“Julia, can you help?”
It was a desperate phone call from a client I had never expected to see again.
Back in the days when PETS passports were new he had emigrated, then changed his mind and travelled back into the UK with his beloved dog. I had told him that his passport would not permit that for months. But he forgot, and his dog had been seized and was destined to spend six months in quarantine at his expense, and there was literally nothing I could do to change this.
Nowadays, the rules have changed, and my team keep up to date in order to advise our clients. They may change again as Brexit progresses, we do not know yet.
As we pet owners plan our holidays, at home or abroad, part of the process is always: who will care for our best friends?
If you want to take your pet abroad, you currently need to give me at least four weeks’ notice to get a Passport ready. We will also have a conversation about which diseases might be a risk for your friend that are not present in the UK.
In the same way that we should take anti-malarials to travel to some parts of the world, dogs need to be protected from fatal diseases such as Babesia and Leishmania, which are currently absent from England, and are not a requirement for the PETS passport.
So when I ask you “Where are you going this year?”, don’t think I am being nosy!
I want to give you the best advice to protect your dog from risks you might never have even heard of.
If you should decide that a high quality kennel or cattery is a better choice, then be sure to do your homework. Online testimonials are the way many of us judge a service these days, but better still – go and visit the place you have in mind. And remember that the best places get booked up months ahead. To use the best you need to become the organised type, if you aren’t already!
So, if you have travel plans, but the pets are not sorted yet – call my team. We have years of experience arranging their passports and sharing ideas about other arrangements.
Happy travels!
