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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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The 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.
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‘The main change in requirements is that Jersey pet passports, which used to allow dogs to go back and forwards, are no longer valid.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. ‘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.’
“Enquiries for
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.’
Having worked as a vet in the British Isles for over 30 years, Alistair had visited the Island on business a few times in the past, but took up his post in Jersey in July last year, working from the Howard Davis Farm with a small team.
Being responsible for the government’s veterinary medicine is the main part of the role. He is concerned with the health and welfare of the animal population as a whole and on the commercial side he oversees the health status of the Island cattle herd.
“I love the variety.
Alistair must ensure it’s of a suitable standard to allow trade in both cattle and dairy products. This applies to shellfish exports and also to the importation of animals.
A vet’s work is no nine-to-five job and there’s no typical day for Alistair. ‘I love the variety. Jersey is a separate country so we really have to do everything a big country does with a lot fewer people, there’s always something new and different. Yesterday I went out to inspect some oysters to export to France; they now require health certification which wasn’t required pre Brexit.
‘I’m going to be working on Jersey legislation to update in line with new European Union requirements so we can continue trading,’ Alistair said. ‘Since Brexit, dairy exports to the EU now need veterinary health certification. These were previously done on commercial documents, but now, as we’re classified as a third country by the EU, it creates new work streams. I’ll be working on the new health certification, particularly with regard to horses.’ Alistair admits he doesn’t actually get time to put his hands on animals as much as he would like. Despite directly handling more paperwork than animals, Alistair’s important work investigating and reviewing complaints is vital in dealing with animal welfare. He oversees the animal welfare legislation and liaises with the local animal charities. A pleasant surprise has been the amount of non-EU international trade work. So far, he has dealt with the USA, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. Alistair appreciates the friendliness of the locals, but not just the humans:
‘I love the red squirrels here - I came across one recently and I don’t know who was the more startled as we looked at one another!’