All dogs entering the United States from other countries must be at least 6 months old and microchipped to help prevent the transmission of rabies, according to new government rules issued Wednesday.
The new guidelines require vaccination for dogs that have visited countries where rabies is prevalent. The update applies to dogs brought in by breeders or rescue organizations, as well as pets traveling with their owners in the United States.
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“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 helped develop the modified rules.
The CDC published the new rules in the Federal Register on Wednesday. They take effect on August 1, when a temporary 2021 order expires. That ban prohibited the importation of canines from more than 100 nations where rabies is still prevalent.
The new rules require all dogs entering the United States to be at least 6 months old, old enough to be vaccinated if necessary and for the injections to take effect; to have a microchip implanted under their skin with a code that can be used to prove rabies immunization; and to have completed the new CDC import form.
Additional limits and criteria may apply depending on where the dog spent the preceding six months, including blood tests from CDC-approved labs.
Pieracci stated that significant changes have occurred since the last amendment of the CDC regulations in 1956. More individuals travel worldwide with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have established foreign operations to accommodate the demand for pets, she explained. Approximately 1 million dogs enter the United States each year.
In the United States, dogs were once common carriers of the rabies virus, but vaccinations in the 1970s eradicated the type that typically circulates in dogs. The virus infects the central nervous system and is typically lethal to animals and humans. Most commonly, an infected animal bite transmits the virus. There is no cure once symptoms appear.
Officials are concerned that more rabid dogs may enter the country after spotting four since 2015. CDC officials also reported a rise in incomplete or fake rabies vaccination certificates, and the denial of admission to more puppies due to their immaturity.
Last year, a draft version of the amended regulations garnered several public comments.
Angela Passman, the owner of a Dallas-based company that helps individuals relocate their pets worldwide, supports the new guidelines. It can be especially difficult for families that buy or adopt a dog while abroad and then want to bring it to the United States, she explained. She stated that the update doesn’t significantly alter the procedures from previous years.
“It’s more work for the pet owner, but the end result is a good thing,” said Passman, who serves on the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association’s board.
However, Jennifer Skiff believes that some of the adjustments are unnecessary and excessively expensive. Jennifer Skiff collaborates with Animal Wellness Action, a Washington-based organization committed to minimizing animal abuse and aiding organizations in animal importation. She clarified that these organizations assist diplomats and military officials who have encountered challenges in fulfilling regulations, leading some owners to abandon their pets.
