From past experience we know that we cannot rely on our European neighbours.

In 2005 Germany was accused of negligence & incompetence by France for failing to tackle a massive outbreak of rabies that began in the state of Hessen.  The Germans wrongly assumed that the River Rhine would form a natural barrier to stop foxes migrating east. 

The French were furious, having spent millions of Euros on an eradication program.  Other German neighbours were horrified that, having invested heavily in vaccination programs, the rabid animals were free to cross their borders and re-infect/re-introduce this lethal disease. 

Having admitted, just two months after the first reported case, that they had lost control of the situation Germany was told, in no uncertain terms, by the Head of the French rabies laboratory at the Agence Francaise de Securite Santaire des Ailments, that this was just one of a series of mistakes.

Germany, unlike its neighbours, had been using a rabies vaccine that had not been approved by the World Health Organisation.  Not only was the vaccine so temperature sensitive that it easily became ineffective, but it was also known to cause ‘vaccine rabies’ cases, in which the animals actually got the virus from the vaccine.

Vaccine baits were dropped from aircraft and hunters were paid to distribute vaccine blocks by hand.  Neither of these methods proved as effective as the approach taken by the French who dropped the blocks by helicopter allowing the bait to be spread more precisely & also into suburban areas, which is essential.

Despite French concerns the Germans persisted with this approach.  Over nine million baits were dropped & it was believed that Western Europe was no longer at risk.

Despite this belief, there have regularly been confirmed cases in France & surrounding countries.  

Reproduced by kind permission of Dog World 

Very interesting telephone call

I

I contacted DEFRA to ask their advice on how they would deal with a case of rabies.  When I eventually got through, it was obvious there was some consternation at the other end & I was asked to repeat my question.  I spoke slowly, explaining the reason for my request & asked “What will happen if a dog or cat gets rabies?  Will all other dogs & cats in the area have to be culled to stop it spreading?”  The agent on the line asked if I meant “Would we not be allowed to leave the area?”  I explained that the word ‘cull’ meant ‘to kill’, and repeated my question so that it was perfectly clear.  He asked if I would wait while he sought advice from his manager.

Eventually he came back and told me I should go to my vet for advice.  I explained that surely, with DEFRA being responsible for introducing & monitoring the new regulations, they should have plans in place for this eventuality &, as the new law had been in place for some days now, surely somebody must know the procedure?  He asked me to hold again whilst he sought further advice.

When he returned he reiterated that his manager had said to seek advice from my vet as they were not aware of any plans in place. 

So the question begs to be asked:  “What will happen when – and I stress the word WHEN and not IF – we have a case of rabies in the UK?  I guess we shall just have to wait & see……… 

Reproduced by kind permission of Dog World

Views from an ex army dog handler

 A MESSAGE FROM AN X ARMY DOGHANDLER.
I was an army dog handler for 15 years, came out in 1990 and have lived in Denmark, Germany and Norway.  Our borders were tight then.  When we came back to the UK all dogs had to go into quarantine, and these were army dogs. If you lived in Germany you could not take your pets across borders.  There were tight rules in place.  I am sorry but I do not believe in the EU, since the EU rules changed on the continent the borders came under attack by these so called animal traders because they knew the borders were wide open. We are an island and if rabies take should here in the UK our pets and livestock will suffer.   My second dog, I had in Denmark, caught rabies and I had to shoot her.  Please believe me we do not want it here.  I will sign this petition.

Can you help this sweet little chap?

Noname is currently being cared for at Baytonlodge Quarantine Kennels.  So far he has been microchipped, started his vaccination course against rabies & his puppy vaccinations, been wormed & Frontlined.  He will need to be in Quarantine for 8 weeks.  Baytonlodge are willing to cover some of the costs but there is still around £800 needed.  Please contact Baytonlodge at baytonlodge@hotmail.com if you are able to help in any way.

