Labour consider 'passport' for pets

A "passport for pets" is being considered by Labour to replace the quarantine laws, following pressure for reform from animal lovers and animal rights groups.

Under the new arrangement, pet owners could be required to vaccinate their animals against rabies, with certificates or "passports" to prove they are safe to bring into Britain. The review, which is still in progress, follows a warning that present quarantine laws requiring pets to be kept in isolation for six months before being allowed into Britain may not prevent rabies entering the country. Colin Brown