Heart of gold

I know there are several threads regarding PETS but I can't seem to find any of them!
What I need to know - as the whole process is some what confusing - is what I have to do from start to finish to take my 4 cats back to the uk, 3 of the cats were vaccinated last Novemeber and the youngest last month, it wont be a problem to get them all in the same time line but we have not had blood tests done yet, and wondered if we need to wait now until they have their boosters to get bloods done or can this be done now?
Its all kind of sudden but its possible that I could be going back to the uk in the next few months and I refuse to leave the cats behind - If blood tests prove that the rabies vac is on the right level am I permitted to take them back to the uk and put them into Quarantine as it would far easier than trying to find someone here in Dubai to care for them until they are able to travel - To many ppl take on pets here and dump them when they return to the uk, our's are rescue cats and we adore them.
Pet passports - Are they actual passports and how much roughly do they cost? In fact how much roughly does the whole process cost? Im now panicking as time could be very limited!
Any advise would be fab.

Thanks
Mikkie

sel

Give DEFRA in the UK a call they will be able to tell you what you need to do and hopefully put your mind at rest

Pet Travel Scheme Helpline:

Telephone: +44 (0)870 241 1710 (Monday to Friday - 8.30am to 5pm UK time)


http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

TracyAnne

Hi Mikkie,

We are heading back to the Uk in 5 weeks time. Our labrador George had his rabies jab on March 17th, his blood test 4 weeks later on April 14 th and he would be free to fly straight into the UK quarantine free after Oct 13th. (6 months from blood test). However, we are flying back on 13th July and he will fly within a few days of us. He will be going to a quarantine kennels in Salisbury about 30 miles from where we will be living until Oct 13th. I know its not ideal, but we could not leave him here for 3 months, so this way at least we will be able to visit him 2-3 times a week. I feel sad for him but he is young and I know he will cope with being in kennels.

Tracy

Heart of gold

Thanks Tracy


The cats have had their Rabies shots when they were chipped, bloods being done tomorrow now so they would have been released from quarantine 6th December - We were looking at knightswood in Salisbury but its likely now that someone here that is heavily into cats would care for them as we got 3 of them from her. I would have preferred to have them where I could visit them, but I dont think that is going to be an option.
Where are you flying from and who are you flying with.... How much was the pet passport?

Thanks

Mikkie

dunroving

To try to answer some of your questions (I am taking my dog Suzy back from US to UK):

The whole scheme sans travel will probably cost me close to 1,000 dollars (microchip, rabies shot, rabies blood test, third country cert plus DEFRA endorsement - here in US, vet completion of the cert has to be endorsed by the gov't agency - and lastly the worm treatment).

Probably the most expensive part these days is the shipping. It used to be if you were on the same plane that the pet would be classed as excess baggage, about $100, but now they have to fly as cargo even if you are on the same plane. For my dog that will cost about $1,800. She's worth every penny.

Once you have started the process it is all pretty straightforward but worrying (you panic that you have got every little bit exactly right). I think the most worrying and fiddly bit will be actually travelling. You have to get the worm treatment done not less 24 hr, but not more than 48 hr pre-check-in of your dog. Also, even though you can book your flight weeks before, you can't book your pet's spot until 14 days before (at least that's my experience with BA in the US). Also, you have to go by an approved route (so I have to drive 5 hrs to Washington, DC as it's the closest). Also, I have heard that on the day if it's above 90 degrees, some airlines at some airports won't fly animals. I'm still waiting on a reply from BA about that one.

Some fiddly bits are that the dates have to be written in the correct order on the third country cert (here in the US, they can mess it up) and it has to be on one page (so you must print it out double-sided). Also, some chips may not be picked up by the chip readers at port of entry so you would have to buy your own chip reader.

As you said you are already aware of many of the other threads you probably know most of this, but I know it is hard to put it all into a logical sequence and know exactly what to do at each point.

Scout

Here's the thread I started after we went thru it all:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ighlight=Scout

Here's the steps:

1. Get the rabies shot
2. Wait about 4 weeks and have your Vet draw blood and send to the Kansas Lab for results.
3. Once you get the results of the titer test wait 6 months.
4. Have the certificate endorsed by the USDA (Federal) Vet ....this is not the same thing as a USDA Certified Vet. A lot of Vets are USDA certified but the Federal Vet works for the USDA......once the certificate is endorsed it's good for 4 months....if you don't leave the country in that time frame, the Federal Vet must endorse a new certificate. Make sure you do not let your rabies vaccination expire. Get it renewed at least a month before it is due to expire.
5. Once you are ready to fly and have your date booked, get a Health Certificate to fly your pet out of the country. It must be issued within 10 days of travel. This is not the same certificate as the UK Pet Travel Scheme one. This is the certificate required by the airline to fly any animal in the US anywhere. This certificate may say that the Federal Vet needs to endorse it as well and British Cargo incorrectly advised us it must be endorsed by the Federal Vet, but the USDA tells us it is not required..........I had the Federal Vet endrorse it anyway (on the day we flew out no less) because after all the wrong advice we got from our Vet and maybe inadvertantly BA Cargo, I no longer trusted anyone to know what they were talking about.
6. Between 24 and 48 hours of travel, have your Vet give the dog the tick and tapeworm treatment. Make sure to read the DEFRA requirements for the proper drug that must be used. Make sure your vet completes the Pet Travel certificate regarding the tick/tapeworm treatment.
7. BA requires that you arrive at cargo with your pet at least 4 hours before flying. .........when you count that extra time, the length of the flight and the time it takes to pet to clear customs, you are probably going to have a somewhat soiled and smelly dog on your hands when you collect her/him. BA was great at Gatwick for helping us to clean our dog Scout up and provided loads of blankets for her to rest on in the car. Our dog messed her crate 5 minutes before we picked her up. If British Customs had been a bit more speedy and hadn't taken 4 hours to clear her we would have been fine. DEFRA cleared her almost immediately, but Customs took their time.

