PET TRAVEL SCHEME (PETS) REMOVAL OF SEALING REQUIREMENT

A change to PETS transportation requirements came into effect. This following information is direct from the AATA news letter:

“Our present rules require a PETS compliant animal to travel direct to England from a qualifying long haul country on an approved route and, for those traveling by air, to do so in a container bearing an official seal. Animals entering by air from a European qualifying country are not required to have a seal attached to their container (unless traveling from Northern Cyprus).

If an animal enters any other qualifying country (USA and Canada are treated as one for this purpose) before entering the UK, it is currently required to re-prepare for PETS in that country and wait a further 6 months before being allowed to enter the UK.

When EU Regulation 998/2003 on the non-commercial movement of pets applies from 3 July 2004 the UK will not be permitted to retain the requirement for sealing. The Regulation will also allow animals prepared under PETS to travel from qualifying long haul countries to the UK via other qualifying countries (including European countries) without the need to re-prepare.

To help achieve a smooth transition when the Regulation applies, the Government is amending the PETS requirements in this regard before it needs to.

A Statutory Instrument amending the Pet Travel Scheme legislation to remove these requirements was made on 18 March, was laid in Parliament on 19 March and is expected to come into force on 13 April 2004.

Provided the Order comes into force on 13 April, from that date there will no longer be a requirement under PETS for dogs and cats from qualifying long haul countries to travel to England in a container bearing an official seal when transported by air. The Order also amends rabies legislation to allow early release from quarantine of animals meeting PETS rules without them having arrived in England in a sealed container.

This will mean that, from 13 April 2004: competent authorities or transport companies will not need to attach an official seal to pet containers when they are transported to England by air from a qualifying long haul country; pets from long haul countries will no longer have to travel direct to England. They will be able to travel to or via any other PETS country or countries before traveling to England and will not need to re-prepare if they travel to another PETS country before entering England. They must not have been outside any of the PETS countries in the 6 months before entry and must still enter England with an approved transport company on an authorized route; new long haul sea routes can be approved by Defra without the need to amend the PETS legislation; transport companies checking pets prior to boarding a European sea route or Eurotunnel, and the Animal Reception Centers at Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Eurostar at Waterloo checking pets arriving on authorized routes from Europe, will see and be able to accept valid PETS certification issued in qualifying long haul countries.

The changes to the law will also mean that airlines may have greater freedom in the way they transport animals to England. Should they wish to allow animals to travel in the cabin, with the exception of those few European routes where guide and hearing dogs are already able to do this, they would first need to agree a new Required Method of Operation (RMOP) with Defra's State Veterinary Service. However, they would still be responsible for ensuring that animals are delivered to the Animal Reception Centre (ARC) at Heathrow or Gatwick airports for the PETS check to be carried out.

A further consequence of the change to the law is that ferry companies, Eurotunnel and Eurostar may have to check animals with non-ISO Standard microchips. Our publicity advises pet owners whose animals are fitted with a non-ISO microchip to provide their own scanner.

FERRETS

The European Regulation 998/2003 will also, from 3 July 2004, allow ferrets to travel under PETS. The requirements will be similar to dogs and cats. They will have to be identified by a microchip and vaccinated against rabies and be issued with official certification. They will also have to enter the UK with an approved carrier on an authorized route.

We have written to transport companies operating under PETS to explain the change to the sealing requirement and ask if they would be content to also check and carry ferrets.

We are also writing to Superintendents of quarantine kennels, quarantine kennel owners and to the Chief Veterinary Officers in PETS countries to explain the change.

We will be writing to you again shortly to give further information about the changes to PETS which will occur when the EU Regulation comes into effect on 3 July.”. March 31, 2004.

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