The UK is one of very few countries in the world that can call itself ‘rabies free’. Rabies kills more than 55,000 people a year and most people who catch it will die from the disease. There is wide concern that pet smuggling will return the disease to the UK and once here, if it gets into our wildlife population, we will struggle to contain it. We must do everything we can to prevent rabies entering our shores. Pets travelling abroad need to have been vaccinated against rabies, and we must ensure every animal that enters the UK is free from the disease.
We are very fortunate to live somewhere with very few exotic diseases. The requirement for tapeworming pets prior to entry to the UK is again to prevent a deadly human disease that we do not have here.
We must be alert to any animals entering illegally to protect ourselves, our wildlife, and our pets.
For more information about what is required when you travel abroad with your pet click on the image.
Lucy Travers BVSc CertAVP MRCVS Highfields Vets