Pet Movements - World Sheep Dog Trials - sheepdog pet transport importation travel

If you are a competitor and are bringing your dog to the event please check out the website of Irish Department of Agriculture & Food for full details on animal importation, etc. www.agriculture.gov.ie/pets.

Please contact the Animal & Welfare division directly regarding any queries you may have.

Head Office - Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 1 607 2827.

Please have answers to the following before making further enquiries:
1. Are you travelling directly from an eligible country?

5. Does the micro-chip comply with ISO standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO standard 11785?If not, do you have a scanner to bring with you?

6. Has your pet, following micro-chipping, been vaccinated in an eligible country against rabies?

8. Have you an EU pet passport or the correct Veterinary Certificate fully and clearly completed at sections I, II, III, IV and V?

9. Has at least six months expired since a successful blood-test?Has your pet spent this six months in an eligible country?

10. Has/will your pet be treated by a veterinarian against tick and tapeworm (echinococcus) between 24 and 48 hours before ferry/airline check-in?

11. Has/will your passport/certificate be fully and clearly completed at sections VI and VII with the details of the tick and tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment?

Ireland has been free of rabies for over one hundred years. To maintain this status national legislation required all pet dogs or cats brought into Ireland, other than pets coming from the UK - which is also free of rabies, to undergo six months quarantine.

However, from 3rd July 2004, a new harmonised system covering the non-commercial movement of pet dogs and cats has now been agreed for all of the European Union. Under this new system it will be possible, subject to certain conditions, to bring pet dogs and cats directly into Ireland from a range of qualifying countries deemed low risk for rabies (qualifying countries) provided that certain conditions are met.

From that date pet dogs and cats may travel directly into Ireland provided that:

The animal is travelling from an eligible country.
The animal is identified by means of a microchip.
The animal has been vaccinated against rabies.
The animal has, at least six months before entry, been successfully blood-tested for rabies anti-bodies.
The animal has been correctly treated for tick and tapeworm.

Evidence that an animal complies with the last four conditions above will be contained in a Passport, a document standardised throughout the EU.

In addition to the requirements set out above it will also be necessary to travel on an approved carrier on an approved route. Transport companies and specific routes will be approved by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Detailed rules are contained in Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals. See also under Legislation.

Pets originating in the EU and travelling within the EU must be accompanied by an EU Pet Passport, a model can be seen in the Annex to Commission Decision 2003/803/EC.

Pets travelling from qualifying Third Countries must to be accompanied by a Veterinary Certificate (passport), see under Legislation Corrigendum to Commission Decision 2004/203/EC.

Pet dogs and cats originating in non-qualifying countries and travelling directly into Ireland will continue to be subject to an import licence and six months quarantine in a public quarantine facility.