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FEBRUARY 2013

Animal Tales February 2013

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Page 1: Animal Tales February 2013

FEBRUARY 2013

Page 2: Animal Tales February 2013

With the purchase of any 2 Purina One dog food formulas.

1 Mill Creek

pet store

grocery

or or

CHOOSE SMRTCHO RTRT

WIN!®

Page 3: Animal Tales February 2013

ANIMAL TALESA SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF THE BERMUDA SUN FEBRUARY 1, 2013 PAGE 1

Publisher Randy French

President Lisa Beauchamp

Editorial Amanda Dale, Simon Jones

Editorial Layout Jack Garstang

Advertising Sales Carlita Burgess (Deputy Advertising Manager) Olga French, Diane Gilbert, Claire James

Creative Services Christina White, Colby Medeiros, Bakari Smith

Circulation & Distribution Nick Tavares

Bermuda Sun 19 Elliott Street, Hamilton, Bermuda HM 10

Tel 295-3902 Fax 292-5597 E-mail [email protected]

This special supplement is produced and published by Bermuda Sun Limited and printed in Bermuda by Island Press Limited.

The Bermuda Sun publishes twice weekly and is a subsidiary of MediaHouse Limited. We are members of the Inland Press Association, International Newspaper Marketing Association and the Newspaper Association of America. We are located at: 19 Elliott Street, Hamilton HM 10; P.O. Box HM 1241, Hamilton HM FX Tel: 295-3902 Fax: 292-5597. Visit our website: www.bermudasun.bm

Inside this supplementPreparing your pet for baby’s arrival Pages 2-3

Therapeutic benefits of Petting Zoo Pages 4-5

Wholesaler caters for island’s animals Page 6

Winner of the Animal Tales contest Page 7

Pets and pests in your home Pages 8-9

SPCA: Giving cats a good home Pages 10-12

Finding a fitting memorial for your pet Page 13

Fencing to keep your dog safe and secure Page 15

Importing your pet to the UK and Europe Page 16

How dogs cope with a new arrival and six cats looking for a good homeBY AMANDA [email protected]

What happens when a new arrival enters the fam-ily home — will your dog be jealous or welcoming?

In this February edition of Animal Tales, Bermuda Sun reporter Simon Jones describes how he and his wife’s golden retrievers coped with the birth of baby boy Freddie.

Also in this supplement we feature six cats at the Bermuda SPCA who need a new home. Brie, Annatto, Cinnamon, Etta, Eugene and Goldie are just a few of the beautiful felines avail-able for adoption at the ani-mal charity.

WindReach Bermuda is also looking for volunteers and animals to join its pet-ting zoo. Young guinea pigs

and rabbits are needed, while volunteers can help to feed, clean and groom the

animals. Elsewhere in this supplement there are arti-cles on Fumbly’s Wholesale,

which offers “every animal feed under the sun”, and on the pet memorials available at Big Savings Zone in St David’s.

If you are looking for a way of keeping your dog safe and secure then A1 Fencing sells two types of chain link fencing for your home.

If your pet is being plagued by pests such as fleas, and if you notice that rodents, ants or cockroach-es are becoming a problem, then Bermuda Pest Control also has the answer, in its products and services.

In this edition of Animal Tales we also feature tips and advice on importing your pet to the UK and Europe.

And for the winner of our latest pet contest, turn to page seven. ■

■ AFP PHOTO / KIMIHIRO HOSHINO

LOVABLE: A pug named Daisy is brought to the stage for judging during the 2012 World’s Ugliest Dog contest in the US.

Page 4: Animal Tales February 2013

2 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

BY SIMON [email protected]

Roxy does not deal well with change.

Just the movement of a piece of furniture or the packing of a bag sends our six-year-old golden retriever into a bit of a spin.

She normally plonks her-self down in a corner with a forlorn scowl on her face, as if to say ‘you are leaving me again, aren’t you?’

So with the pending arriv-al of a baby boy we thought it a good idea to find out as much as we could about how to make this transition as easy as possible on the old girl.

Monty, our other golden,

was of much less concern.To he of little spatial

awareness a new mouth to feed in the house was prob-ably a good thing in that it meant more crumbs, or ini-tially milk drops, to hoover up from the floor.

But all the same we tried to do our research to make sure both dogs did not feel neglected or forgotten in the lead up to the arrival of baby Freddie, and also when introducing him for the first time.

