Travel with Pets - Share your experence in Traveling with a Pet from USA to UK.

Currently I am starting the process of taking a pet to UK. :confused: I would love to hear from those who had travel to UK with their pet, the tips you can give me in, the steps I need to take and any advise or information you can offer.

Thanks!

Welcome to Flyertalk, ysk. I am moving this thread to the FT Travel With Pets Forum.
Please follow there...
Thanks,
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

I brought both of my cats from the US to the UK when I moved here in Jan '04. What would you like to know?

I have just started the process with my Boston Terrier. I am grateful that an alternative to Quarantine exists. I am going to have to rent a scanner for his microchip since it isn't the International Avid Chip. I just don't see the point of removing the chip he has now and doubt that a dog can have two chips. The most frustrating thing so far has been dealing with the vet. I was concerned about the only option being cargo originally, but I think Delta may let him be under the seat. At least I hope so! For those who have made the move recently under the pets scheme, was it pretty easy to get through? Things you wished you had done differently? Do they allow pets in carriers on the public transportation?

It has been a couple of years since I brought my cats - so the info I have may be out of date - but at that time, even though the airline might allow you to fly the animal in the cabin, to comply with the PETS travel scheme regulations they have to go in the cargo hold.
Also, yes an animal can have more than one chip.

I will have to investigate it further then because there is no way I would ever be cruel enough to place an animal unattended in Cargo. I have several friends in the industry that wouldn't trust their own animals to be placed in Cargo which is enough for me not to. Although many animals get to their destination without incident, there are many that aren't so lucky. Not going to gamble with mine. I guess if things work out, I will get another microchip for him in England.

For me cargo was the only option. I had a friend who works for an animal rescue operation and she helped me with some of the ins and outs/dos and don'ts for shipping animals in cargo. As I was moving to the UK, there wasn't another option for them.

As for getting another microchip in England - why bother at that point. Wouldn't the point of getting another microchip be so that you didn't have rent a scanner to take over there?

For me cargo was the only option. I had a friend who works for an animal rescue operation and she helped me with some of the ins and outs/dos and don'ts for shipping animals in cargo. As I was moving to the UK, there wasn't another option for them.

As for getting another microchip in England - why bother at that point. Wouldn't the point of getting another microchip be so that you didn't have rent a scanner to take over there?


All the records, both rabies titer, three years rabies shot, etc. have to match the microchip, otherwise they void the travel scheme and you have to start over. I get titers every year through the Kansas State lab which luckily was the UK lab of choice in the U.S. I will be moving within six months as long as I can take my dog in cabin so getting an international chip wouldn't make sense. The only reason to get one is for when he is in the UK for if he ever did get lost. They don't use the Avid scanners. :(. Why microchips have to have so many brands is beyond me. It just over complicates things. I work in dog and cat rescue as well and the organizations I work with refuse to ship animals due to some pretty bad experiences. I can tip the person I drop my dog off to so that they keep an eye on him and take care of him, but what can you really do to ensure nothing bad happens to them after departure? The pet travel scheme simply states which carriers they approve - BA which I will never fly only let's you put them in Cargo whereas Delta is also approved and there is no indication of cargo being the only option. I am flying out of Atlanta. If cargo ends up being the only option, I will not take the job. Maybe it is a stupid thing to be the deciding factor.

I think the Brits are pretty specific in the PETS travel scheme (or at least they used to be when I moved over here 6 years ago) that (unless it is a service animal) it has to travel by cargo. You might want to double check - I took a quick glance at http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/procedures/support-info/routes.htm and it said "Pets travelling to the UK by air will travel as cargo, unless they are a registered assistance dog entering with an approved airline, on a route that permits them to travel in the cabin." Of course there is always New York to Southhampton on the Queen Mary 2, but even with that (if I remember right because I looked into it at the time) the animal has to be kept in the kennel and wasn't allowed to roam on the ship.
Best of luck to you.

P.S. My cats didn't have Avid chips either but the vet over here had no problem reading them with her scanner....

Only one of my three cats had an Avid chip. I contacted the Defra arrival facility at Manchester (I much preferred arriving into a smaller airport over Heathrow) and was able to confirm that their readers would be able to pick up all three chips, which they did without any difficulty.
The arrivals people also suggested I fax the completed documentation over to them a day or two before the flight and they checked it over and confirmed to me in an email that everything was in order, which really took a load off my mind.

Only one of my three cats had an Avid chip. I contacted the Defra arrival facility at Manchester (I much preferred arriving into a smaller airport over Heathrow) and was able to confirm that their readers would be able to pick up all three chips, which they did without any difficulty.
The arrivals people also suggested I fax the completed documentation over to them a day or two before the flight and they checked it over and confirmed to me in an email that everything was in order, which really took a load off my mind.

Thank you for the tip. Were you able to carry your cats in cabin or did they go in Cargo?

Puppenstein, I think those saying that your pet has to go cargo are correct.

