Ukraine rescue dogs taken away in quarantine row

Elina Olifaruk runs a rescue charity in Burton upon Trent

People who have taken in rescue dogs from Ukraine say they are "distraught" their new pets have been removed from their homes in a quarantine row.

The animals arrived in the UK on 20 March following the efforts of a charity in Burton-upon-Trent.

But within days of being rehomed across the country, officials ordered dogs' removal, questioning the legitimacy of overseas blood tests amid rabies fears.

The government said it had quarantined them "to limit the risk of disease".

Owners say they are now having to foot bills of £3,000.

Paw Help Rescue and Adopt UK is run by Elina Olifaruk, originally from Lviv, Ukraine, and is partnered with an animal rescue centre in the war-torn country.

Last month, the Burton charity brought over 24 rescue dogs, with Ms Olifaruk saying they had been subjected in Ukraine to both a requisite three-month quarantine period and also rabies jabs. The dogs had been in a rescue centre in the country since the end of 2021.

She said blood tests were needed to prove the injections took place, but the conflict meant the groups could not use their normal lab in Ukraine, sending them off to a site in Germany instead, for which they received certificates saying all was well.

Clearing border checks in the UK, the dogs went to their new homes which had been found in advance.

But it was at these properties where dogs were removed a short time later, with officials from various local authorities saying the government was challenging the legitimacy of the blood tests, Ms Olifaruk said.

The dogs have since been placed in quarantine sites across the country, upsetting their owners who say they have also been quoted thousands of pounds for a four-month stay - the maximum for a pet which has received no rabies vaccination.

Sarah-Louise Heslop's dog Bailey has been taken from Cheshire to quarantine in Berkshire

Sarah-Louise Heslop, from Cheshire, said she rescued dog Bailey after seeing him through the charity's social media campaign.

"The owners are all distraught," she said. "A lot of them have young children and they have been trying to explain to them why their dog has been taken away."

Owners and the charity are calling for the quarantine period to be reduced to 21 days, which is the time it would take for new, domestic blood tests to come back to confirm the dogs' vaccination status.

Ms Olifaruk is also trying to raise £30,000 to help pay for the costs of quarantining the animals, as the owners have been told they will have to pay or face losing their animals.

She added the issue meant the charity was unable to bring over other dogs from Ukraine as it now had no way of completing the necessary tests and paperwork.

The dogs were taken into quarantine shortly after meeting their new British owners

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has introduced a streamlined system for Ukrainian refugees who are bringing pets with them to the UK, which does not require them to pay for quarantine.

As for the animals brought over by the charity, UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: "Checks have confirmed that these animals did not receive the required blood tests to ensure they were healthy to enter the UK.

"We are taking quick action to limit the risk of disease spreading by quarantining all animals involved in this case until further notice.

"We are really grateful for the cooperation of the households involved - this helps protect all our own UK pets."