|
|
|
Real-life experiences recounted
We feel it's always worth hearing about real-life experiences of situations, as the more aware you are of what possibly could happen to you, the more prepared you are and hopefully the more smooth your "ride" will be. Here we have accounts of two families who both travelled to France with their assorted pets... oh, the lessons they have learned!
|
Joanna Simm and family:
Joanna Simm moved to the Languedoc area of South West France in October 2004, taking with her two horses, three dogs, five cats, three guinea pigs and a rabbit.
|
Taking your pets abroad - a nightmare?
For anyone planning to take pets to France, the following three words may be helpful: "Don't do it!"
No, seriously, there is much conflicting advice around regarding the relocation abroad of animals, and I suffered numerous headaches trying to sort the truth from the fiction.
|
|
|
Making your pet's transition easier
But, if like me, you cannot contemplate leaving your pets behind when you decide to relocate to France, there are certain things that you need to do, and preparations that you should make to make your pet's transition easier.
|
Pets' health requirements
First and foremost are the animals' health requirements. It is advisable to make sure that they are in good health (whatever type of animals they may be), so arrange an appointment with your veterinary surgeon well in advance of travel, so there is plenty of time to get the necessary vaccinations. Your vet should be able to advise, but the latest requirements should also be accessible from DEFRA on www.defra.gov.uk. Currently all dogs and cats should have rabies vaccinations and micro chips before entering France. Once in France, make sure that you update the details of the micro chip with the French database. It is also necessary to arrange for blood tests to be done within a certain period before the date of travel, so make certain you time things correctly or you could end up having to reschedule the move! Horses require official passports, and it is advisable although not strictly necessary to have their vaccinations up to date, especially if they are travelling as a part load with other horses.
|
Returning to the UK
It is, of course, a totally different story should you wish to return to the UK with your pets, in which case you will need to obtain full passports. This entails full vaccination programmes including against rabies, blood testing for immunity, and treatment for tics, fleas and worms. In this instance, consult DEFRA and your local Veterinary surgeon for the latest advice (see below for update).
|
|
|
Practical advice for dogs and cats
I had my dogs and cats brought up to date on all their normal vaccinations (Parvo, lepto, distemper, feline enteritis etc) and also vaccinated against rabies. The rabies jabs were not, at the time of our move, required for most parts of France, but you do need to check with a local vet before you decide to pass on such options, as just after we arrived here there was a rabies scare in Bordeaux and parts of the Dordogne, due to an infected animal having been brought in from Spain. I chose to vaccinate mine, as the part of France where we live is not far from the Spanish border.
|
Guinea pigs, rabbits and horses
The "Guinea Bits" (a rabbit and three guinea pigs) did not require vaccination, so far as we could ascertain, but we treated them for mites before travelling to be sure they were in the best possible condition to withstand the journey. The horses are required to have a current equine passport, as are all horses in the UK now, regardless of whether or not they are to travel overseas. This is the only legal requirement, but as with the dogs and cats, I had all their vaccinations brought up to date prior to travelling and also administered routine worming. The horses were also given a probiotic supplement in their feed, to minimise the trauma of travel, change of diet and surroundings.
|
Planning the actual journey
If you are undertaking any long journey with animals you need to prepare suitable accommodation for the journey, giving careful thought to requirements for food and drink, toilet facilities, and prevention of escape at all times... I can hardly imagine a worse scenario than losing a loved pet at an auto route stop!
|
Planning the actual method of transport
If you are going to use a professional transporter, as I did for our horses, be sure to arrange this well in advance. (Theirs was a five-day journey, with overnight stabling provided along the way. Professional horse carriers such as J Parker, whom we used, have a huge advantage over the individual in this respect, and I would strongly recommend their use unless you are experienced in the long distance transportation of horses.) Be aware too, that transporters, if taking your animals as a part load (the economical way to do it), they are subject to other peoples timing and difficulties, so the times and dates may change significantly and without too much notice. If you are travelling to a rigid schedule yourself it is a good idea to have a friend on stand by to care for any animals that may not have left Britain before you do!
|
Choosing a horse transporter
If you are trying to choose a horse transporter (there are plenty of adverts for them in the back of Horse and Hound) , ring around and speak to them all to get a feel for their attitudes to their charges. Make sure that their distances per day are realistic too, and that they have overnight accommodation arranged for the horses en-route if the journey is likely to be a long one.
