Hi folks!
I'm wanting to get my Luna girl all set up for her own pet passport in the hope of taking her home next year, but as much as I read the information and the process, it just boggles my head!!

I thought all the paperwork for the Canadian Immigration was a piece of pee compared to what DEFRA require! I'm not after links or suggestions to search in previous posts....I just want to hear from people who did take their pets home and how they coped conforming to the DEFRA rules. I keep reading about the initial step of the microchipping and that in itself is scaring me to bits if the chip cannot be read in the UK then the dog will still end up in quarantine!! What kind of costs figure am I looking at for all this microchipping, rabies shots, blood work, vets fees, etc? Taking into account that we are potentially on the verge of considering bankruptcy, are we looking at a LOT of money here?

I feel so guilty thinking that it would be easier to find my baby a new home (probably be hung, drawn & quartered for that comment )

Is it so difficult? Am I worrying over nothing?

My baby....

I am afraid I cannot give you any advice as we have not made the trip back home to the UK yet with our dog but I wanted to say Luna looks adorable and I hope you manage to get her back to the UK with you!

I do know that our dog was microchipped in the UK and we were told then that not many places in Canada have the same technology to read UK chips so I suppose its the same case for Canadian chips in the UK? (they said Canada was a bit behind the times in its chip technology!) Anyhow he made it to Canada OK, presumably without his chip being read this end and it was the PET passport that got him in? Maybe it will be the same for Luna.

Maybe if you can't afford to take her over straight away someone could look after her for you until you can?

Good Luck anyway.

Thanks for your reply Erica
That is my initial concern, getting over the microchip business and making sure it complies with UK approval. I've asked many vets here and they just vaguely say "I think so...." I remember reading a thread on here not too long ago and Sans said that her vets proclaimed to know exactly what to do with her cat but when it actually came to it, they didn't seem to have a clue and passed comments about the stupid rules that DEFRA required!

Unfortunately, we don't know anyone here for us to leave her with, and my circumstances are kind of complicated too! Depending on what the outcome is for next year, I could end up going back as a family of 4 & a dog, or just me and my daughter....Luna will then stay here with my OH. If that's what happens then so be it, but I want to make sure that I get the ball rolling now and that she could be ready and approved when I'm/we're ready to leave.

Well its good to get organised just in case she does come with you. It makes it feel like you are really on your way home by starting to get things ready too! Maybe you could post something on the main Canada forum too as there maybe a few vet types on there who are familar with Canadian and Uk systems. Choose you words wisely though otherwise it'll just turn into a thread that is rude about the UK and returning to it!

LOL...wise advice!! I'm pretty clued up on the Godzoners over there
However, thanks for suggesting I also put a thread up in the Canada forum...I honestly didn't think of asking on there

Ok, here goes.

If you know roughly when you want to return to the Uk then that's a good start.

Firstly, yes the dog needs the Uk recognised microchip. Must be inserted by a DEFRA approved vet/whatever Canada uses for vets who can approve animal transportation. If they are using it and they are approved by DEFRA etc then it must be ok! You could always call up DEFRA to ask if the chip inserted is ok with them.We got a bit of paper giving the name of the chip on it so it could be possible to chase it up using the name of the chip.

ANYWAY - aside from that.
Rabies injection first. Then 3 weeks after that - blood test that checks to see if the rabies injection has worked.

THEN - you are FREE to leave the country 6 months AFTER THE DATE YOU HAD THE BLOOD TAKEN.
However, the result lasts for up to 12 months so you don't need to leave at the 6 month date - you've got another 6 months ontop of that if you choose.

DON'T leave your pooch with someone else. Just don't go down that option. Once your in the process of injection then blood test it all becomes a lot clearer - trust me. I was the very same as you!
Are you using a pet transportation agent? Might take some of the stress out of it all if you do. We are, and the only paperwork I've had to get is the rabies one and the blood test result. Our pooch was already microchipped when we flew him out here to Oz. The agent does all the rest and I've forgotten all about the money I've spent on them already. Our dog is worth it, so I've done whatever it takes to have him come back with us.

