Taking pets on European touring holidays is about to get easier
Taking a dog on a European caravan holiday is set to become easier
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Wednesday, 21, Dec 2011 10:27
by Tom Lowenstein
New laws set to come into effect in the New Year will make it easier and cheaper for caravan owners to take their pets on holiday with them.
In the past, many caravanners touring around Europe would have to leave their pets at home because of lengthy and expensive quarantine rules, but an overhaul of the system will remove a lot of the obstacles that existed in the past.
The hugely outdated rules have been amended to make it easier for pet owners to enjoy a holiday with their beloved furry friends and it is thought that it could save Britons as much as £7 million in fees.
As of January 1st 2012, laws surrounding pet movement in the UK will come into line with those in the rest of the EU, which take into consideration the massive strides that have been made in medical science in recent years.
Animals will still require a rabies vaccination before travel, but the quarantine period will be reduced from six months to just three weeks. Blood tests will no longer be necessary, though animals going on holiday will still need their pet passport and a microchip.
Today's rabies vaccines and treatments are so advanced that the idea of making a dog or cat sit in quarantine for six months, a practice which goes back almost 200 years, is now totally unnecessary.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said that the quarantine system in the UK was designed in the 19th century and is now so far behind modern science that a change is little more than a formality.
"It's time we changed these outdated rules which have caused hardship to generations of pets and pet owners, and those who rely on assistance dogs, with too many animals cooped up unnecessarily," she said.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said that the changes will still allow the UK to maintain its exceedingly high standards of protections against animal-borne diseases.