In response to public outcry from dog owners, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is simplifying regulations for entering the United States with your dog starting Aug. 1.
The updated rules require all dogs entering from a no or low-risk rabies country, which includes Canada, to be microchipped, at least 6 months old, and receipt of a completed Dog Import Form (a free, 5-minute, online form). The update also allows for waiver requests for the airline industry.
Previously, the CDC said it would require American dog owners to have an International Standards Organization-compatible microchip and a U.S. Department of Agriculture-endorsed rabies vaccine certificate. Meeting these requirements could have taken weeks and cost hundreds of dollars.
“These updates incorporate the feedback received from the public, industry partners, and various countries on the dog importation rule, and clarify and simplify the processes for those bringing dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries,” the CDC said in a statement.
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Dog owners are celebrating, but some still take issue with the 6-month age requirement.
“We mostly won!” said Deborah Williams, in her seventies, from Colden, New York. The updated regulations allow her to continue frequently crossing the border to Canada with her golden lab, Sam.
But Williams is upset at how the CDC has handled dog border crossing rules overall. “It was a mess. So many people changed their travel plans which was unnecessary. This should not be how a preeminent public health organization conducts their business,” said Williams.
Williams also hopes the CDC will reconsider its 6-month age requirement. “That still doesn’t make sense to me since most puppies can get the rabies vaccinated at 3 or 4 months. That’s still lost business for breeders who sell puppies under 6 months across the border.”
Wilma Herrera, 55, who runs US Dog Coalition and Rescue in North Carolina agrees. “The CDC update is a step in the right direction, but the 6-month rule needs to be reconsidered.”
The original rules starting Aug 1 would have caused Herrera to stop her dog rescue but the update allows her to continue, with a bit more hassle. “Getting a microchip and doing the dog import form, we can handle that.”
The simplified rules come after months of negative feedback to the CDC. In May, the agency announced new regulations for entering the United States with a dog starting Aug. 1 out of an increased concern for dog rabies. The Aug. 1 regulations caused mass outcry, with dog owners saying the regulations were unfair and extreme and 14 senators signing a bipartisan letter asking the CDC to reconsider its policy.
