Is it true that if you move to the United Kingdom your pets have to be put in quarantine?

Yes, there is a quarantine period that all pets coming into the UK must follow. They are held for a specified length of time before allow into the country. There is also a very strict regulation about what breed is allowed.

There is no rabies on the island, so there are strict quarantines to make sure it stays that way.

How can there be no rabies?

Because they have kept it off the island. It needs to be introduced.

But people don’t have to go into quarantine… do they? Can’t people carry the rabies virus without showing signs?

“The UK is considered free of rabies in terrestrial animals; cases of rabies in bats are occasionally reported. ”
link here .

At this same link, you’ll find a WHO map of Countries at Risk, which lists GB as LOW RISK, which is the same characterization as the US. Not NO RISK.

People die of rabies unless they have been vaccinated or are immediately inoculated. No one carries it.

According to this site there is a way to do it without putting your pet in quarantine. I know a few people that moved to England on orders with the military that did not have to put their pets in quarantine.

I can’t vouch for the motherland. But I work for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. And I can offer my help. Animals such as big cats and exotic animals are pretty much a no go. For animals such as dogs and cats there are a few things you need to have. An export certificate stating that the animal is not of the species Serval (cat), does not suffer from canine bruscellosis, is older than 6 weeks and several other factors. When coming into the country the animal is put into quarantine. This is done at a Post Entry Quarantine approved premise. The animal in question will be held, for anywhere from 6 weeks to 8 months depending on where it’s from, past history, diseases, etc.
Along with an export certificate you will also need to provide an approved veternarian to sign off that all of the information on it is accurate. Along with a copy of the Airway bill and a quarantine entry form that should be all the paperwork involved. The animals are kept and attended to by qualified staff- vet nurses usually and dosents (volounteers).

Now this is Australia so the U.K is a lot less intense. Our biodiversity is unique and we try to keep it as natural as possible. As to the previous question asked about human rabies:

the United Kingdom grants automatic Pratique to all
incoming flights (this is to say that unless you fess up and say you have rabies, no questions will be asked).
Rabies in itself is not overtly contagious and manifests within 48 to 72 hours of infection. Symptoms include foaming, lockjaw and migraines amongst others. You would not be able to board an aircraft let alone do much else under the infection.

Lastly, more infectious diseases are of higher concern. Viral Haemorragic Fevers such as Ebola, Lassa and Hanta (no known cure, 90% fatality rate). To Yellow
Fever (present in Africa and South America). All the way down to Swine Flu (H1N1).

My opinion. Rabies is nothing. Current epidemiological trends (people who study viruses and the populations they move through- such as the World Health Organisation and the Office of International Epizooites- Animal WHO—diseases that can transfer from animal to human- swine flu etc). These trends dictate that we are long overdue for a global epidemic of massive proportions. 80 million casualties plus. And the enemy? Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Humans (H5N1) aka bird flu.

Keep a close eye on the WHO website international travellers. Any other quarantine questions direct them here I’ll gladly answer.