Laura Cook

The process of transporting alpacas from the UK to Europe sounds complicated but if you find an experienced Alpaca transport company who are used to dealing with the specific requirements for transporting alpacas, it makes the whole process a lot simpler.
If you are moving alpacas within the European Union (EU) this is considered as EU trade and subject to protocol. Interestingly countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland whilst not members of the EU are also covered by the same EU protocol.
If you are importing or exporting alpacas within the EU, your consignment must be accompanied by an Intra Trade Animal Health Certificate (ITAHC). If you would like to bring an alpaca into Great Britain you must make sure the person you are importing the alpaca from has arranged the ITAHC in their country. If you are however moving an alpaca from Great Britain to another country that is part of EU trade it is your responsibility to obtain the ITAHC.
In Great Britain, ITAHC?s are issued by DEFRA using their online tool called Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). Once you have completed your ITAHC you must let the Animal and Health Plant Agency (APHA) know that you have created an ITAHC and who your Official Veterinarian (OV) is. The OV must be a registered vet who has been officially authorised to sign trade documents and able to do the necessary checks and testing to make sure that your alpaca is fit to travel. It is worth double checking with your local practice that they have an OV as not all practices do.
Once your alpaca arrives in Great Britain with the correct paperwork it must be checked by an APHA inspector. Your alpaca can then be transported to the destination that has been listed on the health certificate. When arranging the transport for your alpaca, it is worth finding a reputable transport company who have plenty of experience in transporting alpacas and understand how to deal with their specific requirements.
If you would like some more information on transporting alpacas please feel free to contact LOC Alpaca Transport by phone on 01293 871877, email info@locltd.com, alternatively view our website www.alpacatransport.com