Dusseldorf Airport Requires Zwergspitz to Undergo Quarantine Due to Absence of Toll Protection
In an incident that occurred on April 27, 2023, a 45-year-old woman from Duisburg was prevented from entering Germany at Dusseldorf Airport with her 10-month-old toy poodle. The customs officers, vigilant about rabies, discovered that the dog did not meet the minimum threshold for effective protection.
Pets entering Germany via Düsseldorf Airport must adhere to strict rabies vaccination requirements. These regulations, aligned with EU regulations, ensure smooth entry and aim to prevent the spread of rabies.
The first step in the process is the microchipping of pets over 12 weeks old. This microchip must be implanted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination. If the rabies vaccine is given before microchipping, the pet's vaccination is invalid, and it must be re-vaccinated. Pets must also have proof of a current rabies vaccination administered after microchipping.
For pets arriving from EU countries or Part 1 or Part 2 listed countries, they must wait 21 days after the primary (first) rabies vaccination before traveling to Germany. However, if entering from a non-listed country, pets must wait at least 30 days after vaccination before having a licensed veterinarian perform a rabies antibody titer (serology) test. The titer test must be done at approved laboratories, and the results must be within acceptable limits for entry.
The microchip and rabies vaccination details must be recorded on the international health certificate or pet passport, including microchip number, implantation date, vaccination date, vaccine manufacturer, batch number, and validity period.
On the day in question, the woman could not produce proof of a rabies vaccination for her pet. The digital vaccination records presented later showed a titer of 0.3 IE/ml, which did not meet the minimum threshold of at least 0.5 IE/ml for effective protection. Consequently, the customs officers contacted the veterinary office of Dusseldorf, leading to the seizure of the 10-month-old toy poodle.
Michael Walk, spokesperson for the main customs office in Dusseldorf, made a statement, emphasizing the importance of these regulations. He stated that the damage caused by an imported rabies disease would be greater than the stress of quarantine. He advised travelers to inform themselves about necessary vaccinations before departure.
The woman was asked by customs officers to present her pet's documents but could not produce them. As a result, she was not allowed to exit the customs area through the green exit for duty-free goods. The incident serves as a reminder to pet owners to plan vaccinations and microchipping well in advance, ideally under expert veterinarian guidance, and to carry the appropriate health certificates and pet passports to facilitate entry.
- Pets traveling to Germany must meet stringent rabies vaccination requirements, including obtaining a microchip and providing proof of a current vaccination, aligned with health-and-wellness recommendations and EU regulations, to ensure a smooth entry and hinder the spread of rabies.
- A pivotal aspect of pet travel lifestyle involves understanding the mandatory vaccinations and microchipping procedures, especially those related to rabies, as failure to comply with these regulations could result in health-and-wellness and travel complications, just as the 45-year-old woman from Duisburg learned when her toy poodle was seized at Düsseldorf Airport due to insufficient vaccination records.