The UK is concerned with animal health - that's why we had quarantine for so long. We are not going to risk someone bringing an animal into the UK in a cabin and then 'forgetting' to inform customs they had arrived (many customs points are essentially unmanned now) and allowing an animal into the UK without ensuring that their paperwork, innoculations and everything match up. By having the rule of 'cargo only' for pets, it ensures that no owner might try and sneak an animal through which doesn't meet the requirements for entry to the UK - and given that the UK still catches a number of animals attempting to be smuggled in every year, even with that rule and the passport scheme in place, that I'm afraid is unlikely to change anytime soon. We'd need to be able to guarantee that 100% of animals imported are checked - and we can only do that by bringing them in as cargo.

The Defra website (http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/procedures/support-info/routes.htm) on the PETS scheme is crystal clear:
Pets travelling to the UK by air will travel as cargo, unless they are a registered assistance dog entering with an approved airline, on a route that permits them to travel in the cabin. The use of the word 'will' means there is no other option on this.

While you might be concerned about the health of your pet going cargo, Defra is concerned about the health of all animals in the UK, and the potentially devastating effect that the introduction of rabies, or other pet diseases not currently present in the UK would have.

pets MUST travel cargo
they can have more than one chip
best is to get someone on the UK side to all the work to pick up the pet from animal receiving cost is around 300GBP, takes around 2-3 hours in LHR
was a piece of cake as long as the paper work is done
Just follow the instructions on the pets travel scheme website
you do need a government aprroved vet to certify everything on the North american side, not just your regular vet.

I am wondering if there is any way around it by traveling to another country and taking a flight from that country like say France for example and not having all the hassles of Cargo. I know that Air France allows dogs of the appropriate size to fly from the U.S. to Paris to fly in cabin. The chunnel doesn't allow dogs, but there has to be some other creative option. :D

If cargo ends up being the only option, I will not take the job. Maybe it is a stupid thing to be the deciding factor.
^^
I don't think that's a stupid thing to do at all, I would do the exact same thing. In cargo you have absolutely no control over your pets safety or health and you can't rely on an airline to ensure it either - you can't even be sure that it will be on the flight you put it on - I've heard of animals being bumped to a later or earlier flight because, technically, they are cargo. If its not safe enough for humans, then its not safe enough for a pet. I firmly believe that when you decide to get a pet then you are agreeing to take on the responsibility to care for that animal as best you can for the rest of its life. In this case I think this means that your first responsibly has to be ensure that your dog is able to travel safely and if you can't then you have to accept that you are not going to be able to take the job without making some other arrangement for your pet.

If it helps to have another shared experience, I have brought my dogs back and forth from BOS to LHR a number of times on BA World Cargo and the service has always been extremely good. Since both dogs are originally from the US, it did take a year or two to get the paperwork and PETS scheme documents completed, but I got them EU Pet Passports the first time they were in the UK and now it's pretty easy.

My tips would be to just make sure that you really, really read all of the documentation and make sure you get absolutely every single detail completely correct. It is a painstaking process but once you get to the UK you will be very happy when everything goes without a hitch.

The Animal Reception Centre at LHR is extremely professional and well-run. There is a sophisticated, purpose-built building a little ways from the airport with a dedicated staff to take care of arriving animals (see link below). It looks like they have plenty of grass and room to run around and the staff are extremely nice. There is also a veterinary surgery on site for emergencies involving animals in transit, and a number of fully-qualified veterinarians on staff.

I wouldn't pay an agent to collect your pets at Heathrow because it's really very simple, as long as you have access to a car. It took about five minutes from when I arrived at the animal facility to when they brought my dogs out. If you want to come over at the same time as your pets, you will have just enough time to get off the plane, rent a car and maybe have a meal before you get the call that your pet is ready to be collected. The timing works very well. Also, if you are moving permanently and don't want to deal with the pet carriers (which can be extremely large), you can leave them at the arrivals facility to be donated to a pet charity.

Leaving the UK, you go to the somewhat posh (yes, it's actually pretty nice) BA World Cargo facility instead of the animals arrival facility. The staff there are also very nice and they have pictures on the walls of all the exotic animals they have transported over the years -- tigers and whatnot.

I agree that putting dogs in a cargo hold is not very nice, but if you don't have any other option, BA has a very professional service, excellent staff, and treats your pets very well.

Here's a link to the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre:

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Environment_and_planning/Animal_welfare/Heathrow_animal_reception_centre.htm

I am wondering if there is any way around it by traveling to another country and taking a flight from that country like say France for example and not having all the hassles of Cargo. I know that Air France allows dogs of the appropriate size to fly from the U.S. to Paris to fly in cabin. The chunnel doesn't allow dogs, but there has to be some other creative option. :D

Yes indeed! If you can get yourself to France, then there are two options which do not involve air cargo. You can bring your pet in by car if you drive via the Channel Tunnel, using the car transport service. This is how I plan to get my dogs to and from France next year. You can bring your pet in a car on P&O Ferries, also, or in a handheld carrier if you don't have a car. However, I am pretty sure that the previous posters are correct in that you will not be able to bring your pet into the UK by airline in the cabin, no matter where you are coming from.

