The Kennel Club, who run the world-famous Crufts dog show, have criticised the government and the new rules regarding travelling with dogs between the UK and the European Union and between England and Northern Ireland. In certain regards Northern Ireland acts as if it is in the European Union still. If you are going to travel with your dog say from England to the European Union you have to obtain an animal health certificate every time which includes certification of a tapeworm treatment in the five days before you leave the country together with proof of a rabies injection.
The certificate costs £100 and is valid for a single trip. The same rules apply whether you’re travelling from England to the European Union or to Northern Ireland which is a shame because Northern Ireland is in the UK, the last time I checked! If a person and their dog travels to Northern Ireland without this certification they would face either quarantining their pet or returning home to get their papers in order. Any dog food containing meat is also likely to be confiscated at the border.
As there is no rabies in the UK or other diseases that the new rules seek to control, the rabies jab’s and worming treatments are unnecessary requirements which might lead to over medication without justification.
Dog owners are going to be hit hard when after the Covid-19 pandemic, travel opens up again, they go on holiday only to find that they are being barred from entry into the European Union or NI. A lot of people are probably unaware that the European Union rules apply to Northern Ireland in respect of pet travel.
The government had given assurances that there will be no difference in paperwork for pet owners wishing to travel between England and Northern Ireland and England to Scotland or Wales. That appears not to be the case. It’s a weakness which has emerged after the Brexit negotiations.
During the Brexit negotiations the UK government had hoped that European Union Commissioners would relax these pet travel rules and allow the UK to join Norway and Switzerland in their pet travel schemes. The European Commission declined and insisted that Northern Ireland must be considered part of the EU with respect to pet travel arrangements.
This points to what I would call a nastiness and bitchiness by the European Commissioners. There is no need for it. Nothing has actually changed in reality between European Union and Great Britain after Brexit. Everything is as normal and therefore all these rules are just academic. They serve no purpose. It’s just the European commission being a pain in the bum. Which is exactly what I would expect from them. They are a nasty bunch of bully boys who get on my nerves. It’s a great blessing that we are free of the European Union and free of these unpleasant people.
