Anyone got an AHC for their pet yet?

A snowHead

Anyone got an AHC for their pet yet?

I see on the Eurotunnel Website there is now an animal reception centre at Folkestone where you must present your Animal Health Certificate (AHC) before travelling with your pet.

Has anyone got one yet?
Was it from your local vet or one on the DEFRA approved list?
How much does it cost?

Again from the Eurotunnel website, it seems you can use your existing pet passport or AHC at Calais...

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-your-pet/pet-faq/

A snowHead

Most vets will be able to do them once the government actually clarifies the protocol for dispensing them, so check with your regular vet. You’ll need to provide proof or rabies vaccination so easier if your vet already did it (but your old pet passport should suffice)!
Cost will depend how much time and faff it is but trust me it should be A LOT more than a pet passport. We’re currently aiming for around the £200 mark

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

and that is for each visit to France. So 200 x 2 x 3 is a hell of a lot of money for our 2 dogs.

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@boredsurfin, as I can't visit France right now, TBH, I haven't even researched it properly, but our vet assured me it wouldn't be prohibitively expensive. I did take that with a pinch of salt, and others are quoting a 45 minute appointment for the completion.

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I read it as it would be equal costs as there is no need to visit the French vet before your return, I can’t see it being anywhere near the £200 as it only lasts 1 visit

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@Jonny996, from what I have read you WILL still need to take a dog to a foreign vet for Tapeworm treatment, just like before...no saving there

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@Jonny996, sorry but you still need the tapeworm treatment on your return but what isn't clear is what paperwork will be completed by the French vet. Is there something to complete on the new AHC?

After all it is free

More info on the forms for vets here http://apha.defra.gov.uk/External_OV_Instructions/Export_Instructions/Certification_Procedures/Small_Animal_Exports/Animal_Health_Certificates.html

I've looked at the form and can't see it taking longer than a 15 minute consultation, I don't think there is any cost to the vet so you would think £30 though I have seen £85 quoted.

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I’ve seen £190 suggested but that seems to be for producing the whole thing from scratch, hopefully, a straightforward transfer of info from passport to AHC and a quick check up will be less - particularly as it needs to be done for every trip!

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@Jonny996, as others have said, you WILL still need tapeworm treatment before return.

@BoardieK, there are substantial costs to vets including extra certification costs to be allowed to complete them. You are correct that there are currently no cost to obtaining the certs and UCNs (as was the case with pet passports before fees crept in for revalidation over time

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I offered to send our vet a photo to be Covid safe.

It shouldn't be all of that especially if you have an existing pet passport and vax records. When returning from from France back in March the French vet did the Tape worm dose, but also did a quick general health check and confirmed the chip. 60 euro from memory.

@AndAnotherThing.., I wrote a longer reply on costs but it seems to have gotten lost in the ether but to address that specific (understandable) misunderstanding.
French vet- no extra quals required. Check animal, give wormer, sign and date. No paperwork created or recorded. 60€ (he’s overcharging you).

Uk vet- apply for ov status, take time off work to attend training course (2 days when I did it, incl travel cost and hotel stay, probably online now but still many hours). Costs £100s. Revalidate every 3 years with more hours of online learning, submission of case portfolio, more £100s of costs. Apply for UCNs and maintain database of these. Apply for AHC on individual basis. Examine animal and harvest legally defensible proof of vaccine history. Fill in forms (far longer than pp) in triplicate with each page of each copy signed and stamped. Store same for duration of animals life with inspection possible at any time. Pay extra for professional indemnity insurance if doing this sort of litigation heavy work. Etc etc

It’s apples and pears.

You know it makes sense.

@gilo, I know our local vet practice has reduced the number of OVs due to the increased costs of training.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Hells Bells, yup, we’ve dropped from 6 to 2. Also need to consider that (as these fixed costs were spread across multiple pp) any reduction in pet travel as a result of these changes will exacerbate the problem. Casual travellers won’t bother and serious 2nd homers will get European passports.

A snowHead

@Hells Bells, that is a useful link to the defra site as I had to look to see what an OV is - of course makes sense now. I did a reply to this yesterday but that disappeared - we are not contemplating taking our dog with us again in the near future. It was different when we went to our own place for quite a few weeks t a time, but notwithstanding the fact that we went through the rabies procedure and blood test to show it was ok something like a year and a half ago I think we will leave her at home with the dog minder that she absolutely adores. Might give us longer days on the slopes too if we aren’t conscious of getting back for yet another slip and slide walk.

