Travelling with my 2 dogs on the boat to the UK Sunday.. new regulations

dmg11234

I'm travelling from Rosslare to Fishguard this Sunday as I'm moving to the UK, and I will have my 2 dogs with me. Over the past few weeks I've been told you 'should' have passports and rabies vaccinations but it's not enforced and it won't be checked. When I emailed Stenaline they confirmed this. So, with the costs of moving my whole house and life to the UK, I thought it wasn't necessary to fork out for passports and vaccinations. Now I'm hearing about these new regulations and I'm being told I'll be refused onto the boat and I'm panicking. I don't have anyone who can mind my dogs and I won't have anywhere to live after Sunday

Can anybody tell me how strict this is, will I get onto the boat with my dogs? Has anyone been able to travel with their dogs in the past couple of weeks without being checked?

Thanks

muddypaws

I don't think you'll be refused onto the boat, as my understanding is that it is the UK authorities that will be enforcing it, on the other side, doing spot checks. If you get stopped, your dogs may be seized and put into quarantine, I don't know if they've done it yet.

Sorry, no advice for you.

If you do it , you will be taking a chance. The law itself was brought in over a year ago now. If worst comes to the worst you could have somebody keep them here, do up the passports and then bring them over to you.

dmg11234

I rang the Dept of Agriculture and they said that it is indeed the other side (UK) that have started to enforce it. She said there have been 2 cases recently, one where the dog was removed from the owner and placed in quarantine for 4 weeks. The other, the dog was given the vaccination and released to the owner. So worst case scenario, I'm hoping, is that they will be put in quarantine for 4 weeks on my own expense. She did say we won't have trouble getting out of Ireland and if we do encounter any, it will be at Fishguard.

Here's hoping!

Inexile

OP could you afford to board 2 dogs in quarantine for four weeks. I would think that quarantine would be at least, if not more expensive, than regular boarding kennels and you would have the cost and inconvenience of travelling back to collect them as the quarantine area would be relatively close to the port.

There are reports of at least one UK rescue cancelling/postponing a transport of dogs from an Irish rescue until such time as the dogs were full prepped for travel.

A commercial transporter took some dogs to the UK about 2 weeks ago but said it would be the last time he would take unrabied dogs as he felt the window to allow people to comply was closing.

Are your dogs microchipped? If not I would seriously recommend that they are before travel but you will have to trust your own judgement on whether or not to travel without passports or rabies jabs.

orchidsrpretty

God I never heard of this law. For what its worth, I travelled from rosslare fishguard return last week with a boxer dog who was very visible to whoever looked in the car. Wasn't questioned at either port. Guess I was really really lucky!

muddypaws

dmg11234 wrote: »

I rang the Dept of Agriculture and they said that it is indeed the other side (UK) that have started to enforce it. She said there have been 2 cases recently, one where the dog was removed from the owner and placed in quarantine for 4 weeks. The other, the dog was given the vaccination and released to the owner. So worst case scenario, I'm hoping, is that they will be put in quarantine for 4 weeks on my own expense. She did say we won't have trouble getting out of Ireland and if we do encounter any, it will be at Fishguard.

Here's hoping!

DEFRA in the UK are saying that if caught, your dogs will be quarantined and you will be prosecuted.

The two cases she is talking about weren't people going over with dogs in cars, they were pups that had been sold, and were in the new owner's homes.

dmg11234

Inexile, no I can't afford it, but I have no other option really as I have surrendered the keys of my house to the bank and have absolutely nowhere else to go now after Sunday. In hindsight I should have just got it all sorted a few weeks ago but anyone I spoke to about it, including someone who brings greyhounds back and forth between Wales and Ireland, and the lady who minds my dogs at her boarding kennels, they've all said that they have never been checked for these requirements. I honestly just thought what's the point, when I'm on a one way ticket to the UK and when I obviously know my dogs are rabies free and won't be needing a passport for any other occasion. Yes they're both microchipped to me. The reason I can't just go get them the rabies vacc now is because I leave in 4 days and they'd need to have the vaccs 21 days before travelling. I've now been told by the sailing company and the dept. of Agriculture Ireland that I will not be checked going onto the boat and the only time I may be checked (and that's a very small chance) is upon arrival. If I was to stay here for the 21 days I'd need to board my dogs (20 per night) and pay for a hotel for me, and storage for all my stuff. I finished up in work last Friday so would only have jobseekers. The savings I have are to get me by in the UK til I find work, and to pay rent etc.. So I'm just going to take my chances on it. Worst thing that can happen according to Dept of Agr, is that they'll be quarantined for 4 weeks. Surely this would cost less than boarding, hotel, storage, re-booking the boat etc etc..

