I seem to be repeating myself a lot recently responding to Facebook, WhatsApp and email messages asking when we will be doing our next Bosnia Transport.
Answer remains the same: as soon as it becomes legal to do so, following Croatia decision recently to not allow any animals other than pets across their borders.
As I understand it Croatia have instructed the Bosnia Government Vets to start using the correct forms (which I think is the CVED).
I totally understand that this is frustrating, especially as we have done a number of transports following exactly the detailed instructions from both DEFRA and the Croatia BIP, but it appears (to me) that Croatia have got fed up with the ongoing exploitation of the Pets Scheme and are clamping down. Of course human nature been what it is this is actually making people abuse the system even more which is only going to make it worse I think.
Only last month a transport proudly claimed on Facebook that they had sorted TRACES for getting re-homed cats and dogs out of Bosnia, only to be stopped and turned back at the border.
I have had a number of scenarios suggested to me as ways around this:
1. Bosnia citizens drive the dogs over the border in private cars using the 5 animals per person allowance and the animals are then picked up by a transport company.
Issues with this: the forms used to clear the border clearly state that the animals are pets and there will be no transfer of ownership so as soon as they are transferred to the transport company this makes it an ‘illegal’ transport, and the transport company are then knowingly abusing the Pets Scheme.
2. Bosnia citizens drive the dogs over the border in private cars using the 5 animals per person allowance and the animals are then transferred onto a EU passport and registered under TRACES.
Issues with this: the forms used to clear the border clearly state that the animals are pets and there will be no transfer of ownership so as soon as they are transferred to an EU passport there is a transfer of ownership making the transport illegal AND the animal will then have a combination of a EU passport and a Bosnia microchip so assuming they get into the UK under TRACES, if (and they are increasingly doing so) AVHLA call to inspect the animal they will find a EU passport and a Bosnia batched chip – even if a second chip were applied the first could still show on the scan.
All very creative, and been suggested I have no doubt out a frustration at not been able to genuinely help the unfortunate cats and dogs in Bosnia, rather than any sinister or criminal intent, but all illegal as it is just not possible at all as things stand to get a rescue animal out of Bosnia legally at the moment.