The Sunday Times - UK (2022-04-10)

The Sunday Times April 10, 2022 13

In Cacheiras

your dog

can receive

its own

Compostela

1

GET CERTIFIED
Post-Brexit an Animal
Health Certificate (AHC)
must be shown at the
Eurotunnel terminal
and at ferry ports to take
dogs into Europe. Pricing,
like PCR testing, varies
widely: I’ve paid £250, £185
and £166 for my Jack Russell
Dave T Dog’s certificates, and
they were all identical. To
qualify, your dog needs to
be microchipped and have
been vaccinated against
rabies at least 21 days before
travel, and you must make
an appointment with your
vet to have both of the
above certified no more
than ten days before
departure. Travel directly
to Finland, Ireland, Malta,
Northern Ireland or Norway
and you’ll also need a
tapeworm pill for your
dog. The AHC is valid for
four months.

2

THINK SAFETY FIRST

European traffic laws

state that dogs should

be restrained in cars,

either with a harness

that can be clicked into a

safety-belt buckle or in a

safety-certified crate.

3

CHECK CHARGES

FOR FERRY TRAVEL

In most cases dogs are

not allowed in public

areas on ferries and

must either remain in the car;

in on-board kennels; or in

pet-friendly cabins where

available, and fees differ

according to line. On Stena’s

Harwich to Hook of Holland

route you’ll pay £18 for a pet

in a vehicle and £21 in the

onboard kennels or in a

pet-friendly cabin. After

taking one look at the rows

of cages, Dave took his

chances overnighting on

the car deck. But if you do

put your dog in a Stena

kennel you can tune into

the Kennel Cam on the TV

in your cabin and watch it

howl from the comfort of

your bunk.

Irish Ferries allows pets to

travel free on the Irish Sea

and cross-Channel services

as long as the animal stays in

the car. Kennels cost £15.

DFDS charges £15 each way

on routes from Dover, £18

each way on the Newhaven-

Dieppe crossing and £30

each way on Newcastle-

Amsterdam sailings. Pets

travel free on the Irish Sea

with Stena, which has

heated kennels and allows

dogs to be walked on deck.

Brittany Ferries charges £29

each way to France if the

dog stays in the car, and

from £45 each way on

Spanish routes, when pets

must travel in a kennel or a

pet-friendly cabin.

4

FIND A VET ABROAD

Your dog needs a

tapeworm pill and a

stamp on their AHC

before your return to

the UK. The timing is

important: book a visit to a

local vet no more than 120

hours (five days) and no less

than 24 hours before you

board the ferry or Eurotunnel

to return home. It’s quick

and relatively inexpensive:

from £8 to £13 in

France, Spain and

Portugal; £25 in

Germany; and £50 in

Switzerland.

Top tip: purchase a

spare tapeworm pill

from the foreign vet if

your dog has Dave’s

knack of chewing the first

tablet, swallowing noisily,

making affirmative eye

contact — and then spitting

it out.

5

IS THE DOG COVERED?

If your dog is injured on

holiday, falls ill, or, for

example, lunges at a

dalmatian from a

French terrasse, leaving a trail

of destruction as it drags the

table to which it is attached

like a dredger through the

horrified café (Dave T Dog,

Lons-le-Saunier, August 29,

2021) — it’ll cost you. If it

injures a person or causes

an accident in which

someone is hurt, it’ll cost a lot

more. Third-party liability is

included in many pet policies

but accidents or incidents

overseas are usually

excluded from cover, so

check the small print. If

necessary, buy insurance

from Direct Line, which offers

maximum cover of £8,000

for three 30-day trips per

year; Emporium, which offers

the same for trips totalling

100 days; or Waggel, offering

£10,000 for 90 days.

6

MUZZLE UP

Your mutt may need

a muzzle. In Spain

breeds such as

dobermans, pitbulls

and staffies must be

muzzled and on a two-metre

lead in public. In France, all

but the tiniest dogs should

be muzzled on public

transport, and the same goes

for Germany, although it is

rarely enforced.

7

STICK TO THE ROUTINE

Minimise any pet

anxiety by keeping to

the same feeding and

exercise routines as at

home, bringing favourite toys

or blankets and giving them

time to explore their new

environment. In rented

accommodation check for

escape routes in fencing.

It’s also worth investing in

a tether cable and stake,

both for cottage gardens

and the beach to prevent

them wandering.

SEVEN RULES FOR DOGGY HOLIDAYS

; or in

where

differ

n Stena’s

Holland

for apet

in the

in a

After

he rows

his

ng on

you do

each way on Newcastle-

Amsterdam sailings. Pets

travel free on the Irish Sea

than 24

board th

to return

and rela

fro

F

P

G

S

s

fro

yo