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FRONT PAGE PETS For just $46 dogs can now travel from the European continent to the UK, and will not be subject to the 6-month quarantine. Dogs (and cats) travelling from 21 Western European nations can accompany an owner in a car while travelling through the Eurotunnel. Animals are required to have a 'passport' which requires shots, a microchip and blood tests. The program is expected to be extended to dogs travelling from the US, Canada and the Caribbean in 2001. -----------------------
Lucy the Shetland Sheepdog in Pet Passport First A Shetland Sheepdog called Lucy became the first dog to be flown into Britain under new pet passport laws. The one-year-old bitch arrived at London's Heathrow airport Sunday from Amsterdam to be reunited with her owner Claire Moskvin. The new laws mean cats and dogs from selected European countries can enter Britain without having to spend six months in quarantine provided they have had a blood test, a rabies vaccination and a valid identity microchip inserted in their neck. The scheme was introduced last month at Channel ports but it has taken longer to set up procedures among airlines. Lucy made the journey in the cargo hold of a British Midland flight and was then driven to Heathrow's Animal Reception Center where her paper work was checked. Moskvin, from Wye Valley in Wales, said she had taken Lucy to Amsterdam where her husband was setting up a business venture. "It's fantastic. The relaxation of the rules is really going to change my life. Now, whenever I travel, I'll be able to take Lucy with me," she said. "Before we had to have people look after her but she gets very nervous when she's with strangers." British Midland was the first airline company to be given permission by the Agriculture Ministry to fly pets into Britain under the new regulations. At present the airline operates the scheme between Amsterdam and Heathrow but a spokesman said they hoped to add other routes in the near future. -----------------------
San Francisco Recognized "Pet Guardians" The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to amend official city documents and from now on will refer to 'pet owner' as 'pet guardians'. This doesn't change any legal status, but proponents thought the term evoked warmth and compassion for pets. -----------------------
Better Dogs, or Bad-Tasting Postal Workers? The USPS reports that dog bites are down 6% from the previous year, and credits employee training and greater public awareness as factors in the decrease. The chompin'-est towns are said to be: Houston (49), Chicago (37), Miami (35) and Los Angeles (32). |
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