A snowHead

My vet quoted £65 to cover consultation and issue of an AHC. I understand that as well as keeping your dogs 3yearly vaccination up to date, the French will require a blood test to demonstrate that the Rabies Antibodies are present (95% of dogs will pass this test). In anticipation of No-Deal Brexit we had a new Rabies jab in August 2019, followed by a 30 day wait for blood to be taken, followed by a 3 month wait before being allowed to travel,so it's a 4 month process to get a valid Rabies Antibody test certificate. As it turns out 2020 became a transition year so positive Blood test result was not needed, check official guidance carefully to see if it is needed, I have not checked recently as may not be going out until later in season. In summary - possible 4 month process for jab, blood test and copy of test results certificate (about £200) and £65 AHC that has to be done within 10 days of travel and is valid for 4 months for entry to France and re-entry to UK, in addition you will need tapeworm treatment (about 45 Euros fro French Vet) to return to UK as previously required. Consult your vet for a comprehensive update.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@skier52, blood tests not required. As you say many people had them in anticipation of a no deal brexit but now that there is a deal they are unnecessary. Timeline is therefore shortened to rabies vacc, 21d wait then get AHC within 10d of entering EU. To be pedantic only valid for entry to France for 10d. 4m is for onward travel within the EU and for return to UK.

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@gilo, I've been looking into the possibility of a European passport for our two, but have been told we would need to be EU residents. I do have an EU address, but am not resident, although we travel 3-4 times per year. Not sure how closely our French vet would look at that though.

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That’s the critical question! Over the years many continental vets have taken a pretty laissez faire attitude to pet passports so it depends if you can find someone to dispense you one and then take the risk of a jobsworth in Calais customs challenging you on it

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@Hells Bells, not my professional advice, just pondering theoreticals but what’s to stop your french resident neighbour acquiring your dog, getting it a passport and then belatedly realising that they hate dogs and returning it to you?

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We generally paid around 40 euros to local vet in France, 25 in Holland, 30 in Austria and 5 in Italy, where she gave us the pill and asked what date we would like put in the passport. That was in a tiny village, the vet spoke beautiful English and turned out that she had worked for a year at the equine vet that we used to use many years ago.

After all it is free

Our dog has a Romanian issued pet passport, am I correct in that the EU will still recognise it or is this just wishful thinking on my part.

@Pamski, not a dig at you personally but the lovely vet who just gave you the tablet and whatever date you wanted is committing fraud, false certification and risking human and animal health. Sorry to get on my high horse but vets in the uk are increasingly having to pick up the pieces of the “exotic” diseases being imported by people who can’t be arsed or have an “accommodating” vet on the continent. The rules are there for a reason, even if the paperwork is a ridiculous political shitshow!

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@Gilberts Fridge, it “should” be valid if you’ve kept the rabies vaccine current? BUT uk vets won’t be able to certify the rabies vaccine in the passport so you’d need to return to the EU for these.

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@gilo, thanks. We are up to date, the vaccine was last done in July so if we can get to the EU before July 21 then we may just get away with it.

Another plus for Romanian rescue dogs.

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@Gilberts Fridge, is the Romanian vaccine only valid for one year? UK one is valid for 3.

You know it makes sense.

I just have to worry about bringing the dogs back to the UK as I escaped December 31st, my plan is to go to vet here and get some sort of AHC.

Always knew it would be an issue as AHC is only for four months I think?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Weathercam, if your dogs still have valid UK/EU passports you can still use it to come back to the UK. Yes,oddly the AHC is 4 months, but we can only stay for 90 days.

A snowHead

I read maybe mis-read but the AHC is valid for only one trip out of the UK? Although the AHC is valid for 4 months to cover your 3 months max in the EU?

A snowHead

@boredsurfin, you're correct, it is only valid for one trip, so come back to the UK, and you need a new one.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Hells Bells, good question last jab was British, I'll have to check the passport

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@gilo, I do agree that the rules need to be kept by all. I was just reflecting how the charges varied so much. The most thorough examination that Coco had was from the vet in Holland, probably followed by the one in Italy. When we saw her we were in the time frame of at least 24 hours and not more than five days before travel into the UK. The French one we saw frequently as we were back and forth quite often. I don’t think I would find the business of having to get the AHC each time from our UK vet quite honestly worth the hassle.
My view is probably clouded as our local vet practice has recently sold out to a much larger ‘chain’. And at present ‘our’ surgery 1.5 miles away, and a second one about 8 miles away have closed ‘temporarily’ and the third remaining one that is left is about 12 miles away, and is no longer a 24 hour set up. So on the search for a new vet.

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I've just read a reply from a vet practice - says you can have up to 5 dogs on the same AHC.

A glimmer of light, I suppose.

But then the actual paper certificate is free - it's the examination and filling in (out?) of the form that the vets will charge for so perhaps they will still charge per dog.... grrrr!!!

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@Scamper, I can probably manage to get together enough proof of residence,utility bills etc, but perhaps we will need to show the residency card?

After all it is free

@gilo, Could you provide a glossary ? OV Status ? UCNs ?

I'm surprised extra training and qualification is required for an currently qualified Vet to say my dog is healthy for a few weeks holiday in the EU.

@AndAnotherThing.., OV is an Official Vet' but this is a government requirement and has been for many years I think.

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The same OVs have to do the rabies vaccines and complete the pet passports in the past.

Help!!

Anyone got an AHC for their pet yet?

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