NEW YORK – All dogs entering the United States from other countries should be at the very least 6 months old and microchipped to stop the spread of rabies, in line with latest government rules released Wednesday.
The latest regulations require vaccination for dogs which were in countries where rabies is common. The update applies to dogs brought by breeders or rescue groups, in addition to pets traveling with their U.S. owners.
“This new regulation will address the current challenges we face,” said Emily Pieracci, a rabies expert on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who helped draft the updated regulations.
The CDC published the brand new rules within the Federal Register on Wednesday. They will take effect on August 1, when a provisional order for 2021 expires. This order suspended imports of dogs from greater than 100 countries where rabies remains to be an issue.
The latest regulations require that each one dogs entering the United States should be at the very least 6 months old and sufficiently old to be vaccinated if crucial and for the vaccinations to be effective. have a microchip under the skin with a code that could be used to confirm rabies vaccination; and have accomplished a brand new CDC import form.
Depending on where the dog has been within the last six months, additional restrictions and requirements may apply, including blood testing at CDC-approved laboratories.
The CDC regulations were last updated in 1956, and lots has modified, Pieracci said. More persons are traveling abroad with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have arrange branches abroad to fulfill the demand for pets, she said. About 1 million dogs now come to the United States annually.
Dogs were once common carriers of the rabies virus within the United States, but the kind that normally circulates in dogs was eliminated through vaccinations within the Seventies. The virus invades the central nervous system and is generally a fatal disease in animals and humans. Transmission most frequently occurs through the bite of an infected animal. There isn’t any cure for this once symptoms appear.
A draft of the updated regulations last yr sparked a flurry of public comment.
Angela Passman, owner of a Dallas company that helps people transport their pets internationally, supports the brand new rules. It could be particularly difficult for families who buy or adopt a dog abroad after which attempt to bring it to the U.S., she said. The update represents little change from how things have been done lately, she said.
“It’s more work for the pet owner, but the end result is a good thing,” said Passman, a board member of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association.
But Jennifer Skiff said among the changes were unwarranted and too costly. She works for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington group that focuses on stopping animal cruelty and assisting organizations importing animals. She said these groups work with diplomats and military personnel who’ve difficulty meeting the necessities and are a reason some owners are forced to go away their dogs behind.
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