WASHINGTON DC (Michigan News Source) – Are you planning a trip with your furry friend across the Canadian border or outside of the U.S.? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has unleashed new regulations that could affect your travel plans. Here’s what you need to know to keep your tail-wagging companion by your side.

New rules unleashed.

Starting August 1, 2024, the CDC requires specific documentation for dogs entering or re-entering the United States. This new law is aimed at preventing the spread of rabies and other diseases.

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Their original rules received much pushback from politicians, the Canadian government and animal advocacy groups regarding the requirements for dogs entering the United States from countries with a low risk for rabies including Canada.

Here is the information currently on the CDC website regarding dogs entering the U.S. from low-risk countries:

  • Dog must be at least six-months-old at time of entry or return to the U.S.
  • CDC Dog Import Form: For dogs who have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the six months before U.S. entry, this if the only form that is needed (and must be completed before traveling.) A submission receipt will be emailed and can be printed or shown on phone for verification. The receipt is valid for six months from the time it’s issued unless the dog visits a high-risk country during that time. The import form can be filled out the day of travel to be shown to airlines and border officials.
  • Dogs must appear healthy upon arrival.
  • Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them.

However, on the import form, the CDC reserves the right to request additional documentation verifying the information upon arrival in the U.S. – and for or those traveling out of the country to high- risk rabies destinations, other rules apply.

Previous rules for those going to Canada and low-risk countries had required a rabies vaccination certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian and required that dogs be microchipped with an ISO- compatible chip before vaccination.

Crossing the border: paws for thought.

Before the CDC made the most recent updates to backtrack some of their original rules, there was much pushback from dog owners, breeders, trainers, veterinarians, and dog-related businesses in

Michigan cities near Canada who were concerned about the time-consuming paperwork and possible expense that was going to be coming at them.

Sniffing out the impact.

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Canadian breeders, like Erin Lynes from British Columbia, are still feeling the bite because of the rule that remains about dogs having to be six months old to enter the United States. She told the Detroit News that as it’s hard for breeders to keep puppies up to six months – and many puppies are bought as young as eight weeks so that training can begin.

Lynes says, “Normally, we place half of our puppies in United States homes, but starting Aug. 1, that won’t work out. People who’ve been on our waiting list for two years will be very disappointed.”

Barking up the wrong tree – or needed changes for health reasons?

The American Veterinary Medical Association supports CDC’s regulations, even the original ones, citing improved public health and animal welfare. Dr. Rena Carlson, AVMA president said in in a statement, “The AVMA continues to support the CDC’s efforts to improve dog importation standards and is pleased to see the implementation of this new rule that will help protect public health and positively impact canine health and welfare.”

However, many pet owners are upset about the changes and veterinarians are also speaking out. Stephanie Bagwell of Somerset Veterinary Hospital says that the rules bring confusion and complications and argues that many pets are not even microchipped yet. Those who are chipped don’t necessarily have the International Standards Organization (ISO) chip that was originally required – so luckily, that requirement was dropped.

The earlier rules for Canada and low risk countries also required a rabies vaccination certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian. That would have been time-consuming and expensive hindrance to many dog owners living in rural areas who would have faced a difficult challenge due to a lack of USDA-accredited veterinarians in their area. Additionally, wait times for veterinarians are already lengthy. This rule would have exacerbated the backlog, making it even harder for everyone to access vet care.

Rescue groups are also barking mad.

Wilma Herrera, who runs US Dog Coalition and Rescue in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina and rescues 30 to 50 dogs per year. She says the original regulations devised would have made it extremely difficult to rescue dogs. They still might be. She pointed out how hard it is to get a USDA- accredited vet, microchip or any government-sanctioned vet in Mexico, not to mention the cost of doing so. She said, “Mexico is already rabies-free…This doesn’t make sense.”

In response to the CDC rules, another rescue organization “Bruno Project” along with seven other rescue organizations are suing the government over the new regulations because of the ban on puppies under 6-months from entering the country. Attorney Aaron Katz told WBZ News Radio 1030 that the CDC’s regulation is an irrational solution since the spread of rabies from dogs rarely happens

in the U.S. and added “the CDC admits there’s never been a single instances of rabies infected dog coming into the United States from any of these rabies free countries.”

Trucking on?

One of the groups also dismayed by the CDC rules are the Canadian truckers. According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), about 20% of cross-border truckers travel with their dogs. Stringent CDC rules on dogs going back and forth from Canada to America would make things extremely difficult for them. Lak Shoan, TA’s Director of Policy and Industry Awareness Programs, released a statement on the updated rules saying, “The CTA commends the CDC for listening to the public, industry stakeholders, and the concerns from Canadian officials by amending their policy towards a more practical and streamlined solution for the trucking sector and rabies-free countries like Canada.”

Government is warned of another impending lawsuit.

On July 25th, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation notified the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CDC that their rule that prohibit dogs under six-months-old from entering the U.S. violates the Public Health Service Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. They also said that they will file suit if the rule is not withdrawn.

They contend that hunters need to get their dogs at an early age to train and socialize them and now can no longer get young puppies from other countries. They say, “This rule really hurts our members, especially in states like Michigan. And that why we’re going to fight it.”

Still plowing ahead.

Despite economic and practical concerns from dog owners and businesses, the CDC is pressing ahead with its new rules for both low-risk and high-risk countries. These rules, which disregard potential consequences for both dogs and humans, remain set for implementation as of this posting.