Anyone NOT go through the PETS scheme?

I've skimmed through 8 pages on this forum and didn't see anyone that just went with quarantining their dog(s) as opposed to doing the PETS scheme.

I am moving to Wales this spring after I get married. I have a border collie and a blue heeler. My parents have already agreed to take my blue heeler but I absolutely CANNOT get rid of my border collie - this dog was made solely for ME and I can't imagine her living with anyone else. In any event...I haven't been able to start the PETS scheme because all of my money is going towards saving up for the big move, the wedding and my visa.

I initially thought that I would just do a split quarantine but time is quickly running out and I just don't see the point in starting the PETS scheme now.

So my question is, has anyone just quarantined their animal(s) upon arrival in the UK? What was your experience like? What all did you have to do? Were you able to visit your pet(s)? What was the cost like?

Thank you in advance for your input!

I'm currently doing the PETS scheme so I'm not too much help there but I wanted to say, I don't think it's any cheaper with quarantine and skipping the whole process. In fact, I would assume it would be much more expensive. That's 6 months in a kennel. I don't know though, I'm just assuming!

I agree - I think the cost of quarantine adds up pretty quickly. You may want to look into that before you decide to skip the process entirely.

The only "cost saver" would be in possibly being able to ship your pup as excess baggage in the plane rather than cargo, but you'd need to check into whether the airlines would do that. I think, if I remember correctly when I was looking, a lot of airlines specifically say that for the UK they only do PETS-compliant shipping (so that wouldn't save you any money anyway).

I do remember someone posting about having their dog(s) stay in quarantine in France rather than the UK, because it was cheaper there.

ETA: Regular dog kennels (in London) are £15+/day for a dog. I can't imagine that quarantine would be cheaper (as there's the quarantine part to be careful of, in addition to regular dog care), but even if you assume £10/day, that's £1,830. Plus VAT (so £2,187). Unless your border collie is massive or you're flying from the north pole, there's pretty much no way airfare will cost that much with the PETS program. (And the vet visits are pretty cheap in comparison as well.)

Personally, my dog would do "fine" in quarantine (he loves people), but he would definitely wonder WTF just happened to his life. He would miss going outside and being petted by everyone, and I wouldn't have subjected him to it. YMMV, though.

We have friends who *thought* they were fine with the PETS scheme, but the chip-vax-titer order was screwed up on their paperwork and they had to do 6 months in quarantine for their cat. 

Not only do you have to take the same chip-vax-titer steps once you're in the UK (probably at a premium since you won't be able to shop around for vets), you have to pay boarding for 6 months.  And THEN, there's the cost of any "commuting" fees to go see your pet if you don't have a car.  The commuting bit was discretionary, of course, but it was one more thing our friends weren't counting on.

Here are a few recent threads:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=65031.0

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=67270.0

Good luck!

this dog was made solely for ME and I can't imagine her living with anyone else.

But you can imagine her living in quarantine for six months?

There arent any approved facilities in Wales which accept dogs, so your dog would have to be kept in a facility in England. Here is a list - http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/quarantine/procedures/support-info/england.htm

Perhaps you can contact some near-ish to Wales and speak to the people who run the kennels, maybe ask for photos, or references to see if this is something you actually want to subject your dog to.

In regards to flying your animal over, Iceland Air will take your animal as excess baggage for a mere $125.

this dog was made solely for ME and I can't imagine her living with anyone else.

But you can imagine her living in quarantine for six months?

I can't imagine leaving my boys (cats) in quarantine!!!!


Have you thought of starting the PETS scheme, and leaving your dog with your parents, or someone else, during their in-house quarantines, THEN fly the dog over?  Iceland Air is very inexpensive, so you could always fly back for a visit, and bring your dog back to the UK with you.  


Just a thought!!!



EDIT:  I found that Iceland air is an approved carrier to fly pets into Heathrow out of Minneapolis, which seems to be one of the closest approved routes to you.  I looked up prices for one-way in April (you said you are moving in the spring) and with your dog it would cost about $650.  To fly roundtrip in September (about when your dog would be able to go to the UK through the PETS Scheme), which would cost about $1000 with the dog.


If you quarantine your dog in the UK, it is going to cost A LOT more for their boarding than the $350 difference between the flights I quoted you.  Wouldn't you rather leave your dog with family, and save money, than stress him/her out in a foreign quarantine in the UK?

Hope this helps!

Have you thought of starting the PETS scheme, and leaving your dog with your parents, or someone else, during their in-house quarantines, THEN fly the dog over?

I'm fairly sure there's been at least one person on UKY who did it this way. Of course, I can't remember who it was now, but hopefully they'll chime in.

 

I'm fairly sure there's been at least one person on UKY who did it this way. Of course, I can't remember who it was now, but hopefully they'll chime in.

This is what I did.  My dog stayed with my mom for the time remaining (3 months), my dad did the remainder of the paperwork and last vet visit and my friend dropped her off at the airport.  Was a team effort

 
This is what I did.  My dog stayed with my mom for the time remaining (3 months), my dad did the remainder of the paperwork and last vet visit and my friend dropped her off at the airport.  Was a team effort

Likewise. I moved after the 6-month time was up, but before my boys. My parents took care of them for 2 months while I job/flat-hunted here, and then they did the vet visit/airport run.

It took me 8 months and cost me about $1700 to get my lhasa-apso mix Baboo to the UK. That is with the airfare, microchip, vet visits, vaccinations and tests. It's a pain in the butt. I kind of did it backwards though. I moved him to the UK first and then I just applied for my visa today. Hopefully, I'll be with him and my fiance in a few weeks.

For me starting the process (micro-chip, rabies vaccination, rabies titer test) wasn't as expensive as finishing it (flying him to the UK). My advice is to start the PETS scheme as soon as possible so you can start your 6 month in-home quarantine.

For us our entire moving schedule was based around our pets and heat embargos. I can't imagine our dogs spending a day in quarantine.

Andy

For us our entire moving schedule was based around our pets and heat embargos. I can't imagine our dogs spending a day in quarantine.

Andy

Ditto for us. We both refuse to to put our cats into a kennel with other strange cats for even 1 day. I can only imagine how traumatic that would be, especially after a traumatic 8hr flight. They wouldn't be the same animals.

  There is NO "not going through the PETS scheme" ,and bringing a pet into the UK. If your pet doesn't do it at home ,they WILL do it in UK quarantine. All the same requirements must still be met before that pet leaves there. During that time ,your pet is totally isolated ,freezing cold, eating unfamiliar food, wondering what the hell has happened to it's entire world. All of this must be paid for, at the going rate of the "chosen vet " used by your quarantine facility. I can't remember now ,but quarantine itself ,was either around 2 or 300 pounds a month (for a cat)


  I don't know if I posted the link right or not....if you want to hear a first hand account of what quarantine is like ,read my horror story from a couple years ago. If the link does not work ,try looking it up under "cat astrophy" on my posts.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=49414.msg700060#msg700060

I hope you find an alternative plan for the pet you love.

Opps , sorry ,start there and then click on  "older post" at the bottom,to keep reading as the days went by....  about Cavutos stay in quarantine.


http://catsonthecounter.blogspot.com/2008/12/oh-noplease-no.htmlps