Encontrei este artigo sobre as férias dos nossos meninos, e não resisti. Desculpem estar em inglês.
Digam lá que não há cães e gatos com sorte??
Going on holiday? Give your pet a treat – or take them with you
By Emma-Lou Montgomery, MSN Money special correspondent
Last updated June 21 2004
Before you head for the sun spare a thought for Rover and Tiddles. You don’t want your furry friend to have a summer they remember for all the wrong reasons. It’s time to book them a break too.
When you’re a pampered pet with free run of a warm, comfortable home, regular meals, as many toys as Hamleys and a loving owner to tend to your every need, being left in a lonely kennel or cattery for two weeks is no holiday.
So this year give your mutt a break and check out the alternatives.
Check Fido into the Dogchester
Bog standard kenneling can cost almost as much as a holiday in the Costas. You know that £250 spending money you were counting on? Well that should just about cover the cost of your pet’s vacation.
But of course, there are kennels. And then there are kennels.
And the latter includes the Dogchester Hotel in London’s swanky Westbourne Grove. It might cost up to £20 a night, but this is kenneling with a difference. Long-stay ‘guests’ even get driven to the owner’s country house in Devon for a change of scene.
There’s also the Gay Dog Boarding Kennel and Cattery in Hampshire which has been running since 1963 (and which explains the name; rather than your dog’s required sexual orientation). It provides a webcam service, so you can log on and check what Fido’s up to in between margaritas (yours, that is, not his).
Spa retreat
Or how about Greendale Farm (www.greendalefarm.co.uk) in High Wycombe, Bucks? As well as a chauffeur service to and from home there is a 30-foot hydrotherapy pool for doggy swimmers to splash around (well a holiday isn’t a holiday without a dip in the pool, is it?). Oh, and there’s a solarium so they can dry off in comfort afterwards.
Then there’s the Tarbay Centre (www.tarbaycentre.com). Situated in 4.5 acres of beautiful Windsor woodland. Dogs get a daily one mile walk, and then they’ve got the day at leisure to play in the exercise paddock or go for a splash in the heated hydrotherapy pool and spa.
Before heading home refreshed and relaxed they can even go for a spot of last minute pampering in the Top Dogs Grooming salon. Cats, rabbits and other small animals are also catered for at what the owners describe as ‘the purrfect country club’ for pets.
Have paws, will travel
How do you say ‘woof’ in French? If you don’t know and you’ve got a dog you might want to brush up on your ‘language’ skills. The relaxation of pet travel rules means our four-legged friends can set foot (well, paw, strictly speaking) on foreign soil, making pets the most chic travel companions this summer.
Just like we humans, there are a number of pre-holiday needs to take care of before departure. Under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) all cats and dogs who travel abroad must be microchipped, have a vaccination against rabies, get a blood test to prove they’re fit and healthy and rabies-free and get a certificate to prove it.
Check the DEFRA site (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) too because different countries have variations on what your four-legged friend needs to do to qualify for entry into the country (including not being a Staffordshire Bull terrier if they intend to travel to France).
The DEFRA site is at www.defra.gov.uk
You have to be organised when you’re travelling with a pet. You can’t just ‘turn up and go’ on a last minute jolly. You must book in advance. And there will be a charge.
Most ferry routes and many airlines now accept pets, as long as they’re transported in a pet carrier. This isn’t necessary if you travel through the channel tunnel, as long as your pet doesn’t get out of your car. No pets are allowed on Eurostar though.
Bonjour monsieur le chien
Once en vacances don’t be surprised if you see dogs in restaurants, particularly in France and the Netherlands. As long as the dog sits quietly under the table, owners can take them in to many places that serve food.
And in many places they’re not just tolerated they’re positively welcomed.
If you’ve got a fussy pooch on your hands head to the Hotel des Thermes in Brides-les-Bains, France. Your dog will even be treated to a special ‘Menu Chien’, with a choice of dishes. You’ll just have to hope she/he doesn’t get too used to it.
And it’s not just accommodation that’s dog friendly abroad. Switzerland is the ideal place to show your pooch just how civilised rail travel can be. You’ll need to purchase a half price second class ticket for your dog.
If you’re planning on travelling around quite a bit it’s more economical to buy a Swiss Pass. And you can get one for your pet too. You just need to write "DOG" where it says pass holder’s name. Fido even gets a reserved seat. However you need to make sure it’s covered with paper, a towel or a blanket.
And it’s worth remembering that Switzerland is a very clean place and there are strict penalties for dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets.
Get your papers in order
Just make sure you get everything in order before you leave home or you could find yourself waving au revoir to your pet and heading home without them.
In order to bring your pet back into the UK, you need three documents:
1. A veterinary certificate to show that it has been microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and blood tested.
2. A veterinary certificate showing your pet has been treated against ticks and tapeworms in the 24 to 48 hours before entry.
3. A declaration from you that your pet hasn’t been outside the qualifying countries in western Europe in the six months before coming back to the UK.
This means you need to find a vet before you return home. The www.Petplanet.co.uk website lists the numbers of veterinary surgeons in the main tourist hotspots.
Or you could always stay at the Copthorne Hotel in Calais on your way home. The hotel will arrange the necessary treatment with a local vet and you get to hit the Cite d’Europe for a spot of last minute shopping. Your dog also gets a Doggy Bag to take away.
And beware - pets that fail to meet the conditions of the scheme have to go into quarantine on arrival in the UK.
Get Tiddles insured
And don’t forget to take out insurance. Your regular pet insurance plan is unlikely to cover the cost of treatment abroad, so it pays to take out a dedicated pet travel insurance. The price is about the same as for us two legged creatures.
For example, a two week policy for a two year old Collie traveling to Europe this July will cost you £15.50 with Petplan (www.petplan.co.uk). This includes veterinary fees up to £2000, £500 for emergency repatriation and £300 towards advertising/offering a reward if your pet is lost or stolen, plus £1,500 of quarantine expenses if your pet is not allowed back into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme.
There are plenty of pet travel insurance providers out there, so as with everything, shop around for the best rate.
And that’s pretty much it.
Oh, just one more thing. If you’re anything like me your Spanish probably doesn’t stretch that far beyond ‘dos cervezas por favor’. And your finest GCSE French is unlikely to cover ‘My pet has to be treated against rhipicephalus sanguineus and echinococcus multilocularis’.
But don’t worry the DEFRA website has a few handy phrases available online to get you started.
), elas iam adorar umas férias destas!
) que, além de não abandonarem, até se preocupam em proporcionar boas férias!!