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New rules for dogs entering U.S.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- All dogs coming into the U.S. from other countries
must be at least 6 months old and microchipped to help prevent the
spread of rabies, according to new government rules published
Wednesday.
The new rules require vaccination for dogs that have been in countries
where rabies is common. The update applies to dogs brought in by
breeders or rescue groups as well as pets traveling with their U.S.
owners.
"This new regulation is going to address the current challenges that
we're facing," said Emily Pieracci, a rabies expert at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention who was involved in drafting the
updated regulations.
The CDC posted the new rules in the federal register on Wednesday.
They take effect Aug. 1 when a temporary 2021 order expires. That
order suspended bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where
rabies is still a problem.
The new rules require all dogs entering the U.S. to be at least 6
months, old enough to be vaccinated if required and for the shots to
take effect; have a microchip placed under their skin with a code that
can be used to verify rabies vaccination; and have completed a new CDC
import form.
There may be additional restrictions and requirements based on where
the dog was the previous six months, which may include blood testing
from CDC-approved labs.
The CDC regulations were last updated in 1956, and a lot has changed,
Pieracci said. More people travel internationally with their pets, and
more rescue groups and breeders have set up overseas operations to
meet the demand for pets, she said. Now, about 1 million dogs enter
the U.S. each year.
Dogs were once common carriers of the rabies virus in the U.S. but the
type that normally circulates in dogs was eliminated through
vaccinations in the 1970s. The virus invades the central nervous
system and is usually a fatal disease in animals and humans. It's most
commonly spread through a bite from an infected animal. There is no
cure for it once symptoms begin.
Four rabid dogs have been identified entering the U.S. since 2015, and
officials worried more might get through. CDC officials also were
seeing an increase of incomplete or fraudulent rabies vaccination
certificates and more puppies denied entry because they weren't old
enough to be fully vaccinated.
A draft version of the updated regulations last year drew a range of
public comments.
Angela Passman, owner of a Dallas company that helps people move their
pets internationally, supports the new rules. It can especially tricky
for families that buy or adopt a dog while overseas and then try to
bring it to the U.S., she said. The update means little change from
how things have been handled in recent years, she said.
"It's more work for the pet owner, but the end result is a good
thing," said Passman, who is a board member for the International Pet
and Animal Transportation Association.
But Jennifer Skiff said some of the changes are unwarranted and too
costly. She works for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington group
focused on preventing animal cruelty that helps organizations import
animals. She said those groups work with diplomats and military
personnel who have had trouble meeting requirements, and was a reason
some owners were forced to leave their dogs behind.
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