And not that this is going to be an option for most people, but if you happen to have a private plane (or know someone who does), you can bring pets into the UK that way also. I have heard stories of people who commute from the US to the UK in their jets with their dog roaming the cabin freely... Must be nice!

Do they allow pets in carriers on the public transportation?

Good question. I've seen cats in carriers on the subway. I haven't been able to find anything specific, yes or no, on the Transport for London website, so I would imagine it's fine.

For the benefit of others reading this thread, you can indeed take leashed dogs on the subway, as long as you carry them if you use the escalators (I just use the stairs instead). You can also take leashed dogs on city buses, as long as you check with the driver first. London is generally a very dog-friendly city!

Thank you so much for the information. My Dad is a pilot, but he has a small plane and it would be an expensive trip for us to go from Atlanta to London, not to mention an incredibly long and somewhat out of the way trip. I think I would go the France route instead of taking him in Cargo if that is an option. Granted, I don't know what the incoming procedure would be once we arrive from France to London - similar to customs maybe? Although I know that many have had great experiences with their pets on Cargo it cannot be an option for my dog. So, it is encouraging to hear that I could bring him from France. That would work out well...maybe I could visit Disneyland Paris first! :D

Thanks again!

Puppenstein, If you haven't already gone, I have experience taking my Boston Terrier from SFO to Amsterdam twice. I had no problem either time, I just made sure I had the right certificates. Yet Dutch customs didn't even ask for them. The second time I asked them if they wanted to see documents.
Anyway, the process is easy, allow a couple of days to do the test and get forms.(here's the form in French & English: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/sanco10767r4_fr.pdf) Make sure you go to a vet that knows the proceedure. I use Dr. Lie (pronounced Lee) at Mission Pet Hospital in San Francisco. He's an expert. He may know a vet in the Atlanta area that is knowledgable. Once you have the vet forms filled out you take them to your nearest USDA vet without the animal, usually near the airport in major cities. Their fee is US$35 and all they do is stamp the certificate. Remember that France is the most dog friendly country in the world.
Once in Continental Europe you should get a "Pet Passport" from a licensed vet there. Then its fairly easy to get the dog into the UK. I didn't realize the Eurostar channel train did not allow any pets, but there are lots of ferries. Many Brits take their dogs on holiday to the continent with them by car and certainly return home easily. BTW, Nick Nack has two microchips.
See my dog in Holland at http://chrisandnicknackinholland2009.shutterfly.com/

I'm posting here in case someone else comes across this thread. I've taken my dogs to Europe twice, once entering in Switzerland and once in France (and obviously we flew back to the US in between, leaving from Paris). The process is straightforward and just requires a little planning ahead of time. Contact your local USDA office to ask about paperwork requirements. I've used Continental PetSafe and have been delighted with the handling - they also will provide you with details. More importantly, my dogs have done extremely well. (They were 13 the first time, 14 the second time.) Remember, they can lie down and there are no screaming babies in the hold. They travel in a special area at the back of the plane.

Dogs need an EU-compliant chip (yes, they can have 2 - mine do); EU import paperwork; USDA 7001 (both of the former need to be endorsed by your local USDA office no longer than 30 days prior to travel). Continental needs a rabies certificate and a health certificate (the later within 10 days of travel).

Leaving France required a health certificate from a vet, endorsed by the local Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing. No paperwork requirements for US entry; pickup in Newark is at PetSafe in Terminal C (which is also dropoff).

Pickup in Europe requires some logistics, as the animals travel as cargo and therefore arrive at "import" in the cargo zone of the airport. They may need to be inspected by an import vet (Switzerland - yes; France - no); and you will need to pay assorted fees/taxes/customs duties. Don't try this without speaking the language.

This has been a very helpful thread for a year now I have been worrying about taking my Boston Terrier and Patterdale Terrier when we emigrate in October this year.

We have out permanent visa for Vancouver BC but I job transfer means we may go to San Fransisco for two years beforehand.

I was hoping to fly with both dogs on Virgin but after sending photos it was confirmed they would not fly her as she was snub nosed :(

After much research I think we will fly with Continental as they are the only airline I can find that flys direct to SF, takes Boston's and actually publishes it's fatalities over about 15 months Continental had 4 dogs die, 3 of them were autopsied and they died of already existing causes one was a Boston that had breathing problems. The month the Boston died they shipped 8006 animals. This is of course no comfort to the owner of the Boston.

A friend has shipped four Boston's with Continental and has not had a problem.

Another friend brought her Boston back in cabin on Swiss Air from California and flew to France without to many problems although the dog was slightly heavier than allowed.

If anyone is interested the Cunard 2 sails from NYC to Southampton and allows dogs to travel. They have to stay in kennels but you are allowed to visit them in the day. After much thought I believe mine would be better on a flight than 6 days in kennels with not a huge amount of space to run around.

So to conclude if I could fly both my dogs with Virgin I would do that but as I cannot I have decided to go with Continental.

