Changed on 1st January 2012, now no six month quarantine. All pets (also covers the movement of other pet animals (namely rodents, rabbits, birds (except certain poultry), ornamental tropical fish, invertebrates (except bees and crustaceans), amphibians and reptiles) will still need to be vaccinated against rabies. Pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia will no longer need a blood test and will only have to wait 21 days before they travel. Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will be able to enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test and a three-month wait before they enter the UK. Tick and tapeworm treatment is still advised. It is best practice, and best for the health of you and your pet, to treat your pet for ticks and tapeworm before returning to the UK.
Entry rules for pets entering the UK from the EU and listed non-EU countries:
| What has to be done | Now | From 1 January 2012 |
| Microchip | Yes | Yes |
| Rabies vaccination | Yes | Yes |
| Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate) | Yes | Yes |
| Blood test (dogs and cats) | Yes | No |
| Pre-entry waiting period | Yes | Yes |
| Length of waiting period before entry to the UK | 6 months from date sample taken for blood test | 21 days after vaccination against rabies |
| Tick treatment | Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation) | No |
| Tapeworm treatment | Yes (as for ticks) | Under consideration at European level |
Entry rules for pets entering the UK from unlisted non-EU countries:
| What has to be done | Now | From 1 January 2012 |
| Microchip | All pets from unlisted third countries are licensed into quarantine for 6 months and vaccinated against rabies on arrival | Yes |
| Rabies vaccination | Yes | |
| Blood test | Yes. Blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination. | |
| Documentation ( third country certificate) | Yes | |
| Pre-entry waiting period | Yes | |
| Length of waiting period before entry to the UK | 3 months after blood sample date | |
| Tick treatment | No | |
| Tapeworm treatment | Under consideration at European level |
pet dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries and territories to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the rules. People in the UK to take their dogs, cats and ferrets to other European Union (EU) and certain non-EU countries and territories, and return with them to the UK without the need for quarantine.
The number of pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) that can be moved between EU Member States – including into and out of the UK – is limited to five per person, unless you are taking part in a competition, show or sporting event.
These animals will require a specific health certificate issued by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. Applications for the certificate should be made at least 10 working days prior to the date of travel. The certificate will be issued direct to your nominated Official Veterinarian (OV) for completion within 10 days of the export date.
All horse owners need to obtain a passport for each horse they own. This includes ponies, donkeys, and other equidae. Foals and adult horses identified after 31 July 2009 must be implanted with a microchip (positioned half way down the neck, near the mane)prior to passport applications being made for them. Horses cannot be moved without their passports except in special circumstances e.g. where owners take their horse on a short hack/ride.
Bovine Tuberculosis and Badgers
Every year a dairy farm must have a TB test. Every cow and heifer is injected with an avian and a bovine form of tuberculosis into the middle third of the neck, one above the other (avian top and bovine bottom) and about 130mm apart by a vet and then three days later the vet returns and compares the size of the swelling at the site of injection. Hence the name of the test, intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test, more commonly known as the tuberculin 'skin test'. If the reaction to the bovine tuberculin is 4mm greater than that of the avian tuberculin the animal is considered a reactor. If the difference is between 1-4mm then the result is inconclusive and the animal must be retested after 60 days. If any are reactors the animal(s) are isolated and culled. The herd must then pass two consecutive skin tests 60 days apart before the movement bans are lifted.
The more sensitive gamma interferon blood test (g-IFN test) is used in addition to the SICCT test in prescribed circumstances. In addition, Pre-Movement testing is a statutory requirement: cattle 42 days old and over moving from a 1 or 2 yearly tested herd must have tested negative to a bTB test within 60 days prior to movement.
As part of the governments commitment to tackling the issue of bovine TB, government has invested in a significant research programme looking into the development of vaccines for both cattle and badgers. An injectable badger vaccine is now available for use by trained and licensed operators, which was licensed in March 2010. This project will be a significant step forward in the vaccine research work as it will be the first practical use of a vaccine for TB in badgers outside research trials.
