This week, two good friends of mine left Malta on their annual two-month road trip across Europe, packing with them, among their travel paraphernalia, two Boston Terriers named Spoq (pronounced Spock) and Principessa.
Now I’m not sure whether, as a vet, I am permitted to have a favourite breed; yet, I must admit that when it comes to toy breeds, I do have a soft spot for Boston Terriers.
With a name like this, you would expect the breed to have originated in America… and you would be correct.
In fact, the Boston Terrier was bred in the city of Boston in the US where it rapidly became a popular breed, and it was the first US breed to be officially recognised in the latter part of the 19th century.
The breed originated from the French Bulldog amongst others, but is now significantly smaller than its ancestral breed – weighing on average five to nine kilos.
They are known to be intelligent and well-mannered dogs that are easily trained and form close bonds with their owners.
Pet travel has increased over the last few years, mainly due to a change in regulations in January 2012, when Malta, along with the UK and Denmark, had to conform with the rest of Europe to medical documentation requirements for pet travel.
Whereas previously, pet travel was mostly limited to people moving house, emigrating or settling in Malta, today you will find a large number of pets leaving Malta on holiday with their owners.
Pet tourism is a reality we, as a Maltese nation, should be aware of
Since requirements for pet travel in and out of the EU depend on the country of origin and destination, the ease and possibility of such travel is more likely within the confines of the EU. Pet tourism is a reality which we, as a Maltese nation, should be aware of. In Malta, we have a huge number of dog owners who consider their pet dogs such an integral part of their life that they will not contemplate the possibility of a holiday abroad without their canine companions.
It’s great to see a small number of hotels and restaurants in Malta advertising they are ‘pet friendly’. This is something which is so commonplace in many European countries and has been the culture for a long time.
The thing to remember here is that it’s not that all dogs should be allowed, but clean and well-behaved dogs, which is a completely different concept.
When planning your trip, it is important to discuss the medical document requirements with your veterinary surgeon to avoid problems entering your destination country.
In the case of air travel, it is important to discuss with the airline what travel bags or boxes are required for your pet, as this is likely to differ from airline to airline. In fact, certain airlines have facilitated pet travel to the extent that if your dog conforms to a certain size, it can also travel with you in the cabin rather than in the hold.
As to recommendations regarding whether or not to administer pet medication for the trip, as well as feeding regime, this very much depends on the length of the trip and whether your pet is used to flying or suffers sickness.
Spoq and Principessa have become such itinerate travellers that they could probably teach us a thing or two about life as a canine globetrotter.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.