Kennel Club welcomes pet travel negotiations
The EU and UK have agreed to "work intensively" to find solutions to the outstanding issue of pet travel.
The Kennel Club has welcomed talks between the UK and the EU over pet travel restrictions between Britain and Northern Ireland.
In a statement, the organisation said that it 'thoroughly supports the call' to remove the pet travel barriers, adding it is pleased the 'EU also appear willing to address this issue'.
Last week, cabinet office minister Michael Gove wrote to European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič seeking urgent action on Brexit checks – listing pet travel as one of six top priority areas to negotiate.
Since then, the EU and the UK have published a joint statement, agreeing to “immediately work intensively to find solutions to outstanding issues”. This pledge includes negotiations to reach an agreement that “comprehensively addresses the barriers that are imposed on pet travel between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland.”
Under new regulations, people wishing to travel to NI with their pet from Great Britain are required to get their pet vaccinated against rabies and treated for tapeworm. In January, Northern Ireland agriculture minister Edwin Poots wrote to Defra and the European Commission calling for a common-sense approach to reduce 'unnecessary' treatments and ensure that owners of assistance animals are not adversely affected.
Speaking about the issue, the Minister said: “As a result of the NI Protocol, Northern Ireland’s pet owners are now facing onerous and unnecessary documentary checks as well as unjustified veterinary treatments, for diseases that we do not have.”
The Kennel Club has also expressed significant concern about the arrangement and its implications for dogs, breeders and owners. As well as 'unnecessary vet treatment' and 'complicated and costly paperwork', the organisation believes that responsible puppy buying could also be adversely affected by the regulations.
The rules state that UK breeders with new owners based in Northern Ireland will be required to care for puppies for longer than recommended for socialisation and training purposes. The Kennel Club believes this has the potential to lead to behavioural issues, as puppies will be separated from their mothers at a later stage of development.
Dr Ed Hayes, head of public affairs at The Kennel Club said: “We thoroughly support this urgent call for the removal of pet travel barriers which have been imposed between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. After raising our serious concerns about the regulations with Government officials in the UK and Northern Ireland, who clearly are listening and recognise their severity and impact for puppies and dog owners, we are pleased that the EU also appear willing to address this issue.
“We thank the Minister for the Cabinet Office and those MPs who have ensured pet travel remained high on the agenda with the EU and who are working to find a solution for owners and pets in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We will continue to engage and support decision-makers in Government as they work with the EU to identify ways to ease these measures and remove the unnecessary barriers to travel for pet owners.”
Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.
