New requirements for dogs travelling from Canada to the United States will be enforced on August 1st, 2024.
Canada's Minister of Health, Mark Holland, issued a statement on Wednesday about these new requirements issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the Government of Canada remains concerned by the potential negative impacts these new regulations will have on both Canadians and Americans.
"Canada is free of dog-maintained rabies virus variant (DMRVV), also known as dog rabies, and shares the same rabies free status as the United States. These new CDC regulations will impact all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada and will require Canadians to take on additional planning and costs to satisfy the new requirements. These regulations will also impact Americans returning with their dogs to the U.S. after visiting Canada." (Full statement here)
While the Government of Canada negotiates for changes to ease the burden for Canadians, here is what Canadians should know now if they are looking to travel to the U.S. on or after August 1, 2024, with a dog:
dogs must:
be at least 6 months of age;
have an ISO-compliant or universally readable microchip;
appear healthy upon arrival;
a CDC Dog Import Form receipt is required for all dogs entering the U.S.;
have a Canadian export document issued and signed by a Canadian licensed veterinarian (Authorized Veterinarian) with vaccination and microchip information. Endorsement by a CFIA veterinarian is not required:
all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada will need to be accompanied by additional documentation, which varies depending on where the dog was vaccinated against rabies and where the dog has been in the past 6 months before entering the U.S.
For information on the latest requirements, visit: Dogs travelling to the U.S.