Just to add there is no problem at all having dogs on public transport in London. On the tube you must carry them down the escalator and on buses you must sit upstairs (on double deckers). The bus driver does have the right to refuse but it is very unusual and he must have a valid reason.

Trains up and down the country are also fine but Virgin sometimes charge extra.

Hope that helps.

In a while I'm planning on going to London. My friend is going to give me a French Bulldog puppy, and when I travel back here, the puppys coming with.
So, my questions are, what will I need to bring for it, in order to get past US Border Control? I'm a citizen to the U.S already, so I don't know it that makes a difference. I'm planning on taking them into the airplane with me, is this a good bag? http://www.classypets.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CPTS&Product_Code=CAR010&Category_Code=PTSCAR
Also will they need any vaccines?
Also will this be of any help??
http://www.classypets.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CPTS&Product_Code=FORM070&Category_Code=PTSFORM

Thank You For Reading! :)

Hi ashleighhhhh, and welcome to FlyerTalk.

I move my dogs back and forth between the UK and the US about once a year. Going to the US is not very difficult. Here's a good place to start: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_states.shtml

If there is any chance at all that you will bring your dog back to the UK (or the EU), then it will make your life much easier if you get your dog an EU Pet Passport before you leave for the USA. Bringing dogs back to the UK is strictly controlled and generally requires quarantine unless your pet follows the rules in the PETS travel scheme: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10011002

Also, and this is a long shot, but if you ever plan on bringing your dog to Hawaii, then the EU Pet Passport will help quite a bit.

Good luck!

PS: I think the classypets link above is a waste of money. You can find all that information online very easily.

T

Another friend brought her Boston back in cabin on Swiss Air from California and flew to France without to many problems although the dog was slightly heavier than allowed.

Did they weigh the carrier and allow her over the limit or just let her on through? I have a cat who is a bit, um, heavy (he's just big boned, I swear!! :eek:), and would easily go over the 6kg weight limit, as it includes the carrier, too. But he fits in it just fine and turns around, etc, and it fits under the seat. But if they weighed him, I'd be SOL.

It is been a while but flew with my dog over to the UK and back on the PETS scheme. A pain for all the paperwork purposes but worked about pretty well. She was a lab so she had to fly cargo, no other way around it. She made it fine and she was 9 and 11 when traveling. I am not going to say traveling in Cargo was great for her, as I am sure she was scared, but no big affects on her, although when I got to the other end she was sure happy to see me. So flying Cargo well not the best option it is not the end of the world, but then again I had no other choice other than sailing, not really an option, or not taking the job, and even though I am a huge dog lover, I think it is kind of silly to turn down a good opportunity due to a pet possibly having to travel cargo. Just my 2 cents. My views have probably changed a bit since now I have kids and adopted another dog that is really high strung and needy.

Puppenstein - beware

There is some advice on here that is incorrect. Flying pets from the US to Amsterdam and France is not the same as flying them to the UK.

You have to go through the 6-month wait after the rabies blood test before you can enter the uk

You do not if flying to Amsterdam or France.

If you don't have the correct paperwork stating that you have waited 6 months after the rabies blood test then your dog will be placed in quarantine on arrival in the UK and either kept there for 6 months or shipped back to whichever country it came from


You CANNOT fly directly into the UK with your dog in the cabin unless you are flying by CHARTERED private jet - and you have to have chartered the whole plain not just bought a seat.


You CANNOT fly in with your pet in the cabin if the private jet is your own.


You CAN fly to Paris or Amsterdam with your dog in the cabin (the whole package has to weigh less than 8kg usually - depending on the airline - Lufthansa, and Delta both carry pets in the cabin. Then you can drive from Paris or take a train from Paris to Calais - then drive through the eurotunnel.
Dogs are not allowed on eurostar - but your dog must have completed its 6 month period after blood testing.

Hope that helps

Best wishes

petsnaturally

UK Vet

So there is absolutely no way around this 6 month waiting period? This is compleltely RIDICULOUS. I come from the US where rabies is pretty much eradicated.....now I have to turn down a 6 month assignment because of this asinine waiting period. Wonderful

So there is absolutely no way around this 6 month waiting period? This is compleltely RIDICULOUS. I come from the US where rabies is pretty much eradicated.....now I have to turn down a 6 month assignment because of this asinine waiting period. Wonderful

Think there are plenty of dogs that here in the states that could carry rabies. It is a pain but not ridiculous. You could get someone else to look after your pet while you are waiting for the lab result and such. In my experience or line of work. 6 month assignments typically last a lot longer. Also is it really worth the stress on the animal to move them ao far for a 6 month assignment?

Think there are plenty of dogs that here in the states that could carry rabies. It is a pain but not ridiculous. You could get someone else to look after your pet while you are waiting for the lab result and such. In my experience or line of work. 6 month assignments typically last a lot longer. Also is it really worth the stress on the animal to move them ao far for a 6 month assignment?

