The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that they will be updating regulations on the importation of dogs into the United States. These regulation changes will impact Canadian travellers entering the United States with their pet dogs.
Beginning on August 1, 2024, all dogs entering the United States must:
- Appear healthy upon arrival;
- Be at least six months of age;
- Be microchipped; and
- Be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form online submission receipt.
In addition, for dogs that have been ONLY in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk during the 6 months before entry, such as Canada, the CDC requires one of the following:
- Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, including the endorsement by an official veterinarian of the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog has been located; AND EITHER (1) a valid rabies serology titer OR (2) veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous 6 months. The form must be completed within 30 days before arrival to the United States.
- Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States
- Valid USDA-endorsed export health certificate listing the destination as the dog rabies-free or low-risk country from which the dog is returning
- Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country into the United States form endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the 6 months before traveling to the U.S. The form must be completed within the 30 days before arriving to the United States.
- Foreign export certificate that documents the dog is at least 6 months of age, lists the dog’s International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip number, and has been endorsed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous 6 months
It is highly recommended that travellers start the process early in order to gather all of the required documentation and photos. Due to the high volume of applications the CDC receives, it can take up to 30 business days or 6 weeks for the CDC to process a complete a valid permit application.
A complete list of new requirements can be found here,
https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/dogs-entering-us-after-august-1.html.
Further information on these regulation changes can be accessed on the CDC website here,
https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/dogs.html.
The CDC website has added a DogBot feature, which will assist travellers in determining what is required when travelling with their dog to the United States.
