Finally the UK to ease its Pet Movement Rules

Having just finished reading an article stating that the UK will ease their pet movement rules, it makes me breath a sigh of relief - lets face it the UK is just too damn tough about these things.

From the 1st January 2012 pets entering the UK will not have to be put through the awful ordeal of 6 months in quarantine, which not only breaks the pet and owners hearts at the long time of being separated from each other but also breaks the owners bank with the extortionate costs.
This money making quarantine scheme will soon be a thing of the past and pets can be reunited with their owners in the UK instantly as long as all the other requirements have been obeyed.

Please see the grid below for the current rules and alongside those the new amended rules as of 1st January 2012.


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

So this will benefit owners wishing to travel freely with their pets and also people wanting to adopt street animals from overseas and take them back to the UK.