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Brexit and Covid... they have not only affected humans, but our dogs and other animals, as well the Island’s export trade. Kieranne Grimshaw spoke to the recently appointed Chief Veterinary Officer, Alistair Breed
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he British are reputed to be a nation of dog lovers and Jersey is no exception. But Brexit has had an impact on our dogs’ lives just as it has affected our own. The same might be said about Covid. The combination of the two has also been a major factor in the workload of the newly appointed States Vet, Alistair Breed.
‘As has happened in the UK, there’s been a significant increase in pet ownership, especially dogs,’ Alistair said. ‘Enquiries for importing dogs into Jersey have risen and the process has become more complicated since Brexit.’ With Covid restrictions lifting, transport providers to and from France have started taking Islanders on their holidays once again. Before Brexit, dog owners could take their dogs to the European Union following some relatively simple procedures. But times have changed.
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Enquiries for importing dogs into Jersey have risen and the process has become more complicated since Brexit Alistair explained: ‘The main change in requirements is that Jersey pet passports, which used to allow dogs to go back and forwards, are no longer valid. Now you need to have an Animal Health Certificate, issued by your practice vet, obtained within ten days of your trip abroad. That document must also be in the language of the country of entry into the EU.
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‘This gives your dog freedom of movement within the EU for another four months, although it’s only valid for one journey. If you’re going outside of the member state of entry into the EU, however, you’ll need to get the document stamped by Customs at point of entry. People should check the States website, www.gov.je, for up-to-date information.’ Despite Covid making tasks more challenging, Alistair considers Brexit to be the cause of a significant amount of increased work. ‘Transitions are still taking place with European rules changing and they aren’t expected to be finalised until March next year.’ Following the Covid pandemic, veterinary practices have had to modify their ways of working in the best interests of colleagues and their customers. As with many customer-facing jobs, Alistair and his veterinary team have faced recent difficulties in actually going out to meet clients: ‘For my colleagues in practice, it’s been even harder, especially with staff shortages following lockdowns. They’ve also had to go outside to the car park to collect the dogs and everything has taken longer, with wearing PPE and being busier with increased pet ownership.’