So when we started work on the little man’s bedroom a couple of months before his birth we made sure the dogs – especially Roxy – were in the room and saw the changes as the walls

were splashed blue and we erected the crib.

That way we thought the change would be gradual and they would be used to ‘Freddie’s room’ when we first brought him home from the hospital.

We are pretty lucky as many of our friends already have little ones and the dogs have always been used to children stumbling around the house and yanking their tails.

But we made an extra effort to ship in more kids as we got closer to B-day – the younger the better.

We opened diaper bags and used baby wipes around the house so the dogs could get used the smells that

would soon become com-monplace in our house.

We also tried hard to make sure Monty knew what cuddly toys were his – and what fluffy rabbits and plastic cars were off limits.

I say we tried – but to be honest, even now, he still pretends that anything vaguely furry in the house is his and proudly stands with it in his mouth if he feels he has been just slight-ly forgotten.

Freddie was born on October 10 – during which time Monty and Roxy had enjoyed a brief ‘stay-cation’ at the in-laws.

I took baby-smelling blan-kets back to the dogs so they could get used to the new

Preparing your pet for baby’s arrivalHow Roxy and Monty coped when we brought home Freddie

■ PHOTO BY SIMON JONES

LIKE PEAS IN A POD: Baby Freddie is wide awake but sentry duty has taken its toll on Monty who is fast asleep

Page 5: Animal Tales February 2013

THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 3

smell; after all, each website had told us: ‘It’s all about getting the dogs used to the smell’.

So by the time we brought Freddie home a few days later the dogs had at least a vague inclination of what a newborn smelt like.

The trip home and the return of the dogs from Smiths’ parish were planned with military preci-sion.

Freddie was already ensconced at the homestead when the dogs arrived – so we took him into the back bedroom with the mother-in-law when the dogs bounded through the front door.

The picked up the new scent and rummaged around through blankets and toys, and soon settled in their usual positions – Monty on his ‘dog sofa’ and Roxy at her mum’s side.

Then in walked mum-in-law clutching Freddie with as little drama as possible, while we played with the hounds.

They seemed to barely notice the arrival of the gur-gling package.

We tried to make it as normal as possible and did not say anything when the dogs went in for an investi-gatory sniff at Freddie’s full head of hair.

It was a relief that they seemed not in the slightest bit perturbed by the new addition to the family.

In the following weeks they got used the early morning sound of crying

and new parents crashing around the house at 3am in the morning trying to warm up the milk bottle.

And although Roxy still looks a little put out on occasions when she has to share the bed with Freddie

and her mum in the morn-ing we have been pretty lucky. We have tried to keep the dogs’ routine going and they seem to have genuinely grown more attached to their new ‘brother’.

Although you can see in Monty’s eye – he will only be truly excited when Freddie is eating solids and the crumbs start to fall his way. ■

■ PHOTO BY SIMON JONES

SENTINELS: Monty, left and Roxy keep a watchful eye guarding young Freddie.

‘They seemed to barely notice the arrival of the gurgling package.’

Page 6: Animal Tales February 2013

4 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

BY AMANDA [email protected]

WindReach Bermuda is looking for more volunteers and animals to join its pet-ting zoo.

The popular zoo features a miniature horse, donkey, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and six pygmy goats, but more furry friends are wel-come.

“We are looking for a few young guinea pigs and rab-bits to join the petting zoo, and also some more volun-teers,” said Erica Fulton, WindReach executive direc-tor.

“At WindReach, we aim to

enrich the quality of life for people with special needs, but our petting zoo is really for anyone.

“It brings so many ben-efits to so many people. There’s a whole range of therapeutic benefits from working with and looking after the animals. Even just sitting there watching them; it’s a tranquil and relaxing place in which to unwind.

“At the zoo, people can learn about animal care and behaviour, and about responsibility. There is also the socialization and social interaction side, from work-ing with others.

“There’s a feeding sched-

ule which teaches individu-als about the importance of timekeeping. By cleaning the animals and their stalls, people also learn what it really takes to look after an animal.

“It’s important for people to learn that animals are a 24/7 responsibility, even during the holidays.

“This is a great working environment for people both with and without special needs. We have feed-ing, cleaning and grooming schedules, and it’s a thera-peutic learning environ-ment.

“Helping out at the zoo also has health and fitness

benefits, and you’re work-ing outdoors.

“It’s also a great oppor-tunity for socialization, because someone who is shy will find it an easier envi-ronment in which to com-municate with others.

