Daniel the Spaniel gets his Pet Passport

Daniel writes (interpreted by Deana Selby):

I’ve been told I’m going on holiday with my family, over the sea to a place called France.  I don’t know what ‘France’ is, but I’m told it’s pretty and my vet said that dogs are allowed into all the restaurants – I’m salivating already!


Owner took me to see my vet last night; he is very nice and has a calm voice, so I didn’t even notice when he stuck the needle in my side.  The owner says it was my rabies vaccination, and that because I’ve had this I’ll be able to go to France in three weeks’ time.  All I know is it hurt for half a second and then I got two biscuits from the nice vet man.  Result!


He also scanned my microchip, which gave a good bleep, and had a long chat with my human about buying me a special collar to wear before, during and after my holiday, to protect me from sandflies.  They sound ghastly, so I’d be happy to wear an extra collar if it means I won’t get bitten.


My human also bought me a worming tablet, and the vet gave me an all over check up, pronouncing me in tip top condition and fit to travel.  The humans had a chat about finding a vet in France, which owner must do more than 24 hours but less than 5 days before I come back to England.  It was something to do with tapeworm treatment.  I wasn’t terribly interested so had a tete a tete with the vet’s Cairn terriers, Betty and Zorg.  Humans do go on a bit.


Anyway, here is my new pet passport - do you like it?  I think I’m terribly handsome, and I believe any country would be honoured to let me through their borders.


I’ll let you know what happens on my holiday, the owner says we’ll be setting off in July.  I am learning to bark in French in the meantime. 

A bientot,

Daniel le Spaniel

Travelling with your dog and unsure what you need to do? Visit Defra's website for the latest information.

Guest Blog: Ex-sticky dog Pip - from Kenilworth to Oz, an adventure!

It was great news for Pip when his family found him a forever home - but that was just the beginning of his adventures! In this guest blog, Pip explains just how far he's travelled from the UK midlands, and how wonderful his life is now.

G’day Dogs Trust! It’s Pip here, ex-sticky dog* from Kenilworth.

I’m now living in Ferny Creek, Victoria, Australia. I got my “visa” last October, hopped on the flying Kangaroo (Qantas Airways) at London Heathrow, thanks to my friends at Airpets, arriving 22 hours later in Melbourne. As a UK dog I only had 30 days in quarantine. Mum and Dad visited most days. I also met a family who sponsor a Dogs Trust Sponsor Dog (hello Fonzie by the way!).

Aussie Quarantine were very nice to me but I was pleased to pack my bag (see photo below and note my bag!) and go home. I live in the Australian bush. It’s great for walking; I see wallabies, echidnas, possums, parrots and Kookaburras. I don’t chase the wildlife (Mum & Dad say this took some teaching!) except those noisy Cockatoos, I’d like to BBQ one of them! Life for a dog down under is a little restricted as we are a non-native species. It just means we can’t walk in certain places or we must be on a lead. There are some great off lead areas, I get to go to doggy beaches, (we have our own over here!) reserves and state parks. There’s always so much p-mail to catch up with!

It’s been a very hot summer down here and we have had major bushfires. We have been lucky as the fires have come close but the fire fighters have contained them. We evacuated to a relief centre on two occasions. There were hundreds of other people there with their dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, horses and even goats! How pleasing to see us pets are obviously very important to you humans. I have impressed my family, as I am, after all, a bit of a nervous boy. There was concern I might find all the smoke, fire engines and large water bombing aircraft overhead scary. But I’m a clever boy and I have coped brilliantly. I am first in the car when we have to go and politely accept the many dog treats on offer at the relief centre. The fires are nearly out now and life has quietened down again.

Oh and in case you were wondering, yes, I do love a good BBQ and a nice snooze in the sunshine……………

*A 'sticky dog' is one who has struggled to find a home quickly and has been in kennels for six months or more.

Bark Buckle UP campaign reminds us to travel safely with dogs

Some of us are lucky enough to have pets who travel beautifully; others struggle to get their four-legged friends to see the car as a safe place. You've probably thought long and hard about their welfare, planning appropriate stops and exercise, buying travel bowls and so on. But have you thought about yours, too?

The UK Highway Code states:

When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars.

[Source]

Bark Buckle UP is a campaign that aims to educate people across the pond about safely travelling with their dog. They emailed us with a link to their website, and I thought I'd pass it on to our readers as there's some very useful advice there.

Distraction of the driver is the most obvious, immediate danger, but what about after that? This is the paragraph that sent a chill down my spine:

"In an accident, an unrestrained animal is dangerous to the human passengers as well. Even in an accident of only 30 mph, a 15-pound child can cause an impact of more than 675 pounds. A 60-pound dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, a windshield, or another passenger. Even if the animal survives, it can impede the progress of rescue workers for whom every moment is precious."

So if you're planning a half term, Easter, summer or any other trip with your dog this year, consult with your vet, ask for reviews online and generally do your research about the best way to keep your dog safely out of harm's way. Think carefully about not just the most comfortable but the safest way for your precious pooch to travel. A few precautions can prevent accidents and save lives.

Update: Twitter follower @jjjen points out that it's not safe to put a dog in the front seat where there's an air bag. It's probably always best to confine them to the back where possible.


[Image Source: RelentlesslyOptimistic's Flickr stream]