By Amanda Harley
THE PLANNED visit of the head of the British Veterinary Trade Team, Robin Bell, has raised new hopes for Cyprus’ inclusion in the UK’s ‘Pet Passport’ scheme.
The ‘passport’ system enables dogs and cats coming from EU and other European countries and rabies-free islands to enter the UK without quarantine.
But Cyprus was excluded from the scheme when it was first introduced last March, apparently due to the continued presence of rabies in the occupied areas.
Now Bell is coming to Cyprus for a full assessment of rabies prevention measures across the island. He arrives on Monday.
The Director of the Department of Veterinary Services, Pavlos Economides, claims that both Greek and Turkish Cypriots work closely with the UN and the British Bases to monitor the situation.
“From what I have been told by Turkish Cypriot vets, there is no issue of rabies there because they do not allow the importation of animals from Turkey without quarantine,” he said.
He claimed there had not been a single case of rabies anywhere on the island since 1928.
The decision to exclude Cyprus from the scheme has proved frustrating for the many British pet lovers on the island, who have long been campaigning to put an end to the misery and expense of quarantine in the UK.
The division of the island and a lack of knowledge about what procedures are followed in the occupied areas have so far convinced the UK to exclude Cyprus.
Sources told the Cyprus Mail this week that Turkish Cypriot veterinary authorities claimed their quarantine regulations were almost identical to those in the UK, and that in the past even Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash had had his pets impounded on arrival.
Controls at ports of entry are carried out by Turkish Cypriot ‘police’ and ‘customs’, working closely in conjunction with the ‘State Veterinary Department’ which collects any rabies-susceptible animal and delivers it to a central quarantine centre.
On Monday morning, Bell will visit the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) veterinary facilities, followed by courtesy calls on Economides and on the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.
On Tuesday, he will cross the Green Line to visit Turkish Cypriot vets.
A spokesman for the British Bases, Major Jon Brown, said yesterday he hoped for progress on the issue: “Any move that makes it easier for families and pets to move around will be welcomed,” he said.
Bell’s current responsibilities include negotiating acceptable animal and public health conditions for export of UK animals and products and ensuring that the UK’s animal and public health status is safeguarded against the introduction of exotic and serious diseases.
Animals in the new scheme will be implanted with an electronic microchip certifying that they have come from a rabies-free country and that they have been vaccinated against the disease.
