Dusseldorf Airport requires Zwergspitz to undergo quarantine due to insufficient toll protection.
In an incident that occurred on April 27, 2023, a 45-year-old woman from Duisburg was prevented from entering Germany with her 10-month-old toy poodle from Turkey. The reason for the denial was a lack of proof of rabies vaccination for the pet.
According to Germany's pet import rules, pets traveling from Turkey must meet specific rabies vaccination and testing requirements. Pets, including dogs, cats, and ferrets, must be at least 12 weeks old to receive a rabies vaccination. Before or at the same time as the vaccination, pets must be microchipped. The vaccination must be current, administered on or after the microchip implantation.
If the pet is coming from an unlisted country such as Turkey, pets must wait 30 days after the rabies vaccination before a licensed veterinarian administers a rabies titer (serology) test to measure rabies antibody levels. The test must be done in an approved lab, and if the results are acceptable, the pet can enter Germany.
In addition, an EU animal health certificate or appropriate stamped documents signed by an official vet, issued within 10 days before entry into the EU, must accompany the pet. Pets must also have other core vaccinations appropriate for the species, but these do not substitute for the rabies requirements.
The customs at Düsseldorf Airport inspect animals closely due to their potential impact on rabies. In this case, the woman was asked by customs officers to present documents for her animal. However, the digital vaccination records did not meet the minimum threshold for effective rabies protection, which is at least 0.5 IE/ml.
The rabies titer test presented later showed a titer of 0.3 IE/ml for the dog. As a result, the customs officers at Düsseldorf Airport did not allow the woman to exit with her pet. The veterinary office ordered the seizure of the 10-month-old toy poodle.
Michael Walk, spokesperson for the main customs office in Düsseldorf, made a statement about the incident. He emphasised that the damage caused by an imported rabies disease would be much higher than the stress caused by quarantine. The woman claimed to have the proof of rabies vaccination at home.
Walk advised travellers to inform themselves at the responsible veterinary authorities before their journey to ensure compliance with both Turkish departure and German import rules.
- To ensure a smooth travel experience, pet owners, such as the woman from Duisburg, should familiarize themselves with German import rules for pets, specifically the rabies vaccination and testing requirements, as the lack of such information could lead to pet seizure, like what happened with her 10-month-old toy poodle.
- Incorporating health-and-wellness, science, and lifestyle aspects, the interplay between travel regulations and pet health is a critical concern, as demonstrated by the incident at Düsseldorf Airport, where a 45-year-old woman's journey was disrupted due to a lack of effective rabies protection in her pet's vaccination records.
