Consignments of animals traveling through the Medininkai border veterinary post were not allowed in Lithuania
During the normal screening procedure for consignments of pet animals from third countries, the officials or the person inspecting the animals shall have a permit issued by the competent authority (carrier and vehicle) for the transport of the animals. It is also checked that the animals are being transported without compromising their welfare.
During the inspections, the said commercial consignments of pet animals from Belarus were reversed because more than one pet was transported in one vehicle. Inspections revealed that the number of cages intended for the transport of animals did not correspond to the information provided in the documents accompanying the consignment.
More than 2-4 animals were accommodated in one transport cage. And in an attempt to accommodate as many cages as possible, and therefore as many animals as possible, some of the cages were not secured or were not secured enough. Inadequate ventilation was often not provided. Such improper transport conditions not only cause inconvenience and discomfort to the animals during the journey, but improperly secured cages can also cause the death of the animal in the event of an accident.
“Against the background of the recent road events, the officers of the Medininkai border post note the intensified attempts to bring in as many pets as possible from one of the third countries at the same time, and we think that they fear that restrictive measures may be adopted. The EU has not yet adopted such sanctions. However, our officers will continue to monitor and thoroughly inspect every vehicle in which animals are transported, ”said Brigita Simonavičiūtė, the State Veterinary Inspector, the head of the Medininkai Border Veterinary Post.
Commercial consignments of pets from Belarus were transported by carriers from Latvia and Poland. Therefore, SFVS officials informed the competent authorities of these countries that they had issued transport authorizations that the identified carriers did not comply with the animal welfare requirements. Colleagues from other EU countries were also informed about the violations committed by these transport companies.
The SFVS recalls that commercial consignments of pet animals from non-EU countries are inspected at border inspection posts. Following a veterinary inspection, a common health entry document (CED) is issued.
This document certifies that the transported animals comply or do not comply with EU legislation (animals come from approved third countries, come from approved holdings or assembly centers, are marked and vaccinated against rabies, have an EU veterinary certificate issued by an official veterinarian of the country of dispatch , animals are transported in suitable vehicles in accordance with animal welfare requirements). The CED document shall indicate and the decision of the official veterinarian of the border inspection post as to whether the animals may be imported, returned or euthanised. In the event of a breach of any of these requirements, consignments are usually returned to the country of origin.
More information is available on the commercial importation of animals from outside the Member States here.
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