Some good news for the UK !

bodlover

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Just got this in an email this morning, we have had the "Pet Passport" scheme for a while now, which means animals can come in to this country without having to go into quarantine for 6 months, which is great, but up until now it didn't include animals from the US or Canada, well, now it does!! Yipee!!! People can come here and bring their furry friends freely!!
The six month quarantine law here was a real turn off for sooo many people, six months is a looong time to be away from your pet.
Anyway, I was just really happy about this so thought I'd share it here


Pet Travel Scheme extended to US and Canada


The successful PETS Travel Scheme is to be extended to dogs and cats from the United States and Canada, Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley announced on 20th November. However, pet owners from across the pond shouldn't be making plans for Christmas just yet.

From 11 December, people coming to this country from the USA and Canada will be able to bring their vaccinated pets without having to put them into six months quarantine. However, until an approved route from North America is available and official certification agreed, animals will have to go into short stay quarantine, usually only for two to three days, whilst the microchip and paperwork are checked.

Announcing the extension to North America, Elliot Morley said: "When we introduced the Scheme we recognised that there was significant demand from people in the USA and Canada, and indeed UK travellers, for those two countries to be included in the Scheme. We were cautious about doing so, but did undertake to consider again whether or not to include these countries in the Scheme. We have now done this.

"We have carried out several scientific assessments of the risk of importing rabies if the Pet Travel Scheme was extended to USA and Canada. Both these assessments concluded that the risk of importing rabies into the UK by extending the Pet Travel Scheme to the USA and Canada was low.

"I know that some people feel that we have been too cautious in our approach to including the USA and Canada in our Pet Travel Scheme. But we were not prepared to take such a significant step until we were sure, on a sound scientific basis, that there would be no significant increase in the risks of importing rabies if the Scheme was extended to those countries."

Although the UK will be 'open' to suitably qualified pets from 11th December, this will only apply to dogs and cats who have the appropriate microchip, vaccination and health records to quality under the scheme. This is a process which takes six months. A detailed checklist for US and Canadian pet owners is available to download from the DEFRA website.

Discussions with airlines for approval of routes into England and with the authorities in the USA and Canada about appropriate certification to accompany such animals continue. Until these are in place, qualifying animals will have to go into quarantine for a few days until it is confirmed that they do meet fully the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme. If they do then they will be released from quarantine as quickly as possible.

Another issue which pet owners must ensure is to install the correct microchip, or bring along a compatible scanner so that the microchip can be read. In the UK and Europe most microchips and scanners comply with ISO Standards. The USA and Canada have different microchips. Owners of animals identified with non-ISO microchips may experience some difficulties in demonstrating that their animal has been microchipped. Such owners are advised to provide their own scanner.

Full details on how to prepare your pet for entry under the Pet Travel Scheme, as well as helpful checklists for your vet, and information about microchipping can be found in a special section on the USA and Canada. See www.defra.gov.uk and follow links to the Pet Travel Scheme.

Monday, December 02, 2002
 

ldg

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Wow - that really is news. I don't think I would've ever believed it. You guys HAVE completely wiped out rabies - and us irresponsible Americans, well.....
 

yola

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Laurie - we haven't. A man who works with bats (endangered and protected species here), was bitten by a rabid bat recently and was seriously ill in hospital (Very seriously I think . . .)

So it's not completely gone. I just hope people don't freak out and start destroying the bats in their attics now . . .
 

flimflam

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The poor man died. It was the first rabies death since 1902, where the infection was caught in the UK.

I don't know why, but there is something about the smell of bat poo that gets my shackles up. I don't know if it is one of those inherited memories. The first time I noticed the smell (in an ancient ruined temple in India) I froze and said "Bats!", looked up and the ceiling was covered in sleeping bodies. This was the first time I'd ever encountered bats close up. So how did I know that particular smell was bats? Bizarre.
 

-bunn-

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It was a real shame he died, they say there's no cure for rabies


There's a little bat living in a large lylandi tree opposite us, we see it every night in summer, squeeking and flapping about. I love bats, there little noses and fluffy ears.
 

debby

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That is good news!!!!!
And BuNN...you like bats? That is odd, very odd....
J/K I don't have anything against there little noses or furry little ears, it's the big old sharp fangs that like to suck your blood that I have a problem with!! :laughing:
 
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bodlover

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BuNN, we also used to have a bat that lived in our pear tree, every night it would come out and just circle the tree for ages, then fly off, but it came every night!! (in the warmer weather of course) I like them too, they're just like flying hamsters!! :laughing:
 

yola

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I think bats ae cute. They don't all such blood (only the vampire bats do that). Most live on little insects or on vegetation.

We call the cats fruit bat (whichever one happens to be doing something stupid at the time . . .)
 
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