01/04/2010 Loss of conditions could mean pets are at risk

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A recent proposal by the EU could mean the end of pet passports as we currently know them. The rules could be relaxed by abandoning specific controls to protect against the spread of diseases amongst pets. The proposals come as the EU seeks to harmonise the current legislation on pets travelling.

The current rules say that owners need to have their pets undergo a blood test which would show that their pets have undergone a blood test to ensure they have received all the correct vaccines to protect against diseases. If the new proposals go through, this part of the process would not be checked up on. Currently, many pets are turned away and prevented from travelling once this check has shown that pets are not suitably protected. This “significant proportion” of animals that fail the test would then be allowed to travel freely, a worry that some in the veterinary and animal welfare sectors believe could be a big mistake, putting owners and their families at risk of diseases especially rabies.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) says that cats and dogs should be micro chipped and vaccinated against rabies to avoid quarantine and they should be tested a maximum of 24 months and a minimum of three months before shipment to ensure they are not at risk of passing on infection. In 1990, there were 2,679 cases of rabies in EU member states and in 2007, there were 318 recorded cases.

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