Taking your dog to the U.S.? New requirements go into effect Aug. 1

B.C. residents who want to take their dogs across the border to the U.S. will have to meet additional requirements starting Aug. 1.

The Center for Disease Control is implementing these changes to make sure any dog arriving in the U.S. is healthy and doesn’t present a risk to any community.

Starting on Aug. 1, all dogs entering the U.S. must:

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The CDC says additional requirements may be needed if the dog has been to different locations in the last six months and whether the dog was vaccinated in the U.S.

Dogs arriving from countries with a high risk of dog rabies must be protected against rabies, the CDC states.

The rabies virus variant that is carried by dogs was eliminated in the U.S. in 2007 and the CDC says it wants it to stay that way.

The temporary suspension on the importation of dogs from countries with a high risk of rabies, enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, will also lift on Aug. 1, bringing the regulation to align with the World Organization for Animal Health’s standards for the international movement of dogs from countries with a high risk of dog rabies.

The CDC says travellers should plan for future travel to ensure requirements for dog importations will be met at the time their dogs will enter the United States.

A tool named DogBot is available to help travellers.

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