|
Travelling with small animals
In the case of small animals, that is, dogs (even though ours are very large!), cats, rabbits etc., forward planning is the key to a comfortable and safe journey. Dogs should be acclimatised to the car in the weeks before the journey, so that when it comes to it they are happy and settled. If you are travelling with animals in your vehicle, you will find that it is best to travel by Eurostar, as in this case you can spend the crossing in your vehicle and do not have to leave your animals. However, should this not be an option, for instance if you have an LPG vehicle that is prohibited on the train, speak to the ferry companies in advance and arrange for a member of their crew to check on the animals during the voyage. Design cages for cats and other small pets carefully. Bear in mind ease of cleaning out when necessary (they may not be able top hold on for fifteen hours, no matter how much you may want them to!), comfort, allowing a facility for accessing non spill drinking water and perhaps above all, safety.
|
Settling into a new life
Give some thought to the best ways to settle your pets into their new surroundings on arrival. You may be hot, tired and stressed after the journey, but your first attention should be for the animals who will be feeling all those things and probably terrified as well. Have their accommodation ready, in the case of horses and caged animals, keep cats in the house for the first few weeks to prevent the possibility of them making a desperate bid to return to Blighty, and spend plenty of time with your dogs, talking to them and walking them to get them used to their new territory. Introduce yourself to a vet... there are usually two or three in any decent sized town... and get out and about with your dogs or horses. There is no better way to meet people and make friends!
|
Travelling's a stressful business - even more for animals
Don’t underestimate the amount of stress that a move will cause to your animals. Without exception, my pets showed signs (in varying degrees of severity) of stress in the days and even weeks following the move, so be prepared, be understanding, and give it time. Different animals show stress in different ways… but you can try to alleviate the worst effects by making any changes of diet gradual rather than immediate, establishing a routine as close as possible to the one they knew before, and perhaps using alternative therapies such as the probiotic additives, and Bach flower remedies to calm and relax.
|
One final piece of advice...
Oh… and if you are travelling in an animal filled car as we did, invest in an air freshener!
|
Angela Allen and family:
We also travelled with numerous animals from Devon to Monesties. We had sixteen cats and one dog. They all had their anti-rabies injections and were micro chipped (we were lucky and got discounts for both due to the large numbers). My husband made two cages for the cats which we put on the back bench seats of our camper van. In went the cats and their bowls of food and water inside the cages.
|
Travelling by ferry and car
We travelled from Plymouth to Roscoff over-night with the dog on the floor by my feet. The ferry trip was eight hours and the animals slept all night in the van. I was worried in case the boat sank and I couldn't get to them… always the pessimist! But no worries, they were fine in the morning.
We then faced a 12-hour drive to our house. We had a spray of water for the cats as they were getting a bit warm but they seemed quite happy and slept most of the time. We stopped several times for the dog… though we only needed the fresh-air spray once!
When we finally arrived and undid the cages they all scattered and it took a day before they emerged from their hide-outs.
|
Keeping an eye on the horses
Our horses also travelled with John Parker and as we had ten they had the box to themselves. My daughter travelled with them to keep and eye on our old pony of 36 years, and they all arrived in good health. (They stopped over-night and then caught the early ferry from Dover) When they got over the channel they didn't stop as they couldn't find anywhere to put up all ten but it wasn’t a problem. They arrived at 5am at the house and all was well. We just had to rush about putting up the fences at 6am as they weren't expected until mid-day!
|
Settled in France
All the animals have now settled down brilliantly and the horses love the fact that there’s no MUD!!
|
** IMPORTANT UPDATE - 5 JUNE 2007 **
Since this article was originally written, there have been a few changes to the procedures involved in taking pets to France, which makes some of the advice given in our question and answer section below incorrect.
It is now illegal to bring pets into France without a rabies vaccination. For details of the animals that are subject to this requirement, please see the French Embassy site, www.ambafrance-uk.org, which gives clear guidelines to follow. In short, animals such as dogs, cats, ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies and micro chipped or tattooed at least 21 days before travelling to live in France on a permanent basis.
Another difference is that modern micro chips and tattoos can now be re-registered and recognised by the French system, BUT you must visit your vet with the relevant paperwork to complete the re-registration process.