“We have both adult and children volunteers, and they can develop skills in a number of different ways. Our work experience partic-ipants can also get involved in helping people with spe-cial needs.”

Although the petting zoo is open to the public, the volunteers and work experi-ence people must schedule their appointments.

Therapeutic benefits of Petting ZooUnique environment enriches the quality of life for anyone

■ PHOTOS SUPPLIED

WELCOME SMILE: Eeyore the donkey’s expression captures the character of this popular zoo which also features six pygmy goats, a miniature horse, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds.

Page 7: Animal Tales February 2013

THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 5

■ PHOTO SUPPLIED

CHOW TIME: Sarah Outerbridge is seen taking care of the feeding schedule for the birds at WindReach Petting Zoo.

Ms Fulton said the charity is also looking for monetary donations towards its food and programmes.

WindReach is located on Spice Hill Road, Warwick, and serves people with a wide range of physical and learning disabilities. It also has a sensory room, stables, paddocks and an indoor riding arena, a nature pond and skink habitat, a camp-ground, playground and a tree house.

The centre aims to pro-vide educational, thera-peutic and recreational opportunities through activities and programmes. People with disabilities can develop skills with which to widen their integration into the general community.

Apart from the petting zoo, WindReach also has other areas in which people can volunteer and contrib-ute community service. ■

FOR MORE information e-mail Ms Fulton at [email protected] or call 238-2469. Website www.wind-reachbermuda.bm

Page 8: Animal Tales February 2013

6 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

BY SIMON [email protected]

Dogs, cats, rabbits, goats and horses — Fumbly’s Wholesale caters for them all, and probably a few more animals too.

Managing director Daric Seymour has always owned animals and so for him the idea of providing bulk feed for the animals of Bermuda was a logical progression.

From giving the feed to close friends and acquain-tances from his Pembroke farm, he is now operating out of a retail space on the corner or North Shore Road just by Shelley Bay.

And he hopes to expand the store still further soon to make way for not just the human wholesale items but also the ever-increasing demand for animal feed that he brings in from the US.

Mr Seymour said: “I have always owned all sorts of animals like rabbits, chick-ens, goats and horses.

“And it was always a bit of a struggle to find feed for them.

“So I started looking into what I could do for myself about bringing in the feed and it has kind of developed from there.

“Now we offer every ani-mal feed under the sun at Fumbly’s.”

The store officially opened last September and is now open seven days a week.

On weekdays it is open between 10am and 7pm, while on Saturday it is open between 10am and 8pm. Sunday opening hours are 12pm to 4pm.

Mr Seymour urged any-one with animals, whether they have chickens, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs or ham-sters, to pop into the store and see what animal feeds they have in stock.

The store also caters for other domestic animals such as dogs, cats and horses and stocks all sorts of animal goods including beds and bowls.

Mr Seymour added: “We bring in all the feed from the US on a container around once a month.

“It really depends on the demand how much we bring in.

“I have a warehouse in St David’s where we store some of the feed and we make just about enough to cover our costs of shipping and unloading the contain-ers.

“It’s not a big money making scheme — I am just trying to fill a gap in the market and provide a ser-vice.” ■

Wholesaler caters for island’s animals‘Now we offer every animal feed under the sun at Fumbly’s’

■ PHOTO BY SIMON JONES

BULK FEED: Daric Seymour, managing director of Fumbly’s, has always owned animals and it was a logical progression for him to start providing feed for the island’s animals.

‘So I started looking into what I could do for myself about bringing in the feed and it has kind of developed from there.’

DARIC SEYMOUR Managing director of Fumbly’s

Page 9: Animal Tales February 2013

THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 7

Kristi Cuts offers the best in grooming and boarding for your dog.

Kristi Cuts offers the best in grooming and boarding for your dog.

Owner Linda Atwood founded the business in 2008, naming it after her late terrier cross Kristi who died in 2007, aged 17.

Miss Atwood can board between four and six small to medium-sized dogs at her Pembroke home, which has a fully enclosed back garden.

Her grooming services include nail clipping, ear care, cleaning of face and eye area, hygiene cut, hair cutting/ shaping and puppy cuts. “I love animals, especially dogs, so they can expect a lot of

TLC (tender loving care) here,” said Miss Atwood.

“If the dogs sleep with their owners at home, they can sleep with me here too. I am always picking the animals up to give them a lot of fuss and attention.

“I leave the door open to the back yard so they can come in and go out as they please. But if I have to go out I bring them all inside to be safe. “I really enjoy my job and looking after the dogs.”

