This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amended their upcoming regulation changes for dogs entering the United States from low-risk countries such as Canada.
This is welcome news for our members and we would like to extend a thank you to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and the leadership at the CDC for being responsive to our requests to make these policies more travel-friendly for our membership.
As of August 1, 2024, dogs entering the United States from low-risk, dog rabies-free countries, such as Canada, will require the following:
- A receipt for a CDC Dog Import Form
- Dogs must appear healthy upon arrival
- Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S
- Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them
The CDC Dog Import Form can be accessed here.
Instructions:
SECTION A: Enter the information of the individual bringing the dog into the United States. This will include the individual’s passport number or driver’s licence number. You will need to include the email address where the receipt for the form will be sent (double check this to ensure accuracy).
SECTION B: Enter the dog’s name. The dog’s age, sex, breed, as well as colours and markings are all optional fields. Select the importation purpose – for Canadian snowbirds travelling with their pet dogs, choose “Personal Pet.”
SECTION C: Enter the travel type (air, land sea), the country of departure, and arrival date.
Once you provide your digital signature and submit the form, you should receive an email with your receipt from DGMQAdminSupport@cdc.gov within 15 minutes (be sure to check your spam folder).
Canadian travellers entering the United States with their pet dogs may complete the form on the day of travel, however, the CDC recommends you prepare in advance and complete the form a few days or up to six months before your anticipated travel date.
Please retain a copy of your CDC Dog Import Form receipt. You must present the receipt to the airline if the dog is travelling by air and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on arrival in the U.S. The receipt can be printed or displayed on your smartphone to customs officials or airline personnel.
The receipt can be used for multiple entries into the United States as long as the dog has not been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months. A list of high-risk countries can be found here, https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/high-risk-countries.html.
There is no cost to submitting the CDC Dog Import Form.
Further information from the CDC can be accessed here, https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.html.
