If you lose your dog passports Don't Panic!

Pippah45
Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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Friday wasn't a great day for me but it might be useful to others to learn what I learnt without the four hor hassle. I arrived on a French site and was asked for the dogs papers. Never been asked before but no problem their passports are in the car except that they weren't! First thing I thought of was to hand it to insurance company. My documents are covered as is up to £2,500 of vets bills for each dog. Girl said she wasn't sure and would call me back in 5 minutes! About an hour and five later I called them. She was of course just about to call me to say no cover. In the meantime I had called the vet at home and after another while I got a message to say they couldn't do anything DEFRA issued the passports call them. Yeah right who stamped the passports? I spoke to a lovely lady called Lynn who said vet was wrong it was his business not DEFRAs no surprise there really but she gave me a reference number and said the vet could call her and she would sort it if necessary. But my vet has to send the dogs details to a vet of my choice in France and they will issue new passports. QED if you know HOW! Luckily I have plenty of time but I kept thinking thank goodness I wasn't missing a boat etc etc. also thank goodness the campsite asked as I might not have discovered them missing! This is a fairly short version of the story as you may imagine finding the relevant details and phone numbers not to mention the multiple choice extensions was not the easiest thing! I am considering photo copies of the passports for the future. As it turned out I found the passports in a safe place that I do not remember putting them in!

A friend had hers, her son's and the dog passport stolen a few years ago from a Motorhome at a border station and I remember her saying their passports were less trouble than the dog's to replace!

Comments

  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
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    edited May 2017 #2

    Many thanks for that information.

    I'll bet you don't 'mislay' them again.

    A full version, when you get time, would be appreciated.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #3

    Oh Pippah so glad you had a good outcome. You don't need extra hassle and stress. How's your brother?

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited May 2017 #4

    Keith and Margaret what more do you need to know?  Just get your vet to email or mail dogs records to your chosen vet in whatever country you are in and they can replace the passport.  Obviously the vet you choose needs to be on the list of approved and certified to do the job.  The full version just includes all the different departments and multiple choice thingies etc not to mention trying to get a vets receptionist in darkest Lincolnshire to understand the spelling of veterinaire!  And Guemene sur Scorff!

    He is not at all good Bakers 2  I diverted from my intended destination yesterday because he had been transferred from a local hospital back to the main one after only 2 days because he was too ill.  Today if you can believe it they are hell bent on returning him to the local.  It is abuse in all senses of the word.  Yesterday he was quite compost mentis because they refused to give him the morphine he has been on for weeks.  The excuse was the local hospital didn't send the orders!  Sometime late yesterday they put him back on the morphine.  Fortunately today he doesn't appear to know what is going on so may not notice a transfer except he is in a lot of pain more when moved.  His wife is incandescant with rage at the heartlessness of the system.  I really don't know how much more she can take never mind my brother.  I have a stiff whisky in my hand!  No more holiday for me now I think!  And thanks for asking smile

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #5

    Oh Pippah that's awful.  So it's not just the NHS that shunts people around. I'm sorry for him but also for you and his wife. Not an easy time but you or he don't need this at any time and certainly not now. Keeping you in thoughts and prayers. Just watch the whisky consumption, only because you may need to drive.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited May 2017 #6

    Thank you very much.  Yes good point about the whisky but I very much doubt I shall be called.  Last year I was half way to the hospital following the ambulance at 3 am when I remembered my intake!  I had been turned back at Roscoff because the boat wasn't sailing!  No harm done luckily.  

  • DJG
    DJG Forum Participant Posts: 277
    edited May 2017 #7

    One other way to replace pet passports if you are away for more than 21 days is to just have the local vet issue a new one for the cost of a rabies jab. They only last one year unlike our 3 year one, but you are covered.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #8

    That's worth knowing DJD thank you.  Although that could be a long wait if you find them missing at the port!  

  • DJG
    DJG Forum Participant Posts: 277
    edited May 2017 #9

    Three weeks is nothing, when the Pet Passport first came out, if you lost and couldn't replace it the dog went into quarantine for SIX months!