We faxed our customs forms to the UK several days prior to our flight as BA told us to do, but don't count on that speeding Customs up any.

dunroving

- for those of you who are cutting it fine (need to leave ASAP), be aware that you can get the third country certificate before 6 months has elapsed from the date of the blood draw. I'm in that situation (flying out 6 mths and one day after the date of the blood draw). I'll be getting the third country cert about 5 months after the blood draw (1 mth before flying).

- the "6 months" part is that your pet must enter the UK no more than 6 mths post-blood draw in order to avoid any quarantine. If you are even 1 day less than 6 mths, I presume your dog would have to do a 1-day quarantine (not as cheap as you might think).

- but, for those of you who are not in a rush, better to leave the cert until later as it is only valid for 4 mths as Scout says.

jezebel

How do you find out where a FEDERAL USDA vet is ? Do you have to travel miles or is this just paperwork in the post and you never actually see the Federal vet ?

Sorry if I sound dumb

dunroving

I located the nearest one online at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome - click on the "Agencies and Offices" link at the top. I have copied the email I received from them below.

How far you may have to travel just depends on where you are - but you can mail the document if you don't want to travel in person to get it done:

An accredited veterinarian needs to complete, sign and date the UK health
certificate in the block entitled Official Veterinarian or Veterinarian
authorized by the Competent Authority. USDA will countersign in the block
below that entitled Endorsement by the Competent Authority.

In order for USDA to countersign the papers, you must have followed the
UK's requirements and in the specific order of steps, your vet must be
accredited in NC. We need to see the original completed UK health
certificate, signed and dated by the accredited vet, the original rabies
vaccination and rabies serological test results form Kansas State Lab and
$76 payment for our endorsement. These papers can be sent to me. I
process them and return them within 24-48 hrs of receipt or you can make an
appointment to bring the papers into the office and wait for them to be
processed (approximately an hour). You can send the papers to me
approximately a month before you leave and get them back in plenty of time.
UK requires a tick and tapeworm be done 24-48 hrs before travel, signed by
your vet. USDA does NOT need to see or sign anything after this treatment
is performed.

If you would like to know if your vet is accredited, please provide me with
his/her complete name and license number if possible. If you have any
specific questions not covered here, please let me know.

Bombshell

I'm currently going through all the pet stuff myself. I brought a Persian cat over from England a year and a half ago, and he has a passport. Due to my husband being in the Air force, we are hoping to get a posting back, so are getting things in order. All I have had to do for him is get his rabies injection before the original date stamped in his passport expires, which I did. His health certificate with in 10 days before flying and then tick, flea and worming 24 hours before flying. He's quite easy. However, I adopted a Persian cat while being here. What I have had to do for her so far is the following; She has had her rabies injection and then we went back 10 days later for them to take blood. I then had to send the serum from the blood through the mail to be tested. I am now waiting for the all clear to say she is rabies free. Even though I know this as my cats are indoor cats. Once I receive that note, we still can not enter the Uk with her for 6 months. Which is a shame because we might end up leaving her with friends until that time comes. After reading through all that is required to enter England, I did read the part about Airlines. They require you only fly on certain airlines with your animals!!! Hope this was helpfull.

dunroving

Remember though that before you do anything, you have to get your pet microchipped. Otherwise all the other paperwork is worthless, because you can't prove it is the same animal.

jezebel

Thanks Dunroving...that's better...I know what I'm doing now !

Heart of gold

Thanks for everyones replies.... Our furballs had bloods taken yesterday and as the samples go to Germany the results should be back in less than two weeks!
In all its likely to cost us 4 1/2 thousand pds, this will cover everything from start to finish to getting them home, they have to stay as they cannot fly for 6 months - breaks my heart - We discussed getting bloods done last year when we got them all chipped and vacinated, wish we had now .... Our fault really! I just hope they all cope with the winter weather when they are finally home as they spend many hours sun bathing on the balcony here.

Lizzi

Our vet isn't very clued in with the scheme - our cat has had her blood results in, all ok, but what is the next stage? Sorry if this has already been covered but I'm getting v confused. Thanks

Jerseygirl

As a dog lover I have been following your posts over the last few months with interest. I think the most frustrating part of your move to the UK is that fact that you can't book Suzy on your flight until 14 days prior to your journey. Even then you have the weather to worry about. Good luck, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.