CDC Eases Rules for Bringing Dogs Into the US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on April 23, 2020. (Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 22 moved to “clarify and simplify the process” on how people can bring a dog into the United States. New regulations are slated to go into effect on Aug. 1.

The agency earlier this year said it would impose more stringent requirements for dogs entering the country in a bid to reduce the spread of the rabies virus. But last week, a group of bipartisan senators expressed alarm over the rules, saying they would be overly burdensome for people who frequently travel across the U.S.–Canada border.

In an announcement, the CDC said that dogs that have been in low-risk, rabies-free countries for the past six months and appear healthy will only need one dog import form to enter the United States.

“This form can be filled out the day of travel and the receipt can be shown to airlines and border officials as a printed copy or by phone,” the CDC said in its statement. “The receipt will be good for travel into the U.S. for six months from the date of issuance, including multiple entries. All dogs entering the United States must have a microchip and be over six months of age.

“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. This update also includes a process for waiver requests for the airline industry.”

The previous CDC announcement had said dogs would have to have an International Standards Organization-compatible microchip and a vaccine certificate before entering the United States. For dogs coming from low-risk countries, other forms would have been required instead of just one, and photos of the dog’s teeth would have had to be submitted as well.

“A Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form or a USDA-endorsed export health certificate” would have to be submitted, the CDC said, adding that the “forms are filled out by your veterinarian and endorsed by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-accredited veterinarian.”

Those requirements still apply for dogs coming into the United States from countries deemed a high-risk for rabies, the agency said.

“If you don’t follow CDC’s rules, your dog won’t be allowed to enter the United States,” the agency had warned on its website in May. “If denied entry, your dog will be sent back to the last country of departure at your expense. Country of departure is where the last trip originated—not where the dog was born or where it lives.”

Certain dogs coming into the United States might have to get blood tests to ensure that they have immunity to the virus, pass physical examinations upon arrival, and get vaccines inside the United States. Under some circumstances, the dogs could be quarantined for 28 days, the CDC said.

Senators Push Back

A bipartisan group of senators said in a letter to the CDC last week that the rule is “overly broad” and would be onerous for those who travel across the border frequently. They asked the agency to make changes before Aug. 1.

“The unprecedented requirements included in the final rule, such as the six-month minimum age requirement for dogs to enter the United States and the need for a microchip before a rabies vaccination and additional documentation and certification, would create significant barriers to low-risk entry from Canada into the United States and have a disproportionate effect on border communities in our states,” they wrote.

The letter placed emphasis on truck drivers who travel across the border with their dogs, noting that they could “face difficulties in meeting these regulations” while carrying goods into the United States.