Not when you have all your vaccinations up to date and recorded by a licensed Vet. Almost impossible. I got bit by a dog in central park last year - i called the police because the owner ran off. The policeman told me that i should maybe worry about tetanus (if i wasnt up to date on my shots) but that because of rabies vaccines a report of rabies from a pet hadnt been recorded in like 40 years or something.

In terms of stress - my dogs will be far more stressed with out us then going through a day ordeal of travel. When we went our my honeymoon our Dane lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks -- and he is a glutton. We've also driven across the country and Canada 3 times with them so Im not worried about that.

Sorry but the regulationss are ridiculous especially when most of the EU doesnt require 6 months AND if you have recorded vaccines. Just another unnecessary bureaucratic step.

Sorry but the regulationss are ridiculous especially when most of the EU doesnt require 6 months AND if you have recorded vaccines. Just another unnecessary bureaucratic step.
Most of the EU is not an island that is rabies free. And while the advice that policeman gave you is fine, I wouldn't risk the introduction of rabies based on it....

Most of the EU is not an island that is rabies free. And while the advice that policeman gave you is fine, I wouldn't risk the introduction of rabies based on it....

Neither would I....all these records are public. So please, be my guest and do the research. Also, what is the difference between getting a rabies vaccine particularly for this trip and having had them for their entire lives because it is required by law here? We can all prove by law that our dogs are rabies free....the US is just as interested in not having rabies as the UK is. So how does this 6 month wait time help prevent rabies when we are required by law to have dog vaccinations every year? Other than bureaucratic interference it serves no purpose.

This discussion just proves that no matter how simple or innocent an opinion there are always people on the internet that will have an argument. We are required by law here to have our pets regularly vaccinated from rabies and can prove it. End of story. AND the rest of the EU doesnt require 6 months. AND neither does Canada. Why is the UK special?

So please, be my guest and do the research.
No thanks…that’s what I pay my taxes for – so DEFRA can do the research and make the decision.
We can all prove by law that our dogs are rabies free..
And that is what you are being asked to do – prove it by having a specific test done. Why are you complaining about that?
....the US is just as interested in not having rabies as the UK is. The US isn’t rabies free, the UK is.
This discussion just proves that no matter how simple or innocent an opinion there are always people on the internet that will have an argument.
I’m sure you find arguments no matter where you go.

We are required by law here to have our pets regularly vaccinated from rabies and can prove it. End of story.
The regulations (about vaccinations and testing of animals being imported) is for all of the US (and the rest of the world), and laws do vary by state and locality. I have lived with pets in 3 different US states and in none of them was I required to vaccinate my pets against rabies. The PETS travel scheme doesn’t say that animals from NYC are allowed in, but ones from Omaha have to wait 6 months – it is a blanket policy for the country. ‘End of story.’
AND the rest of the EU doesnt require 6 months. AND neither does Canada. Why is the UK special?
The UK is special because it is an island, and has no land boarders that an infected animal can cross. And the rest of the EU is not rabies free. And Canada isn’t either.

Now, I do understand your frustration. When we decided to move here, I had to stay behind with our cats until they fulfilled the requirements. It wasn’t an easy time for us, but I do understand why a rabies free island nation wishes to remain that way. Having a rabies vaccination does not 100% guarantee a rabies free animal, it just reduces the possibility immensely…but as a person living here, I would rather not take the chance of having rabies introduced. The restrictions are a lot looser than they used to be (until a few years ago it was a mandatory 6 month quarantine, no matter what) – and rail against the regulations as you might, I don’t see any great will in the British people to loosen them any further.

P.S. - In all that writing, I forgot to say welcome to Flyertalk - we are glad to have you!

So there is absolutely no way around this 6 month waiting period? This is compleltely RIDICULOUS. I come from the US where rabies is pretty much eradicated.....now I have to turn down a 6 month assignment because of this asinine waiting period. Wonderful

Sorry but the regulationss are ridiculous especially when most of the EU doesnt require 6 months AND if you have recorded vaccines. Just another unnecessary bureaucratic step.

the3rdman, as an American who had to go through the process to bring his dogs to the UK, maybe I can shed some light on your questions. I'll also try to go into some additional detail for the benefit of any future readers who might come across this thread.

First off, let's just be clear: Though rabies may have been "pretty much eradicated" in the United States, it simply does not exist -- at all -- in the UK. Whereas the US is a rabies-endemic country, the UK is not. That may not seem like a big deal, but it is an absolutely massive difference.

But back to your question. You mentioned that you didn't understand why the UK should have different pet immigration policies than the rest of Europe. The simple answer is that because the UK and continental Europe are very different places, they have very different policies.

Great Britain, as you know, is a rabies-free island, isolated from the rest of Europe by expanses of ocean. It is very difficult for animals to cross the ocean by themselves. Therefore, there is a relatively low risk that animals carrying rabies will arrive in Great Britain. For this reason, pet owners in the UK do not have to vaccinate their pets against rabies at all. This brings down the cost of pet ownership for everyone in Great Britain -- a good thing, if you ask me!

