Pet travel extended to Ireland

Gulf Air has extended its service for passengers planning to fly with their pets to Europe.

As part of the pets travel scheme (Pets), which was introduced in 2002, passengers travelling from Bahrain to London have been able to take microchipped and vaccinated cats and dogs, as cargo, without the need to go through quarantine.

The Pets service has now been extended to Gulf Air customers flying to Dublin.

Gulf Air's head of Cargo, Des Vertannes, commented: "Ever since we introduced the service to London, it has proved very popular among expatriate pet owners and other customers in Bahrain.

"With the recognition obtained from European Union Pet Passport System, we are now able to extend this service to Dublin."

For customers who choose the option of sending their pets unaccompanied, Gulf Air provides an online tracking service so pet owners can follow their animal's journey through the Gulf Air website.

The Pets system is designed to keep the UK rabies-free and allows owners of cats, dogs and ferrets to travel with their animals into European Union countries and certain other destinations without the need for quarantine.

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