Almost twice as many animals have travelled this year

There has been a 75 per cent increase in the number of UK pets which travelled this year, compared to last year, according to statistics provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) past-president, Harvey Locke, said the increase is most probably down to the changes to pet travel rules, which came into effect in January this year.

The statistics showed that a total of 103,056 animals were imported under the Pet Travel Scheme between 1 January to 31 August 2012, whereas only 58,881 animals were imported under the scheme during the same period in 2011. This gives a 75 per cent increase.

Only three percent of pets were reported to have failed checks, however, Mr Locke said that the number of animals that might be coming through without being checked is unknown, and a cause for concern for the BVA.

The BVA have asked DEFRA to provide vets with a contact number at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), so they can report animals which have obviously not complied with the importation requirements.

DEFRA have also been asked by the BVA to clarify the AHVLA, carriers, local authorities and port operators' responsibilities with regard to compliance checks.

The BVA hope to receive this information shortly.