Further information regarding these changes and regulations can be obtained by visiting:
www.agriculture.gouv.fr
It is important to keep up-to-date with these changes as they can be hugely significant and you may not hear of them through everyday sources.
|
** TAKING DOGS BACK TO THE UK - UPDATE ADDED 19 MARCH 2008 **
If you should wish to take a dog back to the UK, be sure that you follow the rules totally. Have all the usual vaccinations done and kept up-to-date... the French authorities are sticklers for timing so don't let the due date pass by. The rules for obtaining a Pet Passport and being able to travel to the UK with your dog are as follows - firstly ( the initial vaccination) the dog needs to have an up-to-date rabies jab and then a blood test which shows the rabies antibodies in the blood stream. The animal is only permitted to travel six months after this positive blood test. The animal needs to be vaccinated annually in France (in the UK there are vaccines which last three years but these are not accepted in France for this period) and if the re-vaccination is not administered within the correct period the animal will once again have to have the blood test (and consequently another six month wait before travel after a positive result). The vet will issue a Pet Passport with a record of the vaccinations and blood tests on request.
The second thing you need to do is to take your animal to the vet between 24 and 48 hours before travel to have anti-parasite treatment administered (usually an injection for intestinal parasites and a Frontline type treatment for external parasites). Be sure that the vet enters the time of the administration of these correctly as a mistake will result in you being unable to travel. If you are delayed travelling to the ferry ports and the time goes over the limit, the port authorities should be able to direct you to a vet who can re-administer the treatments.
Finally, be aware that a European Pet Passport is not valid for the UK. There have been cases where people who regularly travel with their dogs between say, France and Spain, using a European passport, have tried to enter the UK using the same passport... to no avail.
|
| |
|
your questions...
1. Sandra Bell from Australia writes about owning dogs in France (added 6/9/06)...
Firstly, congratulations on your various articles regarding moving to France. We are moving to France from Perth, Western Australia with West Highland Terriers in tow. We have been discussing the in's and out's with our Vet so that is OK but what is the story with regard to owning dogs in France. For example, most local councils in Australia only permit the ownership of two dogs per household. Can you shed any light on how the French authorities view dog ownership?
Joanna Simm, co-author of this article and owner of three dogs, replies...
We have had no problems at all regarding authorities and numbers of dogs. We have three here, and have friends who also have three or more. I have certainly never heard of any restriction. I think dogs are better tolerated here than they were in the UK. Don't know about Australia! Dogs here are even welcomed in restaurants and cafés, perhaps not in the very poshest, but they are a common sight sitting by tables in local bistro type places! There are supposedly fines for allowing your dog to foul public streets, but in general dogs are a very popular part of life - in our part of France anyway! Vets seem to be very good, and we have found that the dogs have been a good ice breaker with people we meet for instance, if we take them swimming in a lake, people stop to talk to us more than if we go 'sans chiens!' Dog showing is also popular here, and agility (classes) too. Anyway, best wishes to you and your dogs!
2. A visitor to the site asks about ticks (added 8/12/06)...
My daughter is moving to France with her one-year old fox terrier. She will be living in the countryside, and has been told there is a problem with ticks. She was told that there is some sort of instrument you can buy that will remove them. Do you know anything about this instrument, and where you can buy it?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
The best tick removers I have come across are those called O'Tom Hooks (known as Tick Twisters in the US), which certainly work very well for us and our labrador. Details of these small plastic devices can be found at www.otom.com.
We bought ours from our Vet, but you can also find them at pet shops. I'm not sure what part of the country you are from, but if you are having problems finding them, you could contact the Downland Veterinary Group (www.downlandvets.co.uk.). We got ours from the Barnham Surgery.
I hope this information is of use.
3. Another visitor to the site asks a few questions (added 8/12/06)...
We have a boxer whom we wish to take to Brittany just after Xmas. To get her microchipped, two rabies injections and a passport would, it appears, take us the best part of eight months. She is now ten years old. What I need to know is:
a) Since we are moving to live in France would it not be best to see the local vet about any injections that she might need and do the requirements for a passport in Brittany?
b) Are the French vets more or less expensive than the UK?
Joanna Simm, co-author of the above article, replies...
There is no need to have any of that done in the UK. I would advise being up to date on basic injections, but in Brittany I wouldn't worry about rabies at all, unless you find out that there has been an outbreak in the region, which I very much doubt up there.
Vets here seem to charge roughly the same as in the UK, with the same variance of price from vet to vet too.
