Urgent call for safer pet travel measures at French borders

A group of animal lovers is calling for improved security and safety at ports and the Eurotunnel terminal to prevent animals from bolting when undergoing checks.

They want to warn people about the potential hazards when taking their pets through pet passport control, especially during the process of getting their chips scanned. 

The five women, based in France, Spain and the UK, realised the scale of the problem after working to reunite lost animals with their owners using social media. 

Carol Sevier, who moved to the Lot 21 years ago but moved back to the UK in 2013 after her husband died, told The Connexion: “We’ve become more and more aware of animals that have gone missing at the check-in points at the ports and Eurotunnel. 

“The reasons for the escapes appear to be insufficient security at pet check-ins,” she said. 

Read more: Can I take my dog on a cross-channel UK-France ferry?

Close all windows

The group wants to make pet owners more aware of how quickly their pets can take fright and flee when they are in a place that is “unfamiliar and a little bit hostile”. 

Ms Sevier said official pet transporters that carry several pets at a time should be made to keep all doors and windows closed at chip checking times to prevent losses. 

“One cat we are trying to find right now in Calais escaped from an official pet transporter because he left a window open in his vehicle while going round with the chip checker,” she said. 

Ms Sevier added that cats are more likely to escape than dogs because their cage doors have to be opened for their microchips to be scanned. 

“We feel that owners need notices warning them of the risks of their pet escaping and reminding them to ensure their pets are secure and safe at all times,” she said.

“It only takes a split second for them to escape and only a few lucky ones will be able to find their way home.”

Open windows are another common way for pets to escape. 

“My pointer jumped out of the window of my van, said dog owner Mark Jimmy Dunbar, who lives in France. “He got excited when the sniffer dogs appeared and he wanted to play with them, much to the displeasure of their handlers.”

Read more: Woman loses pet dog in France - then finds it in Portugal

Cats in carriers, dogs on leads

Being prepared is key to prevent pets escaping.

“If your dog is likely to be frightened, then use two leads or harnesses, one of which is a slip lead,” said vet Diana James, who has lived in France for 23 years. 

“Have the lead loop on your wrist in case you are pulled over. For cats (get) a good quality transport cage.” 

Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle said in a statement to The Connexion: “Microchip scanning of pets is undertaken inside the Pet Reception area which ensures safety and security, and we would recommend passengers keep cats in their carriers and dogs leashed at all times in and around the terminal."