Attention snowbirds and dogpackers visiting or transiting through the US! Effective August 1, 2024 the USDA and Center for Disease Control have imposed New Dog Import Requirements for the United States centred around rabies vaccination.
Here are the take-aways:
- All dogs must be at least 6 months of age
- All dogs must be implanted with ISO-approved microchip
- All dogs must appear healthy upon arrival
- All dogs must have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, to be completed online by the owner and must include an uploaded photo of the dog. The arrival airport, land crossing or port of entry to the US must be declared at time of completing this form
- All dogs must have additional documentation, based on what country they visited in the previous 6 months, namely whether they have visited a country on the list of high-risk of dog rabies. The US entry requirements are more involved if they have recently been to any country on that list.
These requirements equally apply to dogs passing through the US for a connecting flight, with some exclusions if they are transiting as cargo.
To assist you with the requirements, the CDC has launched a virtual program called DogBot which will ask you travel questions and give you a printable summary of your requirements. To be prepared, we recommend that you read these new import rules and try the DogBot, well in advance of visiting, transiting through, or returning to the United States with your dog.
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