Contact Kristi Cuts at 292-2788/292-7554/333-7554.

KRISTI CUTS Dog Groomer - Small to Medium dogs Will do placid cats - no biters or scratchers

Page 10: Animal Tales February 2013

8 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

BY WALTER S. SAUL

Most people do not think of the relationship between ‘pets’ and ‘pests’ in their homes until a problem pres-ents itself.

Fortunately, there are a number of pest prevention tips that you might want to consider which can help both new as well as long-time pet owners.

First and foremost, from a health perspective, are fleas.

Mainly pertaining to dogs and cats, fleas bite, they feed off of your pet’s blood (and sometimes yours), they can carry disease, and will contribute to an overall

decline in the health of your pet.

Prevention is the key to effective flea control. Visit one of Bermuda’s qualified veterinarians for excellent advice, products and on-pet treatment if needed.

Should an unlikely out-break of fleas occur inside of your home, Bermuda Pest Control can advise and/or treat the premises for eradi-cation.

Hamsters, gerbils, and even birds can host fleas, so inspect your pet — what-ever it may be — for fleas and other parasites on a frequent basis.

Note: never treat your pet with insecticides that are

not labeled for use on pets.What about ants, cock-

roaches, rats and mice . . . what do they have to do with owning a pet?

Both rats and mice can squeeze through many a small opening that would surprise you.

PreventionMake sure that exterior

holes around air condition-ers, plumbing, electric, gas lines, telephone and cable are sealed, and that the dryer vent has an outside cover.

When rodents have easy access, they will certainly appreciate the pet food left

out for them to find.Cockroaches invariably

find their way indoors. In research centres, such as the University of Florida that Bermuda Pest Control attends for annual certifica-tion courses, the cockroach-es used for testing are given pet food as the perfect food source.

Cockroaches — and ants — also need a water source, so pay attention to pet food and water bowls, leaks, spills, and standing water.

Both ants and cockroach-es like Bermuda stone, and both can overrun your pet’s favourite outdoor resting spot.

The Latin name for ants

‘I never had much of a pest problem until we bought a pet for the children’

■ MCT PHOTO

BRINGING HOME BABY: This family in the US are pictured with a female boxer they adopted from a rescue society.

Page 11: Animal Tales February 2013

is Formicidae, leading to the word formic acid, which ants secrete.

This allows them to not only live on Bermuda stone, but to nest inside of it also, an important fact to remem-ber when considering the outdoor areas that “Fluffy” may call home.

It is often an ongoing battle over who owns the patio — you, your pets, or the ants.

Keep plants and vines from growing onto your house, as branches serve as a bridge for cockroaches, ants, rats and mice from their home to yours. Be prepared for treating these areas as needed, and per-haps somewhat regularly.

All in all, what we call pests are simply part of the animal kingdom, as are your pets, and as such they need food, water and shelter to survive.

We all know that it’s nice to share, but your home, your food, and your pet’s food don’t have to be easy targets for uninvited pests.

Since we often inadver-

tently make it a little easier for pests to thrive among us, it is important to take steps wherever possible to keep them out of our family’s and our pets’ environment.

Bermuda Pest Control has been providing profes-sional, warranted services

protecting our island’s peo-ple, pets and property of the island since 1952.

With Bermuda’s only locally and internationally licensed fumigators, they are available to answer your questions, give helpful advice, and to safely pro-

vide treatments if needed. Give them a call at BDA-

PEST (232-7378) or e-mail [email protected]

WALTER S. SAUL is opera-tions manager at Bermuda Pest Control, Ltd.

THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 9

■ PHOTO SUPPLIED

FLEAS BITE, they feed off of your pet’s blood (and sometimes yours), they can carry disease, and will contribute to an overall decline in the health of your pet.

Page 12: Animal Tales February 2013

10 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

■ CAN YOU GIVE ME A GOOD HOME? / Contact Bermuda SPCA on 236-7333 (front desk)

Annatto9-month-old

neutered male, gingerBrie

1-year-old spayed, female,

calico

■ PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Page 13: Animal Tales February 2013

THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 11

Viewing and adoptions:Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 4pm.

