Kennel Club backs vets on importation rules

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14: The Bermuda Kennel Club has come out in support of the stance taken by vets on whether regulations governing the importation of dogs and cats from the UK need to change next year.

The Bermuda Vets Association maintains that the UK’s decision to relax its borders to pets from abroad does not mean that the rules in Bermuda should change.

And now the Kennel Club have echoed the sentiments that the UK should still be treated as a ‘rabies free’ country after the changes are implemented on January 1, 2012.

In a letter addressed to Environment Minister Marc Bean the club state: “We respect the Government’s concern for public safety and the continued prevention of diseases such as rabies being introduced to the island.

“However based on the UK’s long standing history of being rabies free, their border controls (which remain in place after 1 January 2012) and the risk assessment we believe the risk of rabies arriving in Bermuda via the importation of puppies and kitten under the age of 15 weeks from the UK is very unlikely.

“Following our meeting with the Department of Environmental Protection, we believe that government advisors are suggesting unnecessarily excessive actions be taken to protect Bermuda from the extremely low probability of rabies being introduced to the island via domestic puppies and kittens being imported from the UK, while disregarding the potentially greater rabies threat presented by the accidental arrival of wildlife on board containers and/or arriving via marine vessels.

“In light of this we support the Bermuda Veterinary Association suggestions that we should stay with the current status for importing dogs and cats form the UK.

“The January 1 scheme will be a fairer system and can still protect both the U.K and Bermuda.

“If a case of rabies were to appear in the UK, it will be quickly announced and Bermuda could then quickly implement stricter procedures.”