CDC eases requirements for dogs entering U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday announced it is rolling back new requirements for bringing dogs into the U.S. from countries without a high risk for dog rabies.

Why it matters: The CDC eased the requirements, which take effect Aug. 1, following public pressure from senators, Canadian government officials and some animal advocacy groups.

• Critics said the original rules could make veterinary care more difficult for people living in cities that border the U.S. and Canada, and would limit a crucial source of companionship for truckers.
• About 20% of cross-border truckers travel with dogs, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

State of play: Dogs that have only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries for the past six months will now only need to appear healthy and have a completed dog import form in order to enter the U.S., the CDC said.

• That's a change from the CDC's announcement in May that all dogs entering the U.S. from other countries must be at least 6 months old and have a microchip, as well as the completed import form.
• The U.S. eliminated dog rabies in 2007, but the virus still exists in other countries around the world. Unvaccinated dogs in the U.S. can contract rabies from wild animals.

• Regulators in 2021 temporarily halted importing dogs from 113 countries amid rabies concerns.

The bottom line: Dogs coming into the U.S. from high-risk countries that have not been vaccinated against rabies in the past six months will not be allowed into the country, the CDC says.