See page 12 for more adoptions

Etta1.5-year-old

spayed female, black

Cinnamon8-month-old

neutered male, tabby

■ PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Page 14: Animal Tales February 2013

12 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

Eugene7-month-old

neutered male, grey and white

Goldie5-year-old

neutered male, ginger and white

■ PHOTOS SUPPLIED

■ CAN YOU GIVE ME A GOOD HOME? / Contact Bermuda SPCA on 236-7333 (front desk)See pages 10-11 for more adoptions

Page 15: Animal Tales February 2013

THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 13

BY AMANDA [email protected]

“If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I’d walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.”

This is one of the engrav-ings on pet memorials now available at Big Savings Zone.

The Southside furniture store has started selling headstones, urns, crosses and benches to provide pet owners with a fitting memo-rial in the event of their pet’s death.

Elizabeth and Alan Mayne, store owners, dis-covered the memorials at an accessories trade show in Toronto, Canada, a few months ago.

“We decided to bring them here because we just thought it would be a nice thing to do, knowing how much Bermudians love their animals and the lengths they go to take care of them,” said Mrs Mayne.

“If you lose your pet, it can be like losing a member of the family. These memo-rials can help to mark their grave if you bury them in the garden. It is something to remember them by.”

She said: “We buried our own dog Dippy and our two cats, Pebbles and Granny, in the garden under an olive tree, so we have put a stone cross there.

“The memorials have dif-ferent wordings, so you can get one which is appropri-ate for your dog or cat, or other pet.

“They are all solid stone so they won’t disintegrate with the elements.”

Examples of the engrav-ings include: ‘Here lies a faithful friend and compan-ion’ and ‘Dogs/cats leave paw prints on our hearts’.

“You can also engrave your own pet’s name on some of the headstones,” said Mrs Mayne.

“They are flat stone and so can be laid on the ground. You can also buy a little bench on which to sit and reflect.

“If you have your pet

cremated there is also an urn in which to place their ashes. The engraving is: ‘In memory of a faithful friend and companion’.”

Manufactured by Canadian company

Springwater Gifts, the head-stones cost $50 to $95 or $115 including a space on which to engrave your pet’s name. The benches cost $225, the urns $85, and the crosses $75. ■

Big Savings Zone16 Wallers Point Road, Southside, St David’s. Tel. 297-4440.

Finding a fitting memorial for your pet

■ PHOTOS BY AMANDA DALE

REMEMBERING: Headstones, urns, crosses and benches are available at Big Savings Zone to provide pet owners with a fitting memorial in the event of their pet’s death.

Page 16: Animal Tales February 2013

14 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

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THE BERMUDA SUN ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ■ 15

BY SIMON [email protected]

If you are looking for a lasting and cost-effective way of keeping your dog safe and secure then look no further than A1 Fencing.

The firm has plenty of experience fencing in back-yards across the island so that dogs can run free, and pet owners can rest easy knowing their beloved pooch is not going to escape.

It offers customers a choice of two types of chain link fence that can be erect-ed quickly and at minimum cost.

Firstly, there is the heavy-duty variety that can also be used to create commer-cial dog kennels for larger breeds, as well as garden fences.

Then there is the PVC coated version that comes in green, black, brown or even blue and white.

Lynn Hamilton from A1 Fencing told Animal Tales: “The heavy duty chain link fence is ideal for keeping in bigger dogs like dober-mans or German shepherds because it is so strong.

“It is durable and it also lasts a long time.

“With the PVC coated version we also allow our customers to choose from a range of colours.

“Many go for the green version, but one of the things we pride ourselves on is the fact the colour of the poles match the fences — they are all dipped in the same colour so it all looks uniform.

“That helps the fence to blend in to the background better too.

“A lot of people think of chain-link being used in basketball courts or even prisons, but in reality if it is done properly and with some thought given to the colours, it can look attrac-tive while fulfilling its main role.

“We have the green fenc-ing in stock but can order in all the other colours we offer.”

There is no yard too big or too small for the work

crews from A1. They have build up considerable expertise in erecting fences as small as 3-ft in height to towering 10-ft designs.

They recently finished work on the fences around the National Swimming Stadium, which was com-pleted in a striking blue coloured fence.

VersatileFurthermore, the natural

bends and curves of the landscape will do little to prevent A1 from getting the job done owing to the new equipment they now have at their disposal.

Ms Hamilton added: “We have been in the chain link fencing business for around 15 years now.

“We started off as a main-tenance firm, but now the residential fencing side of the operation is our meat and potatoes.

“We do some commercial sites too, and we also pro-duce commercial kennels and dog runs.

“We basically try and make sure that what ever the customer asks for in terms of fencing of animals we can provide at the most cost effective level.

