The short version:

Is there any (legal) way to avoid the 6 month quarantine or radically reducing it when importing your pet dog to the UK from Thailand?

The only option I can currently glimpse is that we park her somewhere in another EU country with less stringent quarantine rules, staying with friends or family there, until she can get a Pet Passport (PETS scheme).

I don't think you can take her to the UK without avoiding the quarantine.

For you to take her into mainland Europe, the dog will need to be rabies tested in an approved laboratory (I think either in Europe or possibly Australia). This process has to be started well in advance and takes several months.

You can find more info here about all the requirements:

http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/nocomm_third_en.htm

And the Agricultural Department of the country you're taking here to will give you more info as well.

Good luck!

Well, as I now understand, even with the option of letting the pet stay in another EU country with lesser or no quarantine restrictions than the UK, the pet will still have to stay there for a minimum of 6 months

before being able to enter the UK (that is, if we bring the dog to another EU country and get it under the PETS scheme, we will still need to leave her there for 6 months before being able to do the final transfer to the UK).

It's a bit much to ask someone, even family, to look after my pet for 6 months.

So, in case of the UK 6 month quarantine scenario, I would love to hear from anyone who's gone through this (we'll be based in London):

- Was it tough/bad?And for whom most, you or your pet?

- How was the kennel?

- How much did they charge you?

- Did you find/choose the kennel yourself or was it chosen as part of a pet transport service?

Or along those lines. The various companies that offer services obviously claim to take loving care of your pet, but I just have visions of abuse and neglect.

Received a quote from Defra approved quarantine kennel:

£510 per month

£900 for various other services (paper work, pick up, vaccines, insurance - quite a list)

Add to that cost of flight/transport and I think we're looking at somewhere around min. £5000 to relocate our dog to the UK.

Is it a big dog?

We live in France now And I've seen on several sites, people offering dog services. Maybe try posting an ad on angloinfo.com or expatforum.com

I'm sure they would charge less than a kennel.

These people (in France) do good things for animals and have a large network of people that take in rescue dogs untill they are adopted: http://animalaidsaintaubin.webs.com/ & http://www.phoenixasso.com/index.html

They may know someone how would be willing to take your pet in for the 6 months.

We flew from Malaysia with the pets and cheapest for flying with pets were KLM & Air France. They charge per kennel and not per weight.

Don't give up.

Is it a big dog?

We live in France now And I've seen on several sites, people offering dog services. Maybe try posting an ad on angloinfo.com or expatforum.com

I'm sure they would charge less than a kennel.

These people (in France) do good things for animals and have a large network of people that take in rescue dogs untill they are adopted: http://animalaidsaintaubin.webs.com/ & http://www.phoenixasso.com/index.html

They may know someone how would be willing to take your pet in for the 6 months.

We flew from Malaysia with the pets and cheapest for flying with pets were KLM & Air France. They charge per kennel and not per weight.

Don't give up.

Yes, it's a Golden Retriever (well, for all I know) and whilst she's still a "puppy" at 1 year she's weighing in at approx. 28kg these days. Fairly tall and long etc.

I will look at the link you gave, but I'd be uncomfortable about handing over a dog to strangers in another country. I don't know.

I would not like to say that money is an issue, and somehow I could probably pay my way out of the problem. But there's lot to take care off at the same time with a move back. It'll be hard as it stands.

AFAIK, Malaysia is in the PETS scheme, so I'm curious if you flew via there from Thailand or whether you were based in Malaysia already?

It was suggested on another forum, that someone take their pet on a "long holiday" there before taking it back to the EU. But doesn't make sense as an option.

If you look at the Defra rules, they also state, that any animal covered under PETS returning or being imported from SEA, must NOT transit Bangkok beforehand. They really don't like us.

On a further note, all of the UK based agents I have spoken to can not arrange for the transport from Bangkok. So I am talking with local agents ATM.

Progress.

Looks like, as Louie77 suggested, that there are people in France who help with exactly this scenario.

Really excited about this and totally reversing on my previous statement about feeling uneasy about this option.

I'm glad it's working out for you. Lots of UK dog lovers here. I would take her in myself but it's too difficult at the moment with 4 cats and living in a rental.

We lived for almost 2 years in Malaysia before we came over here. We didn't move there for the pets. There was a girl in Penang who moved there for that purpose so she could avoid quarantine in Ireland.

If you decide to go the French route. I'd advise you to talk to Cecile Ramet from the Department of Agriculture: 0033149558192 or via email:

♫ [email protected]. She'll tell you everything you need to know about importing the pet.

I mentioned KLM and Air France since they were the only carriers that would accept a kennel rate and not by the kilo. I think it was around 250 USD/kennel. And they allowed us to put 2 cats per kennel.

You can find more info on their website. Other carriers were asking almost 50 Euro/kilo...

Anyway, best of luck, I hope it all works out.

Saw this story online and thought you might like it since you're going through the same experience now. Best of luck with your dog!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1193525/The-street-dog-changed-lives-The-story-familys-love-starving-animal-saved-Thai-backstreet.html

WaatWang

Saw this story online and thought you might like it since you're going through the same experience now. Best of luck with your dog!

http://www.dailymail...backstreet.html

WaatWang

Thanks for that. £5000 sounds about right give or take.

We're having good progress finding a foster home in France, but actually it's not a massive saving in terms of cost. Also, it'll add at least 4 months to her departure date, as she will have to

get micro-chipped, re-vaccinated and tested after 30 days, plus 90 days wait period before she could enter France, where she would then spend 6-7 months waiting to get a passport.

But the foster homes there certainly don't charge kennel rates and she would have a loving home for that time.

The quarantine kennels in the UK, despite their efforts, just don't look appealing. But we would at least be able to see her now and again and ship her more or less immediately.

And the process is more or less straight forward.

It's a tough choice to make.

BTW, Looks like Defra might loose the right to quarantine by the end of 2011, but they've been granted many EU extensions before so we'll have to see what happens.

I'd dearly like to know how much money the kennel industry makes on this legislation.