CDC Border Regulations for Dogs Go Into Effect This Week

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Dog owners on both sides of the northern border are speaking out just days before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new border regulations for dogs go into effect.

“It all made no sense. Sometimes I felt like we were in the Twilight Zone,” said Deborah Williams, a Colden resident who frequently travels to Canada with her Labrador retriever, Sam.

Last Monday, the CDC announced an easing of rules for dogs arriving from no- or low-risk countries, such as Canada.

Despite the changes, some state leaders and dog owners oppose the change.

“It was a solution in search of a problem, because the problem didn’t exist. There is no problem,” Williams said.

The CDC website states that dogs coming from our neighbors to the north no longer need to be vaccinated against rabies, but must have a receipt for a CDC dog importation form.

“The form is very simple. It took me less than a minute to fill it out,” Williams said. “This form is valid for six months.”

Other requirements include that dogs must appear healthy upon arrival and have a microchip to identify them.

“The border officers, who have been given very little information and have had no training on this, to our knowledge, are supposed to check to see if the dog looks healthy?” Williams said.

State Congressmen Tim Kennedy and Nick Langworthy, who led a bipartisan effort in the House to scrap the regulation, acknowledge that while there is still work to be done, the development is positive news for Western New York.

State Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said despite the changes, concerns remain about slowing border crossings for families and the supply chain of goods.

“This will also hurt truck drivers, 25 percent of whom own and travel with dogs,” Gillibrand said. “This seems like an ill-informed and ill-advised rule.”

The final rule is that dogs must be at least six months old to enter the United States.

Williams said this would affect breeders and local agencies that rescue puppies from other countries, a few of which filed lawsuits Monday against the CDC.

These new regulations will come into effect on August 1.

“I really hope there are congressional hearings and I really hope the director of the CDC is called to testify because this is a multi-million dollar disaster,” Williams said.

For more information on CDC guidelines or to complete the required form, click here.

Click here for a list of local veterinarians who can help prepare dogs for their upcoming trip across the border.