Latest news with #assistanceDogs
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Post-Brexit pet travel scheme comes into effect
A new scheme aimed at simplifying post-Brexit pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has come into Brexit, Northern Ireland remained part of the EU's animal health zone while Great Britain was has meant pets being taken from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have required rabies vaccinations and a new travel certificate for each new Pet Travel Document (PTD) will be valid for the pet's lifetime and the requirement for rabies vaccination has been dropped. What does the Pet Travel Document mean? A spokesperson for the UK's Department of Environment said pet owners and assistance dog users who are travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland "can now apply for a free pet travel document that's quick and easy to get online, and will last the pet's lifetime"."This is in stark contrast to the old system, which required pet owners to obtain expensive health treatments and cumbersome journey certificates from a vet every time they travelled," they main conditions of the PTD scheme are that the pet must be microchipped and the owner must sign a form saying the animal will not be brought into the Republic of scheme covers dogs, cats and ferrets. There are separate arrangements for other arrangements only apply to pet owners living in Great Ireland residents returning home from Great Britain do not require the travel document but their pet must be PTD is part of the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland's revised Brexit deal, which amended the original NI Protocol agreement. 'Imposes a pet passport scheme' The scheme has been criticised by the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MP Jim Allister who said its impact has been overstated as the original requirements were not being fully in a House of Commons debate last year, he said: "I take issue with the minister saying that this is an improvement. "The original propositions of the protocol were never implemented."The grace periods remain the current position, which is that no pet passports, no documentation and no requirement to be part of a pet scheme is needed to bring your pet from Great Britain to the other part of the United Kingdom."What these regulations do is impose a pet passport scheme."Guide Dogs NI said it was pleased with the progress and clarity surrounding pet advised those travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a guide dog should plan in advance, as the process to issue one takes up to five working Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland North (SARDA IN) expressed strong support for the said the policy simplifies travel for its highly-trained search and rescue UK and EU are working on an agrifood deal that will reduce the impact of the "Irish Sea border', but it is understood that it will not remove the need for the PTD.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Banbury charity reveals how life-changing assistance dogs are raised
"The need is always there - not just for assistance dogs but for positive connections with dogs."Dogs for Good in Banbury, Oxfordshire, trains dogs to help people with physical disabilities, autism and charity is currently caring for Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever puppies at the very start of their journeys to become assistance Phelps, from Dogs for Good, told the BBC the charity was "involved in every step of every dog's life". The charity has its own breeding programme, through which it selects its broods and stud Phelps said volunteers look after the mothers and their puppies for the first eight weeks of their said: "During that time, our puppy team will come and visit mum and puppies to make sure that everything's progressing as it should be and that everybody's happy and everybody's safe."The characteristics that we look for in a puppy mum is calm, confident, adaptable - those really positive mothering instincts and a good all round dog that's going to be a lovely mum to her puppies."Each puppy will be with their volunteer for about 16 to 18 months until they return for formal Phelps said it was a lot for the female dogs to look after their litters, which could often be up to 12 puppies, and a week after giving birth were often ready to be "free" and "just be the pet dog again".Before they leave their mother, the puppies must be fully weaned, so that they are able to eat and drink independently. Ms Phelps said the charity was "more than a supplier of assistance dogs". "Twenty years ago we used to supply assistance dogs to physically disabled adults and children. "And we are really proud of that heritage - it is where we come from. "But, actually, it's only about 20% of the people that we connect with dogs that want an assistance dog."The charity's community dog programme, for example, involves a specially-trained dog and professional handler working together to support an individual's needs such as building self-esteem and overcoming said the charity was "broadening horizons all the time". "The need is always there, not just for assistance dogs but for positive connections with dogs," she said."That's why having a broad brush of service is so vital." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
