Rules for Canadians bringing dogs into US are changing as of August

Canadians who travel with dogs into the United States will have to abide by new regulations beginning on August 1st. 

These new regulations have been put in place by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) with the primary goal of reducing the amount of foreign dogs without proper vaccinations from coming into the country. 

Specifically, this will depend on where the dogs have been within the last six months and where they received their rabies vaccine. 

New requirements for all dogs

According to the CDC, dogs will have to be at least six months old before coming into the United States and they must have been implanted with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip.

Additionally, their microchip must have been implanted before they received their rabies vaccine and the microchip number must be documented on all relevant forms and veterinary records. 

The CDC says that dogs must also appear to be in good health. 

If a dog does not appear to be healthy, authorities can isolate the animal, give it an examination and/or test the dog for contagious diseases, all at the owner’s expense. 

Dog owners must also have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. 

The CDC says this should ideally be filled out online between two and 10 days prior to travel; however, it may be filled out last minute if the need arises—including at any border crossing provided there is internet access. 

The form is free to fill out and requires a clear photo of the dog, according to the CDC. If a dog is less than 1-year-old, the photo must have been taken within 10 days. 

Lastly, additional documentation is required that details the dog’s whereabouts within six months of travel as well as details on where it received its rabies vaccine. 

If a dog has received a rabies vaccination in a foreign country, including Canada, it will have different requirements than if its vaccine was administered within the United States.

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The CDC says that any dog that does not meet all requirements or does not have accurate and valid forms will be denied entry to the United States.

From there the animal will be returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense. 

Additionally, the CDC notes that these requirements apply to all dogs, including service dogs and dogs that were born in the United States.

Rabies vaccine specifications

The specifics of requirements surrounding rabies vaccines for dogs entering the United States depend on three things: 

• If the dog was vaccinated in a country deemed to be ‘high-risk’ for rabies
• If the dog was vaccinated in a country deemed to be ‘low-risk’ for rabies
• If the dog was vaccinated for rabies in the UNited States

The list of which countries are considered high-risk can be found online here. 

For dogs vaccinated in countries deemed to be low-risk for rabies, which is the designation Canada holds, specific requirements are being put in place by the CDC.

The CDC says that dogs coming to the United States from low-risk countries must not have travelled outside that country for at least six months prior to travel and they must meet all basic requirements detailed above. 

The regulations dictate that dogs must have one of the following: 

• Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country into the United States form endorsed by an official veterinarian
• Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, including the endorsement by an official veterinarian
• Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form that was endorsed by USDA
• Valid USDA-endorsed export health certificate 
• 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

Specifications for dogs entering from high-risk countries can be found here. 

These new requirements might make it slightly harder to enter the United States with dogs, but if owners plan ahead and have documentation in order for their animals, it is still doable. 

Canada’s response

Mark Holland, the Canadian Minister of Health released a statement in response to the new requirements, saying he thinks this will make things harder for everyone.

“Canada and the US are both free of dog rabies and share the public health goal to prevent rabies,” said Holland in his statement.

“These new CDC regulations risk negative impacts to our people, our supply chains, and our local economies. Our government has been clear: many Canadians – like snowbirds and truckers – travel to the US with dogs, and the CDC’s new regulations will affect the people and economies on both sides of the border.”

He added the government still seeks to raise these concerns with the United States in order to find a path forward.