LONDON (AP) -- To the relief of thousands of pet owners, Britain is dropping its severe quarantine laws for animals arriving from other rabies-free countries.
Instead of spending six months in a kennel, each eligible animal will have to qualify for a kind of "pet passport" with blood tests, a vaccination against rabies and the insertion of an identification microchip under the skin.The scrapping of the quarantine by April 2001 for rabies-free, mainly European Union countries will allow Britons to take their pets back and forth to those countries.
Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, who announced the move Friday, said pets from other countries would continue to be subject to quarantine. However, he added that "we are looking again at the position for the U.S. and Canada," where rabies is endemic in wildlife but where veterinary standards are high.
For nearly 100 years, anyone bringing a pet into Britain has had to leave the animal in an approved kennel for six months to ensure it does not have rabies, which it could introduce into Britain.
In addition to the expense of up to $3,200, this enforced separation often has been a serious hardship for pets used to the attention of loving owners. Many animals have pined and fallen ill.