Anything else, PM me. No problem.

*pearly*

Surely the results must last as long as you keep the vaccinations up to date, i.e. re-vaccinate before the expiry date. You would otherwise have to keep waiting six months every time you moved after twelve months duration in one place??? I just had my dog re-vaccinated for rabies. He had the blood draw and chipping done in 2005. Rabies vacciantions last three years here. The initial blood draw result is not invalid after twelve months - where does it say that? (Now I am worried, Vet just said on the phone that my dog is good to go with the booster).

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...en00120017.pdf

Issuing a third country official veterinary certificate
A third country official veterinary certificate may only be issued for an animal to enter the UK if all of the following requirements are met:

*it shows no clinical signs of rabies
*you have read its microchip and the same number is shown on the vaccination record and blood test result
*it has a current rabies vaccination given after it was microchipped
*it has been blood tested after vaccination with a result showing the rabies neutralising antibody titre at a level of 0.5 IU/ml or greater
For entry into the UK this certificate can be issued by any vet in a non-EU listed country. It is headed ‘Veterinary certificate for domestic dogs, cats and ferrets entering the European Community for non-commercial movements (Regulation (EC) No 998/2003)’. The certificate must be a single sheet in English and may also contain a translation in another language. It must be completed in block letters in the language of the EU country of entry or in English.

You should complete sections I to V of the certificate and all the details in the following box. If you are not a government-approved veterinarian, the certificate must also be dated and stamped by a veterinarian authorised by the competent authority.

Validity of the certificate
The certificate will not become valid for entry to the UK for 6 calendar months from the blood sample date shown in section V. However, it is only valid for entry to the EU and subsequent travel within the EU for 4 months from the date it was signed or endorsed, or until the “Valid until” date shown in section IV, whichever is earlier. Pet owners wishing to enter the UK with their pet should therefore be encouraged to delay getting the certificate until a month or two before they travel to ensure that it will still be valid when they enter the UK.
Page last modified: 25 November, 2008

So....if the certificate is not signed for a year or so after the first results are back, that is the date of endorsement, is it not? It does not affect the results. My Vet is now checking again, because if I can't take my dog next month, I am well and truly f*****.

Oh Luna(tic) no wonder your looking pee'd off dressed like that

Happy Christmas.

I discovered (after the fact) that the chip that my dogs have (Home Again) is not one that can be read by the UK scanners, so I rented a Home Again scanner and carried it in my carry-on bag so that the chips could be scanned when we got there. However, in the actual event, either they WERE able to scan the chips, or they didn't actually do it because I never had to use the scanner I'd rented.

This is the web site for renting the scanner, if it should be an issue. http://www.classypets.com/Merchant5/..._Code=PTSCHIPS

Yes, of course they'd last as long as you kept the vaccinations up. But I thought Rubymurray was looking at going in the next year so no need to keep vaccinating unless you want to maintain the PETS passport.
If you just want to get your pet back and you plan to go within the year then only one rabies jab is required.

My dogs had the 3-year rabies vaccination, and I contacted Defra by email to check that this was ok for getting into the UK. The vaccination is valid until the date on the rabies certificate, and yes, as long as it's renewed BEFORE it's due, it remains valid.

My dogs got their (3-year) rabies vaccination and titre test in May 2006 and we travelled in August 2008 without having to get any kind of booster or retest of the titre.

OK - I emailed DEFRA just to be sure. In Canada its a Third Country Certificate they get, and just in case there is a difference, I have asked DEFRA to clarify about revaccinations when you have a significant delay after the first titre test. I have a Cert from July 2006, never used it, and now will have another in Jan 2009. I have asked DEFRA to confirm that woofer is good to go!

Thank you...blood pressure slowly going down.....