Interestingly, the idea of a pet passport was first introduced in Britain by the Monster Raving Loony Party. A pet passport is one aspect of ‘The Pet Travel Scheme’ (PETS) that allows your pet to travel freely between countries without having to undergo a period of time in quarantine which was the only way previously a pet could travel. The scheme first came into action in 2001 when several European countries signed up to it and agreed for pets to move travel freely between member countries. Since then countries like the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all joined in and are now part of the scheme.
There are of course a number of requirements before your pet can travel, and the process is more complicated than simply acquiring a passport from your vet. Your pet needs to be fitted with a microchip, undergo a series of inoculations (notably rabies) and receive a certificate of health amongst other things before they can travel. The requirements for travel in or out of a country also vary between countries. If you want to travel with your pet, the best thing is explore all the requirements for the country you are leaving and country you are traveling to, online. Often your pet will also need a worm and flea treatment 24 hours before travel too.
Although initially the procedure may seem complicated, it is a vast improvement on previous hoops that had to be jumped through before your pet could travel.
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