Travelling the world with your dog can be a dream come true for many pet parents. It allows you to create unforgettable memories with your furry best friend. But, it is important to acknowledge that travelling with a dog is not always sunshine and paw prints. Though many countries have made it extremely convenient for passengers to travel with their pets, there are some countries that have implemented new rules that make travelling a bit difficult.
Speaking on similar lines, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted some new rules in the federal register on Wednesday, May 8, that will take effect on August 1 when a temporary 2021 order expires. The 2021 order suspended bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is still an issue.
Emily Pieracci, a rabies expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who was involved in drafting the updated regulations, said, “This new regulation is going to address the current challenges that we’re facing. More people travel internationally with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have set up overseas operations to meet the demand for pets. Now, about 1 million dogs enter the US each year,” reported the Hindustan Times.
Mentioned below are the latest rules by the government that need to be abided by if you are planning to take your dogs with you on your trip to the US.
- The new rules require all dogs coming into the state from other countries to be at least 6 months old.
- They must be microchipped with a code that can be used to verify rabies vaccination and have completed a new CDC import form.
- The new guidelines also require vaccinations for dogs that have visited countries where rabies is common.
- The update affects dogs brought in by rescue groups/breeders, and pets travelling with their US owners.
The media outlet further mentioned that there may be other restrictions and requirements depending on where the dog was in the past six months, which may include blood testing from CDC-approved laboratories.
These rules come after four rabid dogs were identified as entering the US in 2015. US officials were worried that more might get through. Moreover, CDC officials also saw an increase in fraudulent or incomplete rabies vaccination certificates. They also noticed that more puppies were denied entry as they weren’t old enough to be fully vaccinated.
These updated regulations grabbed a range of public opinions, including Angela Passman, a board member for the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, who supports the new rules and says that it can be especially tricky for families that buy/adopt a dog overseas and then try to bring it to the state. It is definitely more work for the pet owners, but the end result is a good thing for all.
However, Jennifer Skiff, who works for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington-based group focused on preventing animal abuse and assisting organisations in importing animals, stated that some of the changes are unwarranted and expensive, reported the media outlet.