Continental Europe, on the other hand, is not an island, but a series of countries with extensive common borders, where animals can roam freely. Rabies is endemic in continental Europe and pet owners must vaccinate their pets against rabies.

To put it simply, the situation in continental Europe is completely different than the situation in Great Britain. The threats are different, the endemic diseases are different and the geographic isolation is different. Therefore, the pet immigration policies are also very different. Great Britain is rabies-free, and the only way they can stay that way is to make sure that all newly-arriving animals are properly vaccinated. And it's not just pets from the US: Any pet which does not have an EU Pet Passport with the appropriate rabies endorsements may be subject to quarantine. Everyone is treated equally.*

In other words, comparing the UK's rabies immigration policy to the rabies immigration policy in continental Europe is like comparing apples to oranges. They are two entirely different systems, as they should be, given the significant differences in the threats they face. To make the systems identical would raise costs significantly, and unnecessarily, for everyone.

You also mentioned Canada. Canada and the continental United States, like continental Europe, are also rabies-endemic areas. Animals can roam freely between the two countries and between their various states and provinces. To bring an animal from Michigan to Ontario, for example, there is clearly no need to go through an extensive rabies vaccination process, because who knows how many rabies-carrying deer, raccoons, squirrels, etc. are crossing the border by themselves every day.

Hawaii, on the other hand, has pet immigration policy which is roughly equivalent to that in the UK. Despite the fact that Hawaii is part of the United States, all pets arriving in Hawaii from the mainland must go through a quarantine period if they have not been properly vaccinated against rabies. Hawaii, like Great Britain, is a rabies-free island, separated from the mainland by an ocean. Like the UK, Hawaii wants to stay rabies-free. Therefore, their pet immigration policies are similar.

We are required by law here to have our pets regularly vaccinated from rabies and can prove it. End of story.

I think what you are suggesting is that if your pets are legally vaccinated against rabies in one particular country, then another country (i.e. the UK) should accept that vaccination process. Well, there's a big can of worms that you might be opening there, saying that one country should trust the laws of another country. Goodness knows that the United States doesn't do that. For the sake of keeping my post on-topic, however, I would just say that each country has their own definitions and rules for vaccinations, just like each country has their own laws. Just like Hawaii wants incoming animals to be vaccinated according to Hawaii's rules, the UK wants incoming animals to be vaccinated according to the UK's rules. I think that's fair.

The UK PETS scheme qualification process requires Americans to get their pets' rabies vaccinations tested at a certain UK-approved laboratory in the US (the famous "rabies titer"). Since it wouldn't make economic sense for the UK to negotiate its way through 50 different sets of state regulations to approve the vaccination and testing policies of 50 different states (let alone the hundreds of laboratories in each state), it seems perfectly reasonable that they have instead visited laboratories in different countries and regions around the world and established a testing program which adheres to UK law. At least Americans don't have to send their samples all the way to the UK!

I hope that helps to resolve some of the confusion. When I learned there might be a possibility of being assigned to the UK for work, I immediately put my two dogs through the paces to be qualified under the PETS scheme. By the time I actually received the assignment, they were good to go and it was a smooth ride. In fact, PETS is a huge improvement over the previous immigration regulations. The first time I wanted to bring a dog over, back in the 1980s, all pets had to go into quarantine for six months, no matter what. The current PETS scheme is a big step up from the way things used to be.

* Note from above: If I remember correctly, the only pets which are exempt from the UK rabies vaccination requirement are pets from places which don't have rabies, like Hawaii. Someone please correct me if that's no longer the case.

ExPatEXP pretty much summed it up noit to mention the other posters. But Rabies is still in the states. The CDC site says there are cases yearly, normally in wild animals, but animals none the less. And you can't expect the UK to believe every vet in the states that each pet has had their shot. So they have set up a system they feel comfortable with. And it is much better than the alternative of having the pet sit in quarantine for 6 months. I was happy to hear about the PETS scheme for the UK when I got my job opportunity. I wonder what the policies for New Zealand would be, I know they are pretty strict about other things like bringing wood into the country, I wonder if they even allow a pet.

But back to my earlier point. Surely you could find someone who your pet would feel comfortable with. The trip is pretty stressful on them. Loud noises down below by themselves in a strange place. My dog definitely didn't like the trip. And on the way back she went to the bathroom in the cage, which I am sure she did because she was frighten. Not an ideal situation, but she got to be over there for almost 2 years after all the waiting and such.

Anyway good luck with your decision, whatever it might be, and welcome to FT, do expect to get people to not agree with you, or the other way around as the case seems to be here. There is a huge pool of people here with different views.

Cheers

I would not have brought my cats over for such a short time period. They did cope fairly well with the stress, but it was stressfull on them - it has to be fairly scarey, being in a cage in an enviroment you are not used to for several hours...even though I had travelled with my cats in the car that was no preperation for a flight. I knew that I would never bring them back to the US.
By the way, if you do decide to bring them over, one thing I did to help mitigate some of the stress, was to line the bottom of their carriers with a couple of old t-shirts that I had worn for a couple hours. When I got them back from the airline/DEFRA they were all snuggled up in them.

Wow - you all have convinced me that this rule is SOO necessary and not arbitrary nor difficult. In fact I am going to lobby for the waiting period to be extended to a full year...NO two years! Because that will be that much more reasonable and the we can definitely be sure the UK is rabies free! Because you know we can't trust american vets or vaccination records....

All rules and laws have to weigh effectiveness vs. practicality. The point is to keep rabies out of the UK - no law is perfect (rabies can still be transferred this way - and through people too, you know that right?).....most of the western world has practically eradicated it so it isnt even a big issue here or the UK. It practically doesnt exist anymore, people, AND records exist of vaccinations, frome real live licensed vets! We live ina global society now and the UK is part of the EU (at least in terms of movement) - the problem as described is not large enough to warrant such a big hindrance in your life. It juts doesn't. Should we quarantine people to test for AIDS for 6 months before entering the US? AIDS is a far larger problem and there is a 6 month gestation period. No, because as a society we decide that this would be a very bad idea all around. We use logic and reason.

I think the whole thing is ridiculous and I really dont care that others dont. Not at all. Now if anybody can share any exceptions to the law, that i would be happy to listen to. Otherwise Im really not reading these posts because they are repetetive and don't help me in my situation at all. But im sure others will enjoy them because they are well intentioned (I guess).

Yep you have it figured out. Not to mention that it is not near eradicated in the US, despite what one the one source you have says. Your posts shows how open minded you might be, and how us yanks get such a good reputation overseas. But since no law is perfect, go preach to people how another country should let your dog in because you know rabies could get in another way. Maybe you should write to your congressman about the UK laws. And tell them they need to change. Fact-there are rabies in the states. Fact-there are no rabies in the UK. Why risk it for someone who wants to bring the pet there for 6 months. Do you think they are missing your special skill that much. Why bend over backwards for a foreign citizen. Anyway some countries take 6 months to get visa for (for humans). Have you ever known anybody who tried to get a tourist visa for the US. It is not easy, nor a short process.

I mean the big picture is that is 6 months time, think about the pets well being first before complaining about a foreign countries pet immigration policy. I don’t think you are going to get much sympathy here, as most of us looking at the forum have gone through the process or about to go through it, and appreciate the fact there is a process that allows you to take your pets without a quarantine period of 6 months.

now I have to turn down a 6 month assignment because of this asinine waiting period. Wonderful
Well, from the pleasant open minded attitude you have shown I can tell it's going to be a big loss for us not to have you here... :rolleyes:

Wow - you all have convinced me that this rule is SOO necessary and not arbitrary nor difficult. In fact I am going to lobby for the waiting period to be extended to a full year...NO two years! Because that will be that much more reasonable and the we can definitely be sure the UK is rabies free! Because you know we can't trust american vets or vaccination records.... Sadly, we can't. We already know that pet owners will try to smuggle little Fifi into our country, with no regard for the health and welfare of our own pets :mad: So we know that some pet owners are irresponsible owners, so we have to put in place a system which is very bureaucratic to try and circumvent all the people who will try and run around the rules.

All rules and laws have to weigh effectiveness vs. practicality. The point is to keep rabies out of the UK - no law is perfect (rabies can still be transferred this way - and through people too, you know that right?).....most of the western world has practically eradicated it so it isnt even a big issue here or the UK. It's a huge issue if we lose our rabies free status, affecting our ability to export pets and livestock guaranteed as rabies free all over the world. Why should we be prepared to affect the livelhood of our farmers, or affect the ability of our citizens to travel with their pets for the sake of non-citizens? Why are your needs more important than the needs of those of us over here? :confused:

It practically doesnt exist anymore, people, AND records exist of vaccinations, frome real live licensed vets! We live ina global society now and the UK is part of the EU (at least in terms of movement) - the problem as described is not large enough to warrant such a big hindrance in your life. Yes, it is. The fact you don't understand the implications of what it is to be rabies free versus rabies controlled, doesn't mean that it isn't a big deal. It's a very big deal, particularly for export of livestock and animal products. The UK spends large amounts of money on an annual basis on planning for control of rabies outbreaks - if a rabid animal is found in the UK, then the cost to the UK of ensuring that it has not got into the general population will be large, and if it does get into the general population, particularly if it makes it to the urban fox population (which has the highest density of any foxes in the world), it will make the FMD control exercises look like a walk in the park.

So set against all that cost, expense, potential loss of revenue etc if a rabid animal does make it to the UK, what is the benefit to allowing pets into the UK? You feel a bit better and aren't sad you've been forced to leave your pet behind.

