Moving to Spain

We are hoping to move to Spain in a year's time. Could anyone who has some experience provide pointers re logistics and veterinary requirements. We intend driving and could use some advice re ferries etc.

I think Spain has some rather strict laws regarding bull breeds/leads and so on. I'm sure you have probably checked them out but still...

Rupertsbooks wrote:I think Spain has some rather strict laws regarding bull breeds/leads and so on. I'm sure you have probably checked them out but still...

I had heard that however I regularly go to a place about an hour north of Barcelona and there are quite a few bull breeds two that stand out a EBT called Mafalda (sp) who is always off lead and at the Segway hire on the beach is a staffy cross who again is mostly off lead but both are perfectly behaved for sure the local police there didn't seem interested in them but maybe things are different in cities or bigger resorts also Catalonia is a bit of a law unto itself

I knew someone who had a Staffy in Spain. I think the dog was bred in the UK and he took the dog to Spain, stayed there a couple of years and then returned to the UK with the dog (driving both ways). I don't think there was any trouble about the dog being a Staff, but it had to have a passport of course, and anti-rabies injections.

Wishing you good luck in arranging your new life Rodger! ><

You need to check out with the Spanish Authorities regarding the laws with Staffords but as far as logistics is concerned then Bachus is fully registered so just drive through France with a 2 or 3 overnights as I think the Bilbao ferry is a long old haul for him

Obviously pet passport in place and you are sorted , lucky boy

Very nice! Pet passport is all that is required and your vets will advise you on that and the rest its certainly isn't that complicated Xx

OOh lovely whereabouts?

I know they sell staffies I Spain (breeders) so I don't think they're completely banned or anything

I don't know if this'll be of any help to you...

http://www.staffords.co.uk/kcliaison/spain/

Chiara wrote:OOh lovely whereabouts?

It's a small village called Puente don Manuel in Andalucia, about 7 miles inland from Torre del Mar, and sits in the foothills on the edge of the Sierras de Tejeda National Park. The road which runs through it was, in times gone by, the old coach road from Malaga to Granada but thankfully is now by-passed further west by a motorway.

Our daughter and her husband have a holiday home there so we are hoping to get a place either in this village or one of the nearby hamlets.

We will rent initially for a year to see how things go. That's the plan anyway but TBH still seems a bit unreal that we might be there within the next 12 months.

[quote="Lynda"]I knew someone who had a Staffy in Spain. I think the dog was bred in the UK and he took the dog to Spain, stayed there a couple of years and then returned to the UK with the dog (driving both ways). I don't think there was any trouble about the dog being a Staff, but it had to have a passport of course, and anti-rabies injections.

Wishing you good luck in arranging your new life Rodger! >< [/quot

TBH it never crossed my mind that there might be restrictions on bull breeds. Will need to check that out. Obviously if " Sweetpea " can't go neither can we.

janey wrote:

Very nice! Pet passport is all that is required and your vets will advise you on that and the rest :)its certainly isn't that complicated Xx

Sorry to tell you Staffies are on a Spanish Govenment Decree covering dangerous dogs. They must be muzzled at all times, on a non-rectractable lead no longer than a meter. If you want your dog taken off that list, here is what you have to do before you leave the  UK:
You must take you dog to you LOCAL vet to make sure he/she is chipped and he/she gets two more jabs (rabies and another one against some kinda big creepy crawlie )
She MUST be on the flight within 72 hours
You MUST meet her from that flight and take her straight away to the local vet in the area where you are living ( still in the crate )
The vet will the evaluate her for temprament etc......give you a document to take to the Guarda Civil....100 euros Thanks very much !
You must then go to the Garda Civil within 24 hours and they will check the vet's docs and give you a license for 5 years 200 euros Thanks very much ! Then you can walk you dog in the street on a recractable lead without a muzzle and let it do it's business any where it wants, without you bothering to pick it up ! Hey when in Spain etc.


That's all there is to it !!  How do I know all that....because I am going to Spain and I am taking Mattie with me !! Went there first to check up on stuff first, of course. Below is a vid of a dog who is on that same Royal Decree BEWARE don't watch it all the way through....you have been warned. Hope this helps Good luck and Have a great time in Spain

Link removed - the forum does not condone or promote videos that include this type of content

Thanks Craig,

I knew about the Dangerous Breeds law and had done some research but wasn't sure whether he would have to be checked by the local, or a Government appointed, vet ( which he will sail through unless he can lose points for being too friendly). I was also under the impression that the license was issued by the Ayuntamiento on production of the certificate from the vet along with a photo of anyone who would be handling the dog in public and also a photo of the dog. Thanks for clearing this up. Could it vary slightly from region to region? If and when we move to Spain I intend having Bacchus, along with our 3 cats, transported overland using a specialist carrier. I assume the same would apply with regard to him being kept in the crate until checked by the vet?
We have been out to the area, where we are contemplating settling, on a number of occassions as my daughter and her husband have a villa out there. It's in the village of Puente don Manuel which is close to Lake Vinuela, several kilometres inland from Velez Malaga in Andalucia. We will be out there in October for 9 days so I will make some more enquiries and also make an appointment with the local vet for further advice.
BTW which part of Spain are you going to.

reuben wrote:Thanks Craig,

I knew about the Dangerous Breeds law and had done some research but wasn't sure whether he would have to be checked by the local, or a Government appointed, vet ( which he will sail through unless he can lose points for being too friendly).  I was also under the impression that the license was issued by the Ayuntamiento on production of the certificate from the vet along with a photo of  anyone who would be handling the dog in public and also a photo of the dog.  Thanks for clearing this up. Could it vary slightly from region to region?  If and when we move to Spain I intend having Bacchus, along with our 3 cats, transported overland using a  specialist carrier.  I assume the same would apply with regard to him being kept in the crate until checked by the vet?  
We have been out to the area, where we are contemplating settling, on a number of occassions as my daughter and her husband have a villa out there. It's in the village of Puente don Manuel which is close to Lake Vinuela, several kilometres inland from Velez Malaga in Andalucia.  We will be out there in October for 9 days so I will make some more enquiries and also make an appointment with the local vet for further advice.
BTW which part of Spain are you going to.

P.S.
I'm a member of the local SBT Club and they have put me in touch with a Spanish lady, living in Malaga, who has a couple of Staffies, one of which she bought from a breeder up here and shipped it out to Spain, and she has agreed to meet up and give me further advice.

Hi Rueben
We are going to Cabo Roig which is about an hours drive south of Alicante Airport and about 20 Mins north of Murcia/St. Javier.  Great area !! I do know in a lot a places in Spain nobody gives  a monkeys what you do with your dog  (believe me, you'll walking around for certain with your head bowed looking not step in dog poo !) Other areas the will jump on you like a ton of bricks.......guess which is which ? Yup right first time in tourist area .. . eagle eyed cops, other places Santiago is one,   IMHO they don't give a S***

Iwas told this http://www.rsce.es/web/ is a good place for advice but I went out there and made my own judgement