Total Dog Magazine

Tag: Dog Travel

  • These Are The New Rules For Taking Dogs Abroad After Brexit

    These Are The New Rules For Taking Dogs Abroad After Brexit

    From 1 January 2021, dog owners will need a new animal health certificate to take your pet on holiday with you. Pet passports will no longer be valid after Brexit.

    Many things will change for us in 2021 and, as we prepare for the next stage of Brexit, the RSPCA is reminding pet owners to check to see whether the new rules will affect their holiday plans from next year.

    The UK* now has Part 2 listed status under the EU Pet Travel Scheme and this means that from 1 January 2021 you’ll need to follow a new set of rules if you want to take your pet abroad to Northern Ireland or countries within the EU.

    David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “A lot will change from 1 January including changes to travel rules for people and for pets. Pet passports will no longer be valid and anyone who wants to take their pet abroad from Great Britain to Europe and Northern Ireland will need a new animal health certificate from their vet each time they wish to travel abroad.

    “We know a lot of people take their pets abroad to compete in shows and competitions, and others like to include their pet when they go on holiday. It’ll still be possible to do all of these things as you do now, but you will need to apply for different certificates and paperwork so we’d always advise owners to take this into account long before departing.”

    New dog travel rules after Brexit quick guide

    Will pet passports still be valid after Brexit?

    No. Pet passports will no longer be valid for pet owners wishing to travel from England, Scotland and Wales;

    What you need to take your dog abroad after Brexit

    If you want to take your cat, dog or ferret abroad from Great Britain to Northern Ireland or a country within the EU then you’ll need an animal health certificate from your vet (valid for one journey for up to four months);

    These certificates will include details of a rabies vaccination (taking 21 days) and, if you’re travelling to Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, your pet will also need to be treated against Echinococcus;

    What you need to take your dog to Great Britain after Brexit

    If you’re travelling from the EU into Great Britain then you’ll need a pet passport and there will be no changes until 1 Jul when you’ll have to use a designated point of entry;

    If you’re travelling from Northern Ireland into the UK then you won’t need a passport or health certificate (as we’re in the same Customs Union) but you will need one to return.

    *England, Wales and Scotland (excluding Northern Ireland which is part of the EU’s SPS area)

  • Dog Car Travel Tips

    Dogs sometimes feel the need to help us navigate to our/their favourite destination when we’re travelling by car. Many of us have had the ‘pleasure’ of a helpful dog shouting out instructions from the back of our vehicle ‘The park! Let’s go to the park!! Will we be at the park soon??? We’re going the wrong way. This looks more like the route to the vet’s, not the par…oh, s**t!! Turn around, turn around!!!”

    Yes, dogs do make our journeys more interesting in the car. Now a road safety guide for people who travel with their pets has been produced by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to assist dog owners travel safer with their pets.

    In a motor crash, an unrestrained pet could be seriously injured, or could injure other people travelling in the car by being thrown forward. This new guide gives advice and safety tips which could save your or your pet’s life….

    Travelling with pets can have many hidden dangers. For instance, at 30mph, a 50lb border collie would be thrown forward with a force equivalent to almost 9 12 stone men.

    Even pets that are normally well behaved could be frightened by something unusual, make sudden dives or become noisy and agitated.

    Vets report the high number of animals they treat who have been injured whilst travelling.

    The Department for Transport has worked with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the PDSA to produce an advisory leaflet, Carrying Pets Safely, which explains some of the dangers (to drivers and animals) of driving with unrestrained pets and solutions and helpful tips for making travelling by car as safe and comfortable as possible

    Although drivers aren’t required by law to make their pets ‘belt up’ it is an offence, rule 43 of the Highway Code states that “When in a vehicle, make sure that dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you if you stop quickly”. Failure to observe provisions in the Code may be used to establish liability for an offence.

  • Dog Travel Tips

    To ensure fun, stress-free travel with your canine pal, follow these 5 simple tips:

    1. With experience, most dogs get over the tendency to become sick when riding in a moving vehicle. However, some will almost always get queasy. In such cases, you should ask your veterinarian to prescribe a motion sickness pill or a sedative.

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