HOOORAY!!! This is such GREAT NEWS!! I was wondering how long they were going to take!!! I had seen months ago that they opened it for military families only. Imagine what that can mean!!?? Not only can people now take their dogs to CRUFTS ... But it opens doors for breeding, heck, even vacations!! We can start to see American bred British champs ... Without the terrible quarantine!!!
Yeah!! Thanks for sharing!! --Tracey -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 10:17 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Pets Travel scheme extended to USA and Canada Quarantine cut for pets from USA and Canada By Ananova Vaccinated dogs and cats from the US and Canada are to be allowed into the UK without first having to go into six months quarantine. The change in the rules begins on December 11. But until an approved route from North America is available and official certification agreed, animals will have to go into short stay quarantine, usually only for two to three days, while microchips and paperwork are checked. Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley said that since the Pets Travel Scheme was introduced in February last year, more than 75,000 dogs and cats from Europe and rabies-free islands have used the scheme to enter the UK without having to go into qu arantine. "When we introduced the scheme we recognised that there was significant demand from people in the USA and Canada, and indeed UK travellers, for those two countries to be included in the scheme," he said. "We have carried out several scientific assessments of the risk of importing rabies if the Pet Travel Scheme was extended to USA and Canada. "These assessments concluded that the risk of importing rabies into the UK by extending the Pet Travel Scheme to the USA and Canada was low. "I know that some people feel that we have been too cautious in our approach to including the USA and Canada in our Pet Travel Scheme." He added: "We were not prepared to take such a significant step until we were sure, on a sound scientific basis, that there would be no significant increase in the risks of importing rabies if the scheme was extended to those countries. "We now have this assurance and I am therefore very pleased to announce that the Government has decided to extend the Pet Travel Scheme to USA and Can ada," he said.