DONT micro chip in the UK... the chip is useless in France and cannot be read. It is only worthwhile if you are returning to UK with the dog.
This is the same with rabies jabs. Yes, you will need a rabies jab if you are returning, but as they only last one year (French regulations) and the animal must be blood tested for immunity within so many days of travel (check with local vet), it is pointless to do it in the UK except if your stay in France is short term.
We didn't have to show any papers for our dogs at all on the way out there. We travelled through the tunnel in our car and they only asked what animals we had, that was it.
** SEE ABOVE UPDATE, ADDED 5 JUNE 2007 **
The visitor is still unclear...
Thanks for your advice. Two things I am still not sure of:
a) If I got her micro chipped in France to allow for a holiday in the UK, would the authorities accept it here?
b If I wanted to get her a passport for the UK, could I get it in France?
Joanna's reply...
I am not sure if French micro chips can be read in England... I would ask an English vet on that one. It certainly DOESN'T work the other way round. French vets cannot read English micro chips.
And I think that you can get a passport for a dog in France for trips to the UK... it will just be a French passport. It stands to reason that you can, or French people wouldn't be able to bring their dogs from France to the UK either. And I would see a French vet on that to see what is involved. It will involve rabies jabs and tests. This is all absolutely necessary if you are travelling from France to the UK... just not the other way round.
So - you can take a dog from England to France without passports and checks, but NOT from France to England... rabies laws prevail.
** SEE ABOVE UPDATE, ADDED 5 JUNE 2007 **
4. Josie Copeman asks about moving to France with cats (added 8/12/06)...
We are planning to move to France in the next few weeks and I have just found out that you cannot now take your cats with you unless they have been micro chipped, rabbies jabbed and have pet passports. Can anyone confirm this is now the case, and if so, how long before I can now take them out to France near (Montauban) once these things have been done?
Joanna Simm replies...
Montauban is not all that far from me, so I wouldn't expect it to be any different. So, unless things have changed massively since I came (October 2004), cats do not need anything to come to France. (But they do if you want to return to the UK with them.) If you travel by car/train/tunnel with your car, all you have to do is declare at customs how many animals you have. You don't have to show anything else.
My advice would be to have the cats vaccinations brought up to date (and I did have mine vaccinated against rabies though I haven't repeated it yet as there is no rabies here).
Micro chips, if you are going to live in France permanently, are a waste of money if you get your cats micro chipped in the UK. They cannot be read here in France. It would be better to wait until you get here and get French ones. They are advisable as if your cat is lost you have a good chance of having it returned.
If however you will be returning to the UK with your cats, you will need a micro chip. And it would probably be best to check with your English vet whether a French chip will be recognised in the UK, or whether you would need an English one ie: whether you would need to get one before you leave the UK.
And as with dogs, you will also need a passport if you will be returning to the UK with your cats. This can be obtained in France, it would just be a French passport. I would see a French vet to see what is involved there. It will involve rabies jabs and tests. This is all absolutely necessary if you are travelling from France to the UK... just not the other way round.
So, to recap, you can take a cat from England to France without passports and checks, but NOT from France to England. This is of course unless there is a rabies outbreak and emergency regulations come into play.
I hope this helps, though I realise it may be confusing as there are rules and regulations that state that you do need these things. I can only offer advice based on past experience.
** SEE ABOVE UPDATE, ADDED 5 JUNE 2007 **
5. Max Kennett asks about moving dogs from South Africa to France (added 11/5/07)...
We are hoping to relocate from South Africa to France in late 2007, early 2008, we are both British. We have two Bordeaux Mastiffs and want to bring them with us when we move. We have found lots of info on dogs travelling within EU countries, but not from countries like South Africa. Can anyone guide us to the legislation for bringing our dogs into France from South Africa and what we would need to do?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
I can only suggest that you contact the French equivalent of DEFRA (the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who regulate the movement of pets to/from the UK) to find out more information. Their contact details are as follows:
Ministere d' Agriculture
Direction generale de l’alimentation
Bureau de la Pharmacie Veterinaire
175 rue du Cheveralet
F-75646 Paris Codex 13
France
Tel + 33 1 49 55 49 55/49 55 84 67
Fax + 33 1 49 55 43 98
6. Caroline Roberts asks if Stronghold treatment can be used on pregnant pets (added 11/5/07)...
I have a property in France and travel back and fro from Jersey to St Malo on a regular basis, at least once a month. I have a three-year old border terrier and she travels with me or my husband all the time. My question if anybody can help is this. We are looking to breed Bronte this year and during one of my planned visits to the house I wanted to take the dog and she might be pregnant. Can I still have Bronte injected and treated with Stronghold? Will this affect the unborn puppies? If anybody has had this experience or can recommend another treatment for this situation can you please let me know.