The little fellow that caused the stir

this is the malamute pup that came in to UK and alerted us to the fate of him and his fellow travellers. He is being looked after and vaccinated and will need a home soon. He is the lucky one. He is so young. If you can give him a home contact baytonlodge@hotmail.com Due to how he arrived he is costing money to cover his vaccinations and quarantine. The kennel will ride some of the costs so if you are interested please be aware of this. Good luck little Noname I hear you are very cute and full of character. sign our petition to stop this happening now.   http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27096
read his whole story - scroll down and see what has happened in just 12 days.

SIGN OUR NEW PETITON NOW

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27096

read all about the illegal pups being brought into UK. 

12 DAYS AND UNVACCINATED DOGS ENTERING UK

It is only twelve days since the rules changed on bringing pets into the UK and the worst possible scenario has just happened.

A web site has been offering any breed of dog for £250.00 delivered to a lay-by near Dover.   The first shipment arrived from Bulgaria, one of the countries with the highest level of rabies in the EU.

One of the ‘customers’ of this web site met the van at the lay-by along with lots of other people, paid his money and chose his dog.  A seven week old puppy.  He took it to the vet the next day with the paper work he had been given to be told that the passport was not a real one, there was no chip and that a puppy of that age could not possibly be vaccinated against rabies. 

A quarantine kennel was called and the puppy taken in to custody. DEFRA was called and it appears that after a certain time at the port there are no DEFRA staff – the van arrived one hour after the office had closed and was able to pass through without any checks.  How interesting is that!

There are now several dogs somewhere in the UK that are in homes from this shipment who may or may not be rabies carriers.

The ‘customer’ does not want the puppy back and has been offered another one from the next shipment – which is next month.

This is just one case of this that we know about because of the puppy being taken to the vet who realised what he was handling.  There are probably many more we don’t know about.

There are many implications and moral issues here that we should all be aware of.

1.       That there are people out there who are stupid enough to purchase a un seen, unknown puppy from a web site from a country that has a high incidence of rabies without even thinking through the implications.  These animals have been purchased just as you might purchase a cheap item from any website in the hope of a bargain.  Just like counterfeit designer goods.

2.       These puppies are taken from their mothers and transported in backs of vans long distances by clearly unscrupulous traders.  This is cruel and what is more what happens to any pups that are not collected?  Think that one through and if you love dogs and cry.

3.       The animals are now in the country and yours or my pet may encounter them and we have no idea if these animals are rabies carriers.

4.       These animals may be dumped as the ‘customers’ being the idiots that they are may find they ‘don’t like’ the animal.  They have never seen its parents or ‘it’ before the handover, so this is highly likely.  Then the rescues, the dog pounds, the dog wardens, the other animals in the rescues and the people who care and rescue animals are all put at risk.

5.       This scenario only has to happen once and the whole ethos of pet ownership in the UK will change if we have an outbreak of rabies.

6.       And finally think of that poor puppy aged only seven weeks in the quarantine kennel.  Not wanted,  with no future unless some kind soul wants to take on the responsibility of yet another dog brought into this country which is full of unwanted dogs needing homes urgently.  It might be the first we know of but it won’t be the last by a long, long way.

We at RabiesalertUK are not giving up please sign our new petition.   We need to make sure that this government and DEFRA know what they have done.  There can be no more excuses and reasons given why we have to fall in with the EU over the Pet Passport regulations.  This is nothing to do with the quarantine kennel trade it is to do with all of us and affects us all.  This has proved absolutely that there are people out there that are willing to flout the law.  They do not care about the animals or you.  Rabies injections maybe more reliable than they were (as stated by the Chief Government Vet on BBC Breakfast TV on 29^th Dec 11) but he does not take into account the criminal activities of these dog traders.  He is talking of a perfect world where everyone abides by the law.

Sign our petition now at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27096

 make our country and our pets safe.  Stand up and be counted if you love your animals and your kids and your life as you have known it and do not live like other countries do avoiding pets, flinching at the sight of a dog.  This is not a way to live and we in the UK do not want it here.

  Visit us  on http://rabiesalertUK/blogspot.com/

 and read more.