Pet Passports to Europe/UK
I've trawled through old topics on the same subject stretching back to 2006. It appears that an application to the UK authorities had been made in 2007 but as yet, I haven't read of any progress. In 2007 it was expected to take around 2 years. Does anyone know whether this is still being assessed or has it been dropped and died a death.
If it is still on-going is there anything that can be done to force the issue by lobbying the British Embassy or DEFRA etc
Would appreciate any additional or new advice since we want to make preparations for our pooch, avoid quaratine if at all possible, even if we have to go through a third party country to obtain the pet passport. As I read on the DEFRA website, this will also take six months but obviously without quarantine.
Any advice, much appreciated.
Unfortunately there's still no news on the scheme and no-one seems to know if it's been sumitted yet or if it's still sat on someone's desk somewhere!!
I will let everyone know as soon as we hear anything but we're not holding our breath anymore.
www.qaws.org
Yes you can get the microchip done here. Worth doing sooner rather than later, in case your dog is lost or stolen (it happens).
I recommend www.dohavets.com. They'll also be able to advise you on everything you need to do when it comes to leaving Doha with your pet. Very helpful people :)
Thanks folk,
Saw the following posted by Chelsea in Nov 08
'QAWS and Qatar Pet Relocators worked together to complete the Pet Passport Scheme Application.
This was then submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Affairs and they are now considering the application and it is our understanding that it may be submitted to the EU in the near future.
We will keep you posted on the application as this is a fantastic move forward for the State of Qatar.'
I suspect that the silence means that the application is still in the pending tray but will contact QAWS to check it out.
Tallg,If the application has been made then it may be worth pursuing with the Britsh Embassy, DEFRA etc. We've had a dog through quarintine to the UK before....once and never again! In my opinion it is cruel and is an antiquated system only preserved by the vested interests of the kennel owners themselves.
If Qatar is not a member of the passport scheme when we do decide to leave then we are considering relocating to Europe or more likely Dubai to obtain the passport there and then commence the process to obtain direct entry to the UK.
I think we need to get the dog chipped now even to go to the UAE and I understand that this can be done at the local vets although jabs given before the chip is inserted are not considered.
I didn't realise the blood test could be that temperamental. I better check with the vet what's happened with ours.
You don't need the blood test if you are going to the UK for Quarantine, just to get into Europe. However, once you have it, as long as there are no gaps between booster shots, it is valid for life and then you can get a Pet Passport. Qatar Pet Relocators and Doha Vets can advise you of these details.
Remember to get the Rabies Blood Serology test done in good time, it can take weeks to come back and can be very stressful if you have a flight booked and test results late or sometimes it can take a few trys to get the antibody levels high enough to pass. (I have a few grey hairs from this!) and make sure that if a booster is needed in the meantime that they overlap, otherwise you will have to redo it, again, not cheap.
Yes, I've heard of people doing that, but as you say it aint cheap!
My friend moved back 7 months ago and had to start teaching in the UK straight away. She used a third party in France to look after her dog. He lived as one of the family and the lady cleared him at French Customs and did all the paperwork to forward him to the UK. He came back happy and healthy but it was REALLY expensive! More than Quarantine.
As far as I'm aware the onus is on Qatar to submit the application, so there's no point lobbying the British Embassy or DEFRA.
This is what DEFRA said when queried about it;
"Any country that wishes to join the Scheme must satisfy the requirements set out in Article 10 of EU Regulation 998/2003. The government of the country in question must then contact the EU in Brussels to put their case."
The QAWS ladies have been trying very, very hard for years to get the Qatar government to apply. Not sure what the current state of play is. Perhaps one of the ladies will fill us in.
So currently you have two choices;
- put dog in quarantine in UK for 6 months
- go to another country, such as France, for 6 months with your dog then go to the UK (or just send your dog there I guess)
We're going with the second option. We move to France for 6 months at the end of August. We were aware of this when we got our dog from QAWS.