The earliest projected date for the use of a BCG cattle vaccine with a differential diagnostic test is 2015 and the earliest projected date for a licensed BCG oral badger vaccine is 2015.
Unlike for cattle, there are no regular testing requirements for non-bovine species. When testing is used, for example to lift movement restrictions the tuberculin skin test is the standard internationally accepted TB test. While the skin test is effective when used in most non-bovine species, our experience of its use in camelids suggests that it is not sufficiently sensitive in these species. This has led to the voluntary deployment of two supplementary blood tests. These are currently undergoing validation in a project funded by the main camelid societies.
• Defra funds a wide-ranging TB research programme, focusing on four areas:
- Development of vaccines for use in cattle and badgers.
- Development of improved diagnostic tests for use in cattle and badgers.
- Economic and social research related to the impacts of TB and its control.
- Understanding the epidemiology of TB in cattle and wildlife, and the impact of control measures on disease spread.
• Our priorities for future research include:
- Development of an oral badger vaccine.
- Development of a cattle vaccine with an accompanying DIVA test.
- Work towards a non-sensitising cattle vaccine.
- Development of improved methods to detect infected badgers or setts.
- Understanding the social and economic impacts of TB control policies.
- Understanding the impact of badger ecology and behaviour on TB transmission.
- Alternative methods of badger culling, and non-lethal methods of badger control.
• We plan to make changes to the way the monthly TB statistics are presented so that they are more informative and easier to access and interpret.
My opinion: only almost total eradication of badgers could have a significant reduction and so should only be used to control badger numbers in areas where bTB is very common - there are other ways - bettter biosecurity and further development of bTB vaccine. Sceptical about badger vaccine unless oral as could be used more widely - however if majority cab be vaccinated = herd immunity.
Dangerous Dog Act
The act was originally passed in 1991 and was amended in 1997. It prohibites the ownership of four breeds of dog without a licence. The Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero. The act also prohibits the breeding, sale, exchange, advertising, or gift of any dog listed in section 1(1). It also prohibits such dogs from being in a public place without being muzzled and kept on a lead. Furthermore, it also prohibits the abandoning or allowing to stray of such dogs.
For any breed the owner or the person in charge of a dog (at the time of the offence) to be guilty of an offence if they allow a dog of any breed to be ‘dangerously out of control in a public place'. This offence is aggravated if the dog injures a person whilst out of control.
The BVA has tackled the following issues with this act:
Breed specific legislation: This is not effective in tackling the real cause of the problem, which relates to the owner’s actions or omissions rather than the type of dog concerned. We believe if political will is not there to repeal breed specific legislation, then amendments must be made to ensure better canine welfare and a clear strategy put in place to regularly review, and with the intention of, ultimately phasing out breed specific legislation.
Breed specific legislation: This is not effective in tackling the real cause of the problem, which relates to the owner’s actions or omissions rather than the type of dog concerned. We believe if political will is not there to repeal breed specific legislation, then amendments must be made to ensure better canine welfare and a clear strategy put in place to regularly review, and with the intention of, ultimately phasing out breed specific legislation.
Private Property: The scope of updated legislation must be extended to cover all places, including private property, to ensure better public safety and animal welfare. It must also provide suitable defences for responsible dog owners, e.g. where someone is attacked and their dog defends them.
Permanent Identification: To assist with encouraging more responsible dog ownership, all dogs should be permanently identified, such as with a microchip, so that animals can be matched to their owners and traceability can be improved.
Better Funding: To support this there needs to be sufficient funding streams for dog wardens and police Dog Legislation Officer (DLO) roles so that the law can be adequately enforced and public safety and animal welfare improvements can be practiced. This will save money for the public purse in the short and long term, for example through savings to the NHS for treating dog-related injuries and costs of kennelling seized dogs.
Education and engagement: This should go hand-in-hand with any changes to the law and many animal welfare organisations can provide resources for this.
