Vets ‘Concerned’ for Future of Pet Travel Scheme
The British Veterinary Association remains concerned about the future of the Pet Travel Scheme and believes that the current arrangements are an important tool in balancing the movement of animals with the risk of spreading zoonotic diseases. With the derogation under EU law, which allows the UK along with Ireland, Sweden and Malta to apply stricter requirements than other EU member states, due to come to an end in 2010 the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in Birmingham on Friday 3 April will be the venue for a joint BVA/BSAVA session entitled ‘PETS or Pests – balancing pet travel and disease control’.
The session will present the science behind the argument to keep the rabies and Echinococcus control measures in place and is aimed at informing policy makers in the EU why the UK veterinary and medical professions believe in the importance of the derogation for reasons of human and animal health. Expert speakers, namely Professor Philip Craig of the University of Salford, Dr Dilys Morgan of the Health Protection Agency, Professor William Ollier of the University of Manchester and Dr Susan Shaw of the University of Bristol, will investigate the threat to public and animal health of vector borne diseases, just how serious a risk to public health Echinococcus multilocularis is and whether rabies vaccination actually gives enough protection to risk stopping serology testing while the Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens will outline Defra policy on the end of the Pet Travel Scheme derogation.
It is expected that the ensuing discussion will be lively and while the session is free to attend, advanced booking is not only advised but required.
The session takes place at 11.00 am, Friday 3 April 2009 at BSAVA Congress – visit The BVA website for more information
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The Pet Travel Scheme is an invitation to bring Rabies into the UK, just how many pet animals are checked when they are brought back into the UK, you hear of people claiming they just drove straight through the controls? What of those animals that are brought in illegally and are not stopped?
These boffins dont need to investigate the risk, there is a big risk, it is called the Pet Travel Scheme, when there is a Rabies outbreak in the UK caused by the laxness of bringing animals into the UK it will be too late to say 'what could we have done about it'.
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