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NI pet travel scheme now open for applications
Pet dogs, cats, ferrets and assistance dogs can now enter Northern Ireland with a simple, lifelong travel document.

Lifelong document will enable pets to enter Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

The Northern Ireland pet travel scheme is now open for applications, the BSAVA has confirmed.

Under the scheme, pet dog, cat, ferret or assistance dog owners can travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a simple Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document (PTD)

The PTD is free and valid for the pet’s lifetime. The only requirement is that owners must get their animal microchipped before travel.

The BSAVA writes: ‘Professionals in small animal practice may wish to make any clients intending to travel from GB to NI aware and direct them to the following government website for further up-to-date information.’

The PTD follows the announcement of a new pet travel scheme by Defra as part of the Windsor Framework in November 2024. The Windsor Framework is the agreement with the EU which replaced the old Northern Ireland Protocol.

It eliminates the requirement for pet owners to obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), have an up-to-date rabies vaccination and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment for each trip a pet takes between GB and NI. 

Image (C) Shutterstock.

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.