The Honourable Xavier Becerra
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201 USA
Dear Secretary Becerra,
On behalf of over one million Canadian “snowbirds” who travel to the United States annually, I am writing to ask you to review and revise the pending Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulation changes for travellers entering the United States with their pet dogs which are scheduled to come into effect on August 1, 2024.
Currently, pet dogs accompanying travellers from Canada are required to appear healthy and must not have travelled to a high-risk country for rabies within the previous six months. The new regulations will require that pet dogs:
- be at least 6 months of age
- have an implanted International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip
- have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt
- have an additional form confirming a valid rabies vaccination endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country
Both Canadian travellers visiting the United States temporarily as well as American citizens returning home to the United States with their pet dogs will be subject to these new requirements. We believe these requirements pose an unnecessary burden on both Canadian and American travellers crossing the border. These regulation changes will hinder cross-border travel and impact tourism in both countries as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will require additional time to verify the onerous paperwork required for entry. Further, these changes will also complicate air travel as many airlines remain unclear on how to implement these regulation changes.
We ask that you review and revise the CDC’s pending regulation changes in order to make them more travel-friendly for both Canadian and American travellers. As both Canada and the United States are free of dog rabies and share the same public health goal to prevent rabies, it is our opinion that the existing regulations are sufficient for pet dogs entering the United States from Canada.
Sincerely,
Garry McDonald
CSA President
