Ben's Story

RabiesAlertUK

Hello, my name is Ben.  I really hope you can spare a few minutes to read my story.
I was born in Spain, but no-one there wanted me so I was living on the streets until a lovely couple from the UK met and fell in love with me.  They took me home to live with them in Spain.
They were returning to the UK to live permanently so they did it all properly and started my Pet Passport by getting me micro chipped and vaccinated against RABIES so that I could travel home with them and off we set.
On the long drive to my new home we stopped in France so I could meet my new Auntie.  She has CATS!!  I got a bit excited and started chasing them but cats can jump much better than I can and I fell from a balcony and hurt my front legs.  The pain was terrible.  My Mum and Dad took me to see a French vet to see if I could still make the journey home.  He said that as long as I went to see a vet in the UK as soon as I got there I could travel.  I had to go to a Quarantine Kennel for a while to serve out my time before going to my new home, so I could see the vet there.  The French vet said that both my front legs were broken and he bandaged them up to keep them safe on my journey.
After a trip on a really big boat, which was very exciting, I was met by the people from the Quarantine Kennel who told me how brave I’d been and what a good boy I was.  They said they’d ask their vet, who is a very kind man, to look at my legs and see if he could make me better.
The vet gave me an injection which made me very sleepy so he wouldn’t hurt me when he examined me.  But when he looked at my legs and examined the x-ray he found that they were broken very badly.  He had to phone my Mum and Dad to tell them that he didn’t know if he would be able to fix me.  And if he did, he didn’t know whether I’d ever be able to run or chase a ball (or a cat!) again.  And that would be no life for an active little chap like me I can tell you.
So my Mum and Dad thought hard about what would be kindest for me.  They knew that I would never be truly happy if I couldn’t run and frolic, no matter how much they loved me so they made the decision to let me stay sleeping peacefully and not to wake me up.  It broke their hearts but I realise they did it out of love and I know they made the right choice.
Because when I was put to sleep I was in Quarantine, Government vets had to do some tests on my brain to make sure I didn’t have Rabies.  And guess what?  The first test they did came back positive for Rabies!!!  Well.  I was stunned, Mum & Dad were stunned, the Quarantine Kennels and vets were stunned.  The government vets have gone off to do more tests, but I don’t see how I can un-catch Rabies?!
So, everyone I met on my journey from Spain to the UK now has to have Rabies prevention treatment.  My Mum and Dad, my Auntie and her family (and cats) in France, the Quarantine staff, the Quarantine vets and their staff all need treatment.  I’m just grateful that I was in Quarantine and not allowed to just go straight home.  Can you imagine how many people and animals I would have come into contact with whilst exploring my new domain?  How many people could I have put at risk without even knowing?  I could have given people Rabies just by giving them kisses!!
I know this has broken my Mum and Dads hearts, my Mum has even had to see her Doctor because she is so very upset by what has happened to me.  But I look at it this way, if I hadn’t broken my legs whilst chasing cat’s, I would have developed full blown Rabies, despite being vaccinated against it.  It’s a truly horrific disease which would have affected my brain and I may even have turned on and bitten the ones who love and care for me.  Maybe even my Mum and Dad! 
At least this way they can remember the sweet happy little dog they adopted.  I look down on them, guarding them from above and wag my tail and wiggle my ears remembering all the love and kindness they showed me.
Please don’t let their loss and pain have been for nothing.  Please, please don’t let another family have to go through what mine have.
Ben
Note: The above story is true and has happened within the month October 2011, IF this had happened after January 2012 and the new regulations for pet imports were in place this dog would have been in contact with many, many more people and domestic animals without anyone ever being aware that he was possibly carrying Rabies. The implications are endless.
For any further clarification or details please contact your local AHVLA office:
http://animalhealth.defra.gov.uk/about/contact-us/postcode.asp

e-petition PLEASE SIGN

RABIES ALERT-ALL UK PET DOGS & CATS ARE AT RISK FROM RABIES AS EUROPE INSIST WE LOSE OUR UNIQUE STATUS - NO RABIES FOR 100 YEARS.

