Taking Fido Abroad? Bringing Him to the U.S. Is About to Get Complicated – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — New federal rules are set to go into effect Aug. 1 and will affect anyone who brings a dog into the U.S. — even if they are a U.S. citizen returning home with their dog living in the U.S.

The new rules will require any dog ​​entering or returning to the United States to be at least 6 months old, have a rabies vaccination certificate, be microchipped by a veterinarian and be healthy at the time of entry.

But the new rules go far beyond basic vaccination certificates, requiring multiple forms to be filled out, mostly online, before travelling abroad.

You’ll even need a recent photo of your dog that you can upload.

This rule applies to Canadians and others entering the U.S. for shopping or recreation, but it also applies to all U.S. citizens who may bring their dogs to Canada or Mexico for a short hunting, fishing or recreation trip and then return home.

The new regulations are a joint program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are intended to stop the spread of rabies into the United States. While rabies has been essentially eliminated among domestic dogs in the U.S., the deadly disease is spreading to many countries and is spreading back to the United States as infected and unvaccinated dogs are imported.

The regulations — which have not been widely publicized or reported — appear to require extensive new responsibilities for U.S. veterinarians, who will be required to complete and submit forms for each of their clients’ traveling dogs, either a Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccine form, which was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture before the dog left the United States, or an Export Health Certificate approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The export certificate must show that the dog is at least 6 months old and vaccinated, and include the dog’s microchip number.

David Daigle, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there have been no talks about delaying the rules until more people know more about them.

“The CDC announced updates to its dog regulations in May with the understanding that the effective date for the regulations was Aug. 1, 2024. This nearly three-month gap was intentional to ensure awareness of the requirements for dog importation,” Daigle told the News Tribune.

Daigle also added that no consideration has been given to the possibility of granting an exemption to dogs returning from countries where the incidence of rabies is very low, such as Mexico and Canada.

Some dog owners who travel across the border frequently complain that the new rules are an unnecessary burden on U.S. dog owners when the problem is caused by dogs from other countries entering the U.S. without vaccinations. Until now, a vaccination certificate alone was enough to prove that the dog had been vaccinated.

Officials with the offices of Minnesota Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar said they are studying the new rules.

“We have heard from Minnesotans about this,” Smith’s office said in a statement. “The senator recognizes that these new regulations are both burdensome and cause confusion and concern, especially for Minnesotans living near the Canadian border. We are closely monitoring Minnesotans’ feedback and exploring possible actions to address these concerns to mitigate the inconvenience to people.”

“Travel between Minnesota and Canada is essential to our economy and an integral part of life for many people living near the border,” Klobuchar said in a statement to the News Tribune. “I have heard the understandable concerns and anger about this new CDC regulation regarding dogs crossing the border, and I am working with my colleagues to push for change that benefits travelers and keeps people and animals safe.”

Officials with U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber’s office did not respond to a reporter’s request for comment on the new rules.

Here are the new requirements for all dogs living in the U.S. and returning to the country as of August 1:

• Be at least 6 months old at the time of entry or return to the United States. Younger dogs will not be permitted entry.
• Be vaccinated against rabies and have appropriate vaccination documentation.
• An International Organization for Standardization-compliant microchip must be implanted prior to each required rabies vaccination. The microchip number must be documented on all required forms and on all accompanying veterinary documents.
• Look healthy upon arrival.
• Once you have completed the CDC Dog Import form, you will need to get a receipt. The free form must be completed online 2 to 10 days before each arrival. However, if you have internet access, you can also complete it just before you travel, even while waiting in line at the border. If the information on the form changes before your dog arrives, you must submit a new form and indicate that you are making changes to the existing form. All information, including the port of entry where the dog will arrive, must be correct at the time of arrival.
• This form requires a clear photo of your dog showing its face and body. Dogs that will be less than a year old upon arrival should have their photo taken within 10 days of arrival.

It is recommended to start 30 or more days before traveling outside the U.S.:

Your dog must have received its first rabies vaccine at least 28 days before leaving the U.S.

Veterinarians accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture should issue the Certification of US-issued Rabies Vaccination form only for dogs that received their first rabies vaccine at least 28 days previously. Booster shots are considered valid immediately.

Daigle said that for people who frequently cross the border with their dog, the Certification of US-issued Rabies Vaccination form is valid for the duration of the rabies vaccine, usually 1 or 3 years. However, the CDC Dog Import Form for the point of entry and specific date must be completed online for each trip.

For a complete list of the new dog import regulations, visit cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/dogs-entering-us-after-august-1.html#current-vaccination.

Here’s a quick summary of what you’ll need to do from August 1:

• Dogs must be vaccinated against rabies, microchipped and at least 6 months old.
• Your veterinarian must submit a rabies certificate form and microchip number to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The form is approved by the agency and sent back to your veterinarian. The dog owner must keep a copy of the approved form with them. It is valid for the life of the vaccine, usually three years.
• Any time you plan to enter a foreign country and then return home, you must first fill out an online form with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with your dog’s microchip number, vaccination information, the date and place of re-entry to the U.S., and a recent photo of your dog.

Rabies is a rare but serious public health problem in the United States. Before 1960, several hundred people died from rabies each year, mostly from bites by domestic dogs. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of human and animal health experts, fewer than 10 human deaths are reported in the United States each year, and almost all of those are caused by bites by wild animals.

There are about 4,000 cases of rabies in animals reported each year in the U.S., with more than 90% of cases involving wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.

The reduction in human deaths from rabies has been attributed to effective pet vaccination and animal control programs, monitoring and investigation of rabies cases in humans and animals by public health authorities, and the use of rabies-related medical care known as post-exposure prophylaxis.

Although rabies is well-controlled in the U.S., more than 4 million Americans report animal bites each year, and 800,000 of those seek medical attention. Public health programs can evaluate anyone who may have been exposed to rabies to determine whether they need rabies-related medical care, including vaccination after a bite.

Some people still die from rabies, usually because they didn’t get medical attention quickly enough after being scratched or bitten. It’s important to be aware of the risks, especially with bat bites, which can be easy to ignore because they don’t always leave a visible mark.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention