Words by

Nanna Árnadóttir

@nannaarnadottir

Photo by

Mathias Erhart/Wikimedia Commons

A Swiss couple travelling to Iceland in their camper van via the Norröna ferry to Höfn, got a shock when their cat was confiscated and killed by authorities. The woman who owned the cat was also arrested.

Under Icelandic law, pets can only enter Iceland via Keflavík International Airport and on top of strict health standards, pets must also spend four weeks in quarantine.

This is down to Iceland’s extremely tough disease prevention laws, which also state that any smuggled animal must be put down immediately and their body destroyed.

If losing one’s beloved pet and being arrested wasn’t enough, the couple will also have to foot the bill to disinfect their entire camper van as well as some other associated costs.