Responsible department: Department for Enviroment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Our goverment is being forced by the EU to abandon procedures that keep our island rabies free.  Europe insist that, from January 2012, pets can enter the UK from 26 EU member states just 21 days after vaccination.  The incubation period is approx. 35 days.  9 of these countries are classifed HIGH RISK.  THE CHANGES WILL AFFECT US ALL AND OUR PETS - NOT JUST PETS COMING FROM ABROAD.  Change is good - this is madness.  Why are so few aware that this is happening?  We are a group of worried Vets, Professors, Doctors, Rescue & Quarantine Kennels, animal lovers & owners who are hoping to lessen the impact.  Our goverment has twice fought, and won the right to "opt out" of the new regulations.  Why has it stopped fighting?  We call on our goverment to rekindle the fight so that all concerned parties may be consulted, all options explored and the public made fully aware of how any changes will affect them.  KEEP RABIES OUT OF THE UK.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18102http://

WHY SURRENDER NOW?

Why is the Government of our once proud nation allowing itself to be bullied by Europe?

Why is DEFRA willing to expose us to this threat?

The UK Government has fought the EU over the change in regulations on two previous occasions.  Both times it secured a stay of execution on the imposition of the new regulations.

Why has it stopped fighting now?

And if it has bowed down to the will of Europe, why has it not had the decency to make sure the British public have been informed of its capitulation?

STOP PRESS!

Australia has now announced that from 1^st January 2012 UK animal imports will be subject to the same new, much stricter criteria as New Zealand will be imposing.

Why has the UK still not identified the risk?

Why is our Government not acting to protect us?

WE NEED TO KEEP THE BLOOD TEST FOR OUR PROTECTION.

It affects us all

Where have the dogs that your dog has been playing with in the park come from?  Have they just got off a ferry/plane?  Today it doesn't matter.  1st January 2012 it could be fatal.

Where did your cat go yesterday?  What other animals did he meet on his travels?  Today it doesn't matter. 1st January 2012 it could be fatal. 

Did your child stop to pet a cute, cuddly, fluffy puppy in the street?  Did the puppy give him kisses on a hand with a graze or a finger with a cut on?  Today it doesn't matter.  1ST JANUARY 2012 IT COULD BE FATAL.

CAN WE RISK THIS?

Why the turnaround?

I would like to draw your attention to the DEFRA report of 10th March 2008 called Rabies in Western Europe.  It makes very interesting reading!
Of particular interest is the conclusion, which states:

This highlights the importance of a proportionate precautionary system which is already in place for legal imports under the pet passport scheme and through quarantine and other measures.

Would be interesting to know, considering the recent rabies cases in North East Italy and France, what has made DEFRA have a 180 degree turnaround in its views.

The lists just don't match

Interesting to note that of the 27 countries on DEFRAs EU Member states list (dated June 2011) 9 show up as having a HIGH RISK of rabies in terrestrial animals on the Health Protection Agency list of at risk countries (dated May 2011).  That is 1 in 3 of the accepted countries!
Animals from these HIGH RISK EU countries will be allowed to walk UK streets 21 days after being vaccinated against rabies and will have had NO BLOOD TEST to show whether they are amongst the 4% on which the vaccine is ineffective.

News from the other side of the world.

Last week it was announced that all pets being exported to New Zealand from the UK from January 2012 on will need to have been vaccinated against rabies at least 6 months before travel and then blood tested at least 3 months prior to arrival in New Zealand.
Currently no rabies vaccination is required and therefore export can be almost immediate.
As of January 2012 New Zealand will no longer be treating the UK as a clean rabies free country.
Why can New Zealand see the threat we face but we can't?

Why we are doing this.

Hi everyone. I feel that many of you are not aware of 

what RABIES ALERT UK is trying to achieve so I would 

like to try to explain it to you. As you must all know 

RABIES IS A KILLER.  It can and does affect humans as 

well as pets. Our Government has agreed to change our 

regulations to bring us into line with the rest of 

Europe. BAD NEWS!  One of the changes is to abolish 

blood testing after vaccinating for RABIES. This will 

put us, and all our pets, at a far greater risk than 

at present. 

Under the existing pet passport scheme, which applies to 

pets entering the UK from approved countries, of the 

approximately 70,000 that have been  blood tested, 

3 to 5% fail, which keeps these pets from entering the UK. 

We have to accept that quarantine regulations will change 

drastically but what RABIES ALERT UK insist on is that 

blood testing is retained on any pet entering the UK 

after they have been vaccinated for RABIES. 

This will help to eliminate the risk of RABID pets walking

freely here amongst our children and pets.
Without this blood test there is little or no guarantee

that these pets will be RABIES free.  The implications 

are horrendous and could involve mass culling of our 

pets and wildlife. At present, we as a nation feel 

confident to approach any pet which we come into contact 

with, however, should RABIES enter the country we would 

have to treat any pet we meet with great caution and 

always be on the alert.
So PLEASE give us your support and help our campaign 

to insist that all imports are BLOOD TESTED.    

