U.K.'s Pet Passports Extended to More Countries

L O N D O N, Aug. 2 -- The British government said today it was branching out its “pet passports” to afurther 15 countries that are free of rabies.

Cats and dogs from rabies-free nations including Australia,New Zealand and Japan will now be able to enter Britain withoutquarantine, government officials said.

“The government wascommitted to extending the scheme to qualifying rabies-freeislands by April next year and I am delighted that we will beable to do this ahead of schedule,” government ministerBaroness Hayman said.

“Feedback from the public shows this is an aspect of thescheme that has been eagerly awaited, particularly by servicepersonnel stationed overseas and expatriates,” she said.

Thousands Come in Without Quarantine

The government relaxed Britain’s strict quarantine rules forpets in February but said it would not allow in rabies at anycost.

About 5,000 pets have so far come into the country withoutspending six months in isolation. The extended scheme will comeinto effect at the end of next January.

Pets vaccinated against the killer disease and which fulfillcertain other conditions are able to travel freely with theirowners between Britain, the European Union and other specifiedcountries — a scheme dubbed “pet passports” by Britain’s media.

Owners wanting to travel with their animals must get themblood-tested and issued with an official health certificate, aswell as vaccinated against rabies and other diseases alien toBritain.

The pets should also have identification microchips embeddedunder their skin. Owners are expected to foot the bill.

More Countries May Be Added

A certificate will be valid from six months after the bloodsample was taken until the date the rabies booster vaccinationis due. The owner must also make a declaration that the pet hasnot been outside any of the qualifying countries for theprevious six months.

The full list of new islands to which the pet passport schemenow applies are: Ascension Island, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda,Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Hawaii, Japan, Malta, Montserrat, NewCaledonia, New Zealand, St. Helena, Singapore and Vanuatu.