How do rescue dogs travel from Spain to the UK?
You would love to adopt a dog from Spain, but how do they travel to the UK?
Spanish Happy Tails Rescue UK help dogs being cared for by the Spanish shelter Animals Help find homes in the UK. We arrange transport for you, in this blog we will talk more about transport and the company we use.
All dogs travel by road, from Northern Spain, through France then on to the UK.
The transporter may cross by Eurotunnel or by ferry, this can be dependent on their route and also the number of dogs they are transporting (commercial pet transporters can only travel with a maximum of 20 animals via Eurotunnel).
The transporter we use has a type 2 licence to transport dogs from the EU to Great Britain and they are an experienced and reliable company.
“You must have a transporter authorisation if you transport animals as part of an economic activity (a business or trade), for a distance over 65km. You will need a: type 1 transporter authorisation for journeys over 65km and up to 8 hours. type 2 transporter authorisation for journeys over 8 hours”
What are the rules for a dog coming from Spain into the UK?
The shelter has had dogs travel to homes in the UK both pre and post-Brexit, and they ensure the dogs in their care meet all the requirements to travel from Spain to the UK. We have a separate blog post about these requirements, you can read more about them here.
Dog transporters covering Northern Spain to the UK
In this blog post, we will be featuring the transporter we use, Alexander Kaiser of Kaiser Pets Transport.
From left to right, smaller van used as a pet taxi in Spain, medium sized van used in Spain and Europe, largest van used for long distance routes including to the UK.
How long does the journey from Spain to the UK take?
Generally speaking, the dogs are collected on Thursday evening or into Friday and arrive in England on Saturday morning. Throughout the journey, Alex will provide photo updates to let you see how your dog is during the transport.
How often are the trips to the UK?
Alex makes monthly trips transporting dogs from Northern Spain to England, he also travels to Belgium, Netherlands and Germany every month.
When your adoption has been approved we will book your dog in for transport by checking the availability of both transporters. When your dog can travel will depend on when the next transport to the UK is and if the correct size of crate is available for your dog.
Due to this, we advise it can be 4-6 weeks from adoption until your dog arrives with you in the UK however sometimes it can be much quicker.
Kaiser Pets Transport
Kaiser Pets transport has a fantastic 5 star rating on facebook, you can check out his page to see the reviews and updates on all his travels. If you are looking for a commercial pet transporter for a foster dog, rescue dog or pet dog, you can contact Alex on the details below-
Can I adopt a dog from Spain to the UK?
Yes you can, and Spanish Happy Tails will help you every step of the way. Once you have found a dog you would like to adopt please complete an application form, if this is successful you will then move on to a home check.
Once your adoption has been confirmed and fees paid, we will book your dog onto the next available transport to the UK. All you have to do is get ready for your new arrival, enjoy the excitement of some shopping and the anticipation of your new family member arriving, we deal with everything else for you.