Meeting 7th Sept 2011

Very interesting get together at the Kennel Club on Weds.  An eminent professor, the recently retired head of Dogs Trust, a Dr from Biovet, quarantine owners and a VERY interesting ex Met Officer were amongst those present.
Statements from Battersea, Dogs Trust, National Dog Warden Association and new KC Chair Steve Dean all saying that they have concerns about the new regulations.
Much press interest and even a phone call from an MP.
More details to follow so watch this space!!!!!

HAPPILY RABIES FREE FOR 100 YEARS – WHY RISK IT NOW?

The Pet Passport Scheme has proved highly successful in helping to keep the UK Rabies free with a combination of Rabies vaccination and a follow up bloodtest.

The UK Government has now, after twice successfully fighting the changes, succumbed to pressure from the E.U. to “Harmonise” us with their regulations. Why should we lower our standards – surely, they should be aiming to achieve our Rabies free status?

There is substantial evidence that 3-5% of pets fail the bloodtest. These animals are kept out of the UK. From Jan 2012 no bloodtest is required so they will be here!

The incubation period for Rabies is, on average, 35 days. After January 1^st 2012 pets will be allowed onto our streets just 21 days after vaccination.

These new regulations don’t just mean changes for pets coming into the UK – it means drastic changes to all of our everyday lives, we need to be aware that pets we are meeting on our streets and in our parks may be carrying Rabies. Do you know how to spot it? Not the classic “Mad Dog” symptoms you automatically think of, those are not displayed until it’s too late for your pet to be treated.

A person does not have to be bitten by a rabid animal, transferal of saliva by a lick on a cut/graze/scratch will do it.

2010-2011 there were 6120 hospital admissions for dog bites. 1010 of these were children under ten. Minors are the most vulnerable to rabies – can our already overstretched NHS be expected to cope with inevitable additional demands?

Where did your cat go yesterday – Did he meet another cat that is incubating rabies?? Today you don’t worry – January 1^st it could be fatal.

Where have the dogs come from that your dog plays with in the park, have they just got off a plane or ferry? Are they carrying rabies or some other nasty disease?

If we get a rabies outbreak – Even a suspected one – your dog can be seized and even destroyed.

What happens to our pets when they are seized – DEFRA won’t confirm.

There approx., 20 million dogs and cats in the UK. How would it be possible to vaccinate them all if there was an outbreak?

What would happen to those that couldn’t get vaccinated – Culled?

The general public need to know about this – they are being kept in the dark – it will be too late by the time they become aware.

A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST IS ALL THAT’S REQUIRED

- IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?

An opinion from the 'inside'

When I first heard that Quarantine Regulations were going to be reviewed and relaxed I thought GREAT! - albeit too late for my dog who is in quarantine at present having come  from South Africa. It was only later when I really gave it some thought did I realise the consequences  such drastic action could have on the UK as a country but worst of all on the pets/animals that it could affect. I am deeply disturbed to hear that the 3 months quarantine required in the future  can be served in the country of departure where there could possibly be no strict control over the required kennel procedures and necessary documentation for the pet to be exported and then imported into the UK.  I do not mean to generalise but just to simply point out that after having lived in South Africa for more than 40 years that it is common knowledge that money can buy you anything, a few documents would not be difficult - sad but true. I am sure that DEFRA are also aware of the high incidence of rabies in South Africa - we are only talking about one country here, there are many more to be considered that are also high risk.
Review the law - YES -    reduce quarantine to 3 months - YES -    3 months quarantine in country of departure - NO -   decisions that could be to the detriment of innocent pets and families - DEFINITELY NOT!!

It only takes one owner, with one pet, to bring that pet into the country with false documentation and possibly suffering with rabies, to be the cause of many innocent dogs being destroyed within a given radius... I would not want that on my conscience.
It is hard to see my dog in quarantine for 6 months   but not as hard as if someone were to bring a rabid dog into the country and my innocent puppy had to be destroyed due to someone else being irresponsible.
It was heartbreaking to put our dog into quarantine but she is being well cared for , we visit her most days which really helps so if it can work for us for 6 months then surely it can work for future owners for 3 months.

IN A NUTSHELL ....QUARANTINE MUST BE SERVED IN THE UK.... PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!

I thank you for letting me voice my opinion.


Lindsay Stott