Love Your Pet Day falls on February 20th and raises the question, what are the rules when it comes to taking your dog away in your motorhome?
This is something the insurance specialist Safeguard has tried to answer, helping those planning a getaway with their four-legged friends.
Restraining your dog
Properly restraining your dog is essential when it’s travelling in your motorhome, both for its safety and to ensure you’re on the right side of the law.
Rule 57 of The Highway Code clearly states that drivers are responsible for making sure dogs are “suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly”.
There are a number of ways to do this, depending on your pet’s needs:
- Pet carrier
- Seat belt harness
- Dog cage
- Dog guard
Travelling with an unrestrained pet in your vehicle could leave you with a fine of up to £5,000 and penalty points on your licence. In some cases, you can even be banned from driving and face compulsory re-testing.
Mark Sheppard, senior trading manager at Safeguard, told CaravanTimes: “Aside from ensuring your furry friend is safely restrained, there are a few other things you can do to make sure a comfortable and stress-free journey.
“Dogs need regular opportunities to stretch their legs, relieve themselves and burn off excess energy, so plan to stop every couple of hours for toilet breaks and short walks. If your pet tends to get carsick, consult your vet about how you can help them on the road.
“Check that your dog has access to fresh water throughout the journey, but avoid overindulging them right before hitting the road. Maintain a smooth, steady pace, and avoid sudden accelerations, hard braking or sharp turns whenever possible. Erratic driving can not only make your dog anxious, but also increase the risk of injury if they’re not properly secured.”
The EU and Northern Ireland
Before setting off on a motorhome trip to the EU or Northern Ireland, make sure you know the restrictions and legal requirements.
Pets should be microchipped and vaccinated for rabies 21 days before travel. If your dog needs a booster shot, the 21 days is waived as long as the vaccine cover has been continuous.
Another requirement for travel to the EU and Northern Ireland is an animal health certificate from the vet, which is valid for entry into the countries for ten days after issue.
You then have four months’ grace with this document for onward travel and re-entry into Great Britain, which is useful for longer motorhome touring trips.
Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway
For visits to these countries, dogs must be treated for tapeworm no less than 24 hours and no more than five days prior to arrival.
The treatment must be recorded in either an animal health certificate or a valid pet passport and taken with you when you travel.
