Strict new rules coming for bringing your dog across the U.S. border

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If you regularly travel with your dog into the U.S., the process is about to get a lot more complicated.

Beginning on Aug. 1, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will introduce new rules for crossing an international border with a canine.

The most significant and likely the most onerous new requirement is that you’ll need to submit papers to the CDC days in advance of a planned trip that prove your dog is healthy, has a valid microchip — more on that later — and most important, is vaccinated against the deadly rabies virus.

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This means a spontaneous road trip to the U.S. with your pet will be basically out of the question.

Is my dog eligible to cross into the U. S.?

Starting on Aug. 1, your dog must be at least six months old to travel to the U.S.

Since the tougher measures are primarily aimed at keeping the U.S. free of rabies, there is also a requirement that your dog not have been in one of over 100 countries in the previous six months where rabies is not under control.

There are several other variables, so the CDC has an app called DogBot to help navigate the upcoming rules that includes a list of those countries.

What is changing on Aug. 1?

As mentioned, the biggest change is that the U.S. will require recently completed documentation for your pet, submitted to the CDC between a few and 10 days in advance of the trip.

For years, the advice for taking your dog over the border has been to ensure your dog is vaccinated. In most cases, that was a simple question by a border official, and perhaps a request to see Fido’s vaccination record.

Not after July. Starting in August, you’ll need to book an appointment with a veterinarian to have them fill out the new form.

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Mark Belanger, a senior lawyer and principal of Border Solutions Law in Vancouver, says that’s going to be a huge “headache” for travellers who often take their dogs with them.

“A lot of people are going to be affected by this,” says Belanger, whose firm specializes in border and immigration issues.

The new rules were announced only a couple of weeks ago, so Belanger admits they’re new to him as well. But he says the change is akin to treating your dog as “chattel” in a legal sense, a thing you own rather than a family member.

“The biggest nuisance factor is the form that has to be filled out by a vet, and the microchip.”

Ah yes, the microchip. Belanger notes it must be compatible with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). OK, so are the chips most vets insert in a pet ISO-compatible?

“I don’t know what that is,” Belanger says with a chuckle. Nor is there a detailed explanation on the CDC website of how to check that. It only says to “check with the microchip company or the dog’s veterinarian” to find out.

Belanger says the form must include a photo of the dog taken within the past 10 days, though how that will be enforced isn’t clear either.

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Pups younger than six months, which are too young to be rabies vaccinated, used to be eligible for travel into the U.S. with a vet’s bill of good health. That’s no longer the case.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Will the new rules about bringing your dog across the border change your travel plans? Tell us why or why not in the comments.

How long is the vet form valid for?

The CDC says the form signed by a veterinarian in Canada will remain valid for 30 days and allows for a single entry into the U.S. How strictly that one-time entry rule is enforced is also anyone’s guess, says Belanger.

But he says he’ll be advising clients who travel often to renew the form every 30 days to be safe. And that’s obviously time-consuming and costly.

“I don’t know how much it will cost, but I’m pretty sure the vet will charge a couple hundred dollars for these forms,” he says. “And it’s time away from other things (vets) could be doing.”

With all this in mind, Belanger says some pet owners may decide frequent travel with a dog is “not worth the headache.”

“Because of these new rules, people who travel quite a bit with their pets have to decide, ‘Is this something I want to do?’ It will require some more thought that didn’t need to be part of the equation.”

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He predicts the new requirements — especially in the busy travel days of August right after the change takes effect — are liable to “catch people off-guard. I can see people missing a vacation or a wedding over this.”

Why are the changes coming?

The CDC says all this is about keeping the U.S. free of rabies, which it describes as “over 99 per cent fatal and … 100 per cent preventable.” It says the changes are due to recent concerns over rabies outbreaks abroad and fraudulent documentation.

While Canada is considered a country that’s either rabies-free or low-risk, there are over 100 others considered a significant threat, and there are even stricter rules around bringing in pets from them. So if your dog has been in one of those in the past six months, the paperwork just got longer and the dog may ultimately not be allowed in at all.

There are also major implications for rescue organizations, breeders, show dogs and dogs imported from outside Canada.

And should you mess up, there’s a very real chance your pet won’t be allowed in, and that too could be costly.

“If you don’t follow CDC’s rules, your dog won’t be allowed to enter the United States,” warns the CDC. “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.”

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For more on what to expect and how to prepare for the changes, go to cdc.gov/importation.

Are the rules similar coming into Canada?

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says it is reviewing the new U.S. regulations, which the CDC says are part of an effort to streamline and standardize the importation process between countries.

While Canada does not require advance notice, travellers coming into the country with an animal must follow similar rules, including documentation of recent rabies vaccination.

The CFIA website has a step-by-step process similar to the U.S. DogBot that you can use to determine what you need to do coming into Canada with your furry friends.

jruttle@postmedia.com

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