Yes, clearly that's more important than the costs which the UK would incur if a rabid animal was found :rolleyes: But you expect us to take it on trust that your animal is ok... yeah, right, we're going to do that when we see people trying to circumvent the restrictions :rolleyes: Clearly, not all pet owners are trustworthy, and sadly, the ones who aren't don't have it stamped on their forehead so we can tell the honest ones from the dishonest ones (look at the folks who lie about their animals being assistance animals just so they can fly in the cabin with them :rolleyes: )

Hmmmm. As a voter in the UK, I'm still strongly of the opinion it would be cheaper and easier to keep pets out entirely, unless they go through the full 6 months quarantine, because the costs of getting it wrong are sooo high. I'm just about willing to accept that we have to pay more for the bureaucracy of having a testing system in place, but I'm not willing to allow pets into the UK without doing everything we can to ensure they are rabies free.

Don't like it - don't move here.

I think the whole thing is ridiculous and I really dont care that others dont. Not at all. Now if anybody can share any exceptions to the law, that i would be happy to listen to. Otherwise Im really not reading these posts because they are repetetive and don't help me in my situation at all. But im sure others will enjoy them because they are well intentioned (I guess). There are none. If you don't want to go through the process, don't bring your animal to the UK. The fact you think there might be exceptions (and would probably consider trying to circumvent them) is exactly which such tight regulations are in place in the first place.

Folks, the purpose of this thread is to share your experiences and help others in traveling with their pets to the UK. To debate whether their laws are correct is really off topic.

Rather than delete all of the posts on whether the regulations for entering the UK are fair I will allow then to stay. However I will delete as off topic any future posts like them.

Therefore PLEASE stick to sharing your experiences when traveling with your pet or ask any procedural questions you may have regarding entering the UK with your pet so so your fellow FT'ers may better assist you.

RSSrsvp - Moderator

I think the whole thing is ridiculous and I really dont care that others dont. Not at all. Now if anybody can share any exceptions to the law, that i would be happy to listen to. Otherwise Im really not reading these posts because they are repetetive and don't help me in my situation at all.

As I mentioned, I think there used to be an exception for pets coming from places which are also rabies-free, like Hawaii. However, I'm not sure if that's still the case.

PLEASE stick to sharing your experiences when traveling with your pet or ask any procedural questions you may have regarding entering the UK with your pet so so your fellow FT'ers may better assist you.

Overall, my experience with bringing my dogs to and from the UK to the US has been excellent. The regulations are clear, the PETS helpline is always answered promptly, the UK immigration personnel are well-trained and efficient, and the system just works. If only every country did such a good job!

Like any international transport of live animals, there are certain regulations and restrictions; these are rational and warranted, as many other posters have established in detail. DEFRA has even made the process easier in the last few decades by permitting pets to avoid quarantine altogether if the animals are vaccinated and tested in accordance with DEFRA regulations.

Because my local US vet was not accustomed to dealing with international transfers of animals, it did take a little time to get the paperwork done. However, that was due to the lack of experience of my local vet rather than to any failing on the part of the UK government.

In terms of the actual transport, BA does an excellent job taking care of the animals pre- and post-flight. Their reservations process could be a little clearer but they are happy to talk you through it (just make sure that you make a note of the numbers to press to get to an agent -- saves a lot of time on the next call). The Animal Reception Centre at LHR is very professionally-run and it only take a few minutes to collect your pets. It might seem bureaucratic to an outsider, but I appreciate that the system works so hard to keep the UK rabies-free.

Overall, for future readers of this thread, I highly recommend bringing your pets to the UK if you will be coming over for a significant length of time. The process works well and I have never encountered a single problem. As with all government processes in all countries, however, make sure you leave plenty of time to do the paperwork beforehand.

On the other hand, if you don't want to abide by local law, then you should probably just stay at home. I think that's true anywhere in the world :D

ExpatExp - Is there any chance you could give me some idea as to the cost of transporting a dog from the UK to the US?

I need to get my dog from the UK to Boston in November and so far, it looks like it's going to be a very expensive process.

ExpatExp - Is there any chance you could give me some idea as to the cost of transporting a dog from the UK to the US?

I need to get my dog from the UK to Boston in November and so far, it looks like it's going to be a very expensive process.

The simple answer is: Not cheap! The latest figures I have (from a round trip on BA in 2008, dog weighing about 45 pounds plus carrier weighing about 30 pounds more*) are:

LHR-BOS: £1425
BOS-LHR: $2250

This will vary of course based on fuel costs, weight of the dog, weight of the carrier, etc. Also, I see the following new policy on BA's website (http://www.baworldcargo.com/products/liveanimals.shtml?site=/products/liveanimals.shtml#2):

Please note that British Airways World Cargo at London Heathrow and London Gatwick no longer has the facilities to deal with members of the public or non-account holders. All requests to ship live animals must come via a Pet Travel Agent who can make all the booking arrangements directly with British Airways World Cargo on your behalf.

I bet that means that it's even more expensive now :( I will post an update the next time my dogs make the trip -- probably in September 2011.

* The carrier I had to use to meet BA's requirements was absolutely enormous. One of my friends made a comment that I could have fit a pony inside it. Make sure you follow their carrier guidelines completely or they will not accept your pet.

I am moving this over to the main US-UK travel with pets thread.

RSSrsvp - Moderator