dmg11234

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

God I never heard of this law. For what its worth, I travelled from rosslare fishguard return last week with a boxer dog who was very visible to whoever looked in the car. Wasn't questioned at either port. Guess I was really really lucky!

This is good to hear.. thanks

Inexile

dmg11234 wrote: »

Inexile, no I can't afford it, but I have no other option really as I have surrendered the keys of my house to the bank and have absolutely nowhere else to go now after Sunday. ..

Sorry to hear this DMG. Do let us know how you get on and hope things go well for you in the UK.

Qualitymark

dmg11234 wrote: »

The reason I can't just go get them the rabies vacc now is because I leave in 4 days and they'd need to have the vaccs 21 days before travelling.

I'd be inclined to get them vaccinated; at least if you can produce the certificate of vaccination it will give you some backup, even if it's not 21 days ago.

Keeping dogs in quarantine costs thousands, and you'd be required to pay this before getting your dogs back. I'd go for the vaccination.

The other possibility is asking a friend to mind the dogs for the 21 days and bring them across to you on the boat. Is this a possibility?

seanaway

This is a bit of a joke. The Irish taxpayer paid for all cars/trucks passing from UK ports to Irish ports in the Foot&mouth scare and that our agriculture laws are much stricter (and properly enforced) than across the water - well it's time the Irish government stamped down on all the traffic coming the other way.

That sounds like a rant I know but it's an insult to the great work done not only by Dept Ag people but the average Irish who did all needed to stop foot and mouth getting here - and it worked.

We saw no burning masses of cattle (BSE), no sheepless hillsides here etc..

DEPT AG

Get on to Gov about this!

Qualitymark

Or maybe it's time for the British to calm down a little about this?

dogluver

I have been on the ferry with my dog from here to the UK and have never been stopped. If I was I would plead ignorant to these new regulations anyway. I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think its enforced and when we have booked in at the port nothing is ever asked. I think its sole aim is to scaremonger and deter people from trafficking puppy farm dogs from one place to another.

muddypaws

dogluver wrote: »

I have been on the ferry with my dog from here to the UK and have never been stopped. If I was I would plead ignorant to these new regulations anyway. I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think its enforced and when we have booked in at the port nothing is ever asked. I think its sole aim is to scaremonger and deter people from trafficking puppy farm dogs from one place to another.

DEFRA in the UK used to say they weren't enforcing it, and that used to be on their website, they are now saying that they are enforcing it, and have removed that caveat from their website. Ignorance is no excuse under the law. How effectively they will enforce it of course is a different matter, they have said they will be carrying out spot checks, so 99 out of 100 times you'll get away with it. That 1 time out of 100 that they do stop someone without the proper paperwork and vaccinations of course is when you have to decide if you can afford your dog to be impounded, and you being prosecuted.

Its up to individuals if they want to take the chance, but things have changed as of September.

wexie

Can you not just go to the vets and get the paperwork sorted?

Last time I spoke to my vet he told me that there is still a requirement to have the vaccinations however it's now sufficient to just have the vaccinations and you now longer need the bloodtest after 6 months (I think).

Was my vet talking a load of proverbial?

sambuka41

wexie wrote: »

Can you not just go to the vets and get the paperwork sorted?

Last time I spoke to my vet he told me that there is still a requirement to have the vaccinations however it's now sufficient to just have the vaccinations and you now longer need the bloodtest after 6 months (I think).

Was my vet talking a load of proverbial?

There is no blood test but the vaccination has to be given at least 21 days before travel.

wexie

sambuka41 wrote: »

There is no blood test but the vaccination has to be given at least 21 days before travel.

Ah, maybe he missed that bit (or I misunderstood).

thanks