Flying with your dog? New CDC rules take effect: Here's what to know
FILE - A person carries a dog at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, on June 28, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Alejandro Martinez Velez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
New government rules for all dogs coming into the U.S. from other countries are now in effect, established to help prevent the spread of rabies.
The new rules, originally published in May by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, apply to those returning from a trip overseas with a dog, visiting the U.S., or adopting a dog from abroad.
They went into effect on Aug. 1, 2024 – when a temporary 2021 order expired. That order suspended bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is still a problem.
Here’s what to know:
New CDC dog import rules
Dogs have to be healthy and at least 6 months old when they arrive in the U.S.
The dog must have a microchip implanted under their skin, which contains identifier information.
A CDC import form must be filled out in advance, and include a photo of the dog.
Proof of rabies vaccination is required only if the dog was in a high-risk country in the past six months.
For dogs vaccinated in the U.S., a certificate endorsed by the Agriculture Department is required.
For dogs vaccinated outside the U.S., a certificate of vaccination is required along with a blood test, and the animal has to be examined at a CDC-registered facility on arrival in the U.S.
Why the updated rules?
The CDC regulations were last updated in 1956, and a lot has changed, according to Emily Pieracci, a rabies expert at the CDC who was involved in drafting the updated regulations.
More people travel internationally with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have set up overseas operations to meet the demand for pets, she said.
Now, about 1 million dogs enter the U.S. each year.
Dogs were once common carriers of the rabies virus in the U.S. but the type that normally circulates in dogs was eliminated through vaccinations in the 1970s. The virus invades the central nervous system and is usually a fatal disease in animals and humans. It’s most commonly spread through a bite from an infected animal. There is no cure for it once symptoms begin.
Four rabid dogs have been identified entering the U.S. since 2015, and officials worried more might get through.
CDC officials also were seeing an increase of incomplete or fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates and more puppies denied entry because they weren't old enough to be fully vaccinated.
In May, the American Veterinary Medical Association told FOX Television Stations that it supported the CDC’s updated rules.
"The AVMA continues to support the CDC’s efforts to improve dog importation standards and is pleased to see the implementation of this new rule that will help protect public health and positively impact canine health and welfare," AVMA President Dr. Rena Carlson said in a statement.
This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.