What Canadians Need to Know About New Rules for Travelling to the US With a Dog

A service dog strolls through the isle inside a United Airlines plane at Newark Liberty International Airport while taking part in a training exercise in Newark, N.J., on April 1, 2017. Julio Cortez/File Photo via AP

Canadian dog owners planning a trip to the United States will need to consult the country’s new digital DogBot before attempting to bring their pup across the border.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing a new set of rules applying to all canine visitors arriving in the U.S. DogBot was created as a digital aid to help future visitors understand the regulations that will take effect Aug. 1.

The digital tool explains which rules apply to each dog based on the owner’s dates of travel and where the dog is travelling from. Failure to follow the new rules could put a hitch in tourists’ travelling plans.

“If you don’t follow CDC’s rules, your dog won’t be allowed to enter the United States,” the CDC’s website reads. “If denied entry, your dog will be sent back to the last country of departure at your expense.”

The rules apply to everyone, from tourists entering the U.S. with a dog, to U.S. citizens moving back to their home country with pups in tow. All dogs are covered under the new rules, “including puppies, service animals, and dogs that left the United States and are returning.”

What Are the New Rules?

Currently, bringing a pet or service dog into the U.S. requires a statement about the dog’s travel past to ensure it hasn’t been to a country deemed to carry a high risk of rabies. The lion’s share of countries on the list are located in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America.

The rules have not always been enforced by border agents, and many dog owners were allowed across the border without being asked to show any paperwork.

That will all change as of Aug. 1. The new requirements to bring a dog into the United States depend on where the dog has been in the six months prior to arriving in the country and where the dog received its rabies vaccination, according to the website.

All dogs must also be at least six months old, appear healthy upon arrival, and have an ISO-compatible microchip to be eligible for entry to the U.S., according to DogBot.

If a dog is determined to be eligible for entry, owners must complete a CDC Dog Import Form receipt which will be accessible beginning July 15. Owners will also need documentation of rabies vaccination using the form that best applies to their pet.

Separate forms are required for each animal and are only valid for 30 days. They are:

• Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form
• Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form
• Valid USDA export certificate
• Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country form
• Valid USDA export certificate
• A “foreign export certificate” that shows the dog is from a rabies-free or low-risk country, is at least six months old, has an ISO microchip, and has been certified by a veterinarian and includes medical records.

The dog must arrive at the airport, land border crossing, or sea port selected by its owner on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt when he or she completed it, DogBot advises.

The new regulations are part of the CDC’s 2024 revamp of its dog and cat importation regulations in a bid to prevent the reintroduction of rabies in the United States.

“The updated regulation will help keep Americans and their pets safe,” the website says. “It addresses recent challenges seen with international dog importations, including the challenges posed by fraudulent documentation.”

The U.S. eliminated dog rabies in 2007, but the usually fatal disease is not controlled in more than 100 countries.

Canada has also eradicated rabies in its canine population, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the government department that deals with visitors travelling with pets.

Currently, anyone bringing a dog into Canada needs a valid rabies certificate for their pet.