Extra information you may find useful:
Bronte needed to be vaccinated against Rabies and this process actually took nine months not six months so be prepared for a wait and a non-travel period with your pet. (It's worth the wait.)
Each time we leave Jersey we need to ensure we have the pet passport on us but rarely do the port control staff check Bronte's digital reader. When we arrive in St Malo nobody is there to check the dog. We then have a four to five-hour drive to our house in the Poitou-Charentes region.
We have an excellent rapport with our vet who also happens to be our Maire (mayor). Bronte has to have her Stronghold applied and Tick treatment Drontil (I think) which is injected into the back of her neck (not her favourite visit to the vet). This has to happen 24 hours before we depart and you must have left France before the 48 hours is up, other wise you need to have the injections done again. (Thankfully the ferry companies are very understanding and if there are issues with room on a ferry or a problem with the ferry due to bad weather they will try and get you and the pet on first.)
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
Thanks for contacting us about the use of Stronghold. I'm afraid we are not qualified to answer this question, so I can only advise that you ask your vet, either in Jersey or in France. Or you may want to contact the RCVS who may be able to help:
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Belgravia House
62-64 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 2AF
Tel: 020 7202 0729
Fax: 020 7202 0740
Web: www.rcvs.org.uk/
I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
7. Sato Hiroko asks about travelling from the UK to Italy with his dog (added 11/5/07)...
I am currently planning to take my dog, a ten-year old Cocker Spaniel from the UK to Italy by car this summer. I have not decided on the route as I do
not know which is the best way from the UK to Italy, but I have to take the easiest way for my dog. I am worried about how my dog will be checked when crossing the border in France and Italy and what the requirements are to pass the border safely.
According to your website, is it true that PET passport and health certificates will not be checked at the border in France and Italy? I am currently contacting with Italian ambassy in Tokyo and also trying to get hold of someone in the French Embassy in Tokyo to get more accurate information
on these requirements, but I am strictly told by DEFRA in the UK that my dog has to have an updated PET passport, health certificate, and all other documents required in France and Italy in the
local language.
Since I have not planned any route (either by ferry or car through the tunnel), it may be difficult for you to answer, but please let me know if you
have any suggestions or information.
Thank you very much for your time in this matter. Look forward to hearing from you.
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
Thanks for your email about taking your dog from the UK to Italy. I understand your concerns, as different people say different things. It is true that DEFRA specify that you have a PET passport and pet vaccinations/certificates when travelling to France with a pet, but in our experience, these aren't asked for. But if you want to be sure and be on the safe side, it is better to get them. I'm afraid we have no knowledge of what is asked for when crossing to Italy. I would suggest that you contact the French equivalent of DEFRA to find
out more information. Their contact details are as follows:
Ministere d' Agriculture
Direction generale de l?alimentation
Bureau de la Pharmacie Veterinaire
175 rue du Cheveralet
F-75646 Paris Codex 13
France
Tel + 33 1 49 55 49 55/49 55 84 67
Fax + 33 1 49 55 43 98
I'm sorry I cannot be of more help in this matter.
With regard to the best route to use, it would seem that the best way would be to use the Eurotunnel car train which leaves from Folkestone and arrives at Calais after a remarkably quick journey. This will allow you to remain with
your dog at all times, as you stay in your car throughout the journey. (It would be wise to check
that you car is suitable to take on the Eurotunnel train first.) Going by ferry, you would have to leave your dog in the car on its own throughout the whole trip, while you leave the car deck. (Though many people do this and it doesn't seem to be a problem.)
My colleague, Joanna Simm, also says that all they were asked using the Eurotunnel was what animals they had, and then a sticker was put on the car to say the number. Nothing else was checked.
As for a route through France... the auto routes are significantly faster and have frequent services and areas where you can get out and
walk your dog, get it a drink etc. So maybe it would be best to travel along these where possible.
I hope this information helps.
** SEE ABOVE UPDATE, ADDED 5 JUNE 2007 **
|
|
your feedback counts... |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
