The UK's Pet Travel Scheme is this year celebrating its 10th birthday.

For the last 10 years, pets have been able to travel to and from the UK without being placed into quarantine, as long as they fulfilled certain important disease control criteria and have their own "pet passport".

A pug called Frodo Baggins was the first animal to travel with a pet passport and since then around 60 per cent of the pets travelling under the scheme have belonged to UK owners. Animals from Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands make up about another 20 per cent.

The scheme was set up in response to growing demand from owners to travel with their pets and the declining risk of disease allowed these changes to be made. In 2004, the European Union followed the UK's lead and introduced a similar system for all Member States which has also proved very successful. The success of the scheme is fully demonstrated by the fact that it has not been associated with a single case of rabies.

Animal Welfare Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:

"The Pet Travel Scheme was set up to enable British animal owners to enjoy travelling with their pets when they need to.

"The success of the scheme shows that responsible pet ownership makes a large contribution to managing disease risks effectively."

As rabies in Europe steadily reduces, and with EU harmonised rules continuing to successfully control rabies, Defra is monitoring developments in vaccination and disease management in the EU and round the world to ensure that the UK has the most effective and proportionate controls possible as circumstances continue to change.