantine for a passport for pets scheme based on a Swedish model.

Sweden abandoned its quarantine laws for animals coming from EU countries, and replaced it with a strict scheme involving vaccination, blood testing and identification by means of an implanted microchip.

The spokeswoman said a number of schemes was being looked at "but we are not by any means taking on any of these new ways as yet".

Mr Chris Patten, governor of Hong Kong, who is to return to Britain next summer with his two Norfolk terriers, was reported as being in favour of changing the quarantine laws.

The spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said that if Britain introduced any change, "then we would have to look at the whole situation again".