“The thing with chain link fences is they last for years and ultimately prove

one of the most cost effec-tive ways of securing your pet.

“We predominantly work on dog fences, but we have also had experience in the past of erecting cat fences around properties too.

“Which ever way you look at it, this is a great way of keeping your pet safe and secure, while at the same time allowing them to have the freedom to run wild within a defined area.

“Every house and every project is different and we

treat each one according to what is best for the custom-er. We also offer a five-year warranty.”

If you want to find out more about getting a fence erected in your garden then call A1 Fencing on 292-3362 or call the firm's boss, Alan Whitecross, direct on 735-0134.

The firm, which is based in Southampton, will also provide you with a free estimate as part of the service. ■

■ PHOTOS SUPPLIED

A1 FENCING offers customers a choice of two types of chain link fence that can be erected quickly and at minimum cost.

Fencing to keep your dog safe and secure

Page 18: Animal Tales February 2013

16 ■ FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ANIMAL TALES: A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE BERMUDA SUN

BY AMANDA [email protected]

European Union (EU)Conditions for exporting a pet into

the EU vary between individual coun-tries, so you should always consult the destination country.

Your veterinary certificate must be endorsed by the Department of Environmental Protection, and be valid for a maximum four months.

You are allowed to export a maxi-mum five animals into the EU. They must not be sold or have their owner-ship transferred.

UKThe UK Pet Travel Scheme (PETS)

allows people to take dogs, cats and ferrets into the UK without quarantine if they meet certain rules.

Owners do not need an import licence, but unqualified animals must have an import permit issued by the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The conditions of the UK Pet Travel Scheme are as follows:

■ Vaccinations, blood samples, PETS certificate and tick/tapeworm treat-ment must occur in an EU-approved country. The microchip can be implanted in any country.

■ Information on dog breeds prohib-ited in the UK is available at the Pet Travel Scheme website at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel

■ Your dog or cat must be identified with a microchip, with the date of implantation on veterinary records. Microchipping must be done before any vaccinations and blood tests.

■ After three months old, the ani-mal must be vaccinated with a killed adjuvated rabies vaccine, plus any subsequent revaccines. The microchip ID must appear on the vaccination certificate.

■ A blood sample must be submit-ted to a virus neutralization test at an EU-recognised laboratory. The micro-chip ID must be on the lab report. A pet is eligible for UK entry six months after the collection date if it has a favourable result.

■ An owner may have to sign an affidavit attesting that the animal has been only in an EU-approved country during the six months prior to UK entry.

■ Your vet must issue a certificate certifying the microchip ID, vaccina-tions and titre result of the animal. This must be taken to the Department of Environmental Protection for endorsement.

■ Between 24 and 48 hours before

departure the animal must be treated for ticks and tapeworms.

■ A pre-travel health examination is recommended to ensure the animal is fit for travel.

■ The animal must arrive aboard a commercial carrier and via a route approved by DEFRA — British Airways is the sole participating car-rier from Bermuda to the UK.

■ The travel crate must meet International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations. It must be sturdy, leak-proof, escape-proof, well-ventilated, safe and com-fortable. It should also display the owner’s contact details.

Any animal not meeting all the requirements for its destination coun-try is likely to placed into quarantine or deported. ■

FOR MORE information on PETS go to www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/index.htm or call the Helpline at 44 (0)870 241 1710 or e-mail [email protected]

FOR INFORMATION about transport-ing your pet on a British Airways flight go to www.britishairways.com/travel/pet/public/en_gb or www.baworldcar-go.com/products/liveanimals

FOR INFORMATION about transport-ing your pet on American Airlines go to www.aa.com or www.aacargo.com/shipping/animals

FOR INFORMATION on transporting your pet on Air Canada go to www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/pets-in-cabin

Exporting your pet to the UK and Europe

■ PHOTO SUPPLIED

STURDY: The travel crate must meet International Air Transport Association regulations

Page 19: Animal Tales February 2013
Page 20: Animal Tales February 2013

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Quality,Comfort,

Microvelvet are the most popular fabric choice for durability & easy care. This remarkable fabric does not pill and best of all, gets softer after every wash, maintaining its great look for years. Microvelvet also repels pet hair, dirt and even moisture! “Breathable” construction ensures fabric is “cool” in the summer and “cozy” in the winter months.

All fabrics are “pre-washed” and color-safe for easy care; (machine-wash and dry on cool/gentle setting).