A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policy intended to stop the spread of rabies goes into effect this week, creating requirements that could keep some pet owners from bringing dogs into the United States. As of Thursday, anyone entering the country with a dog must provide the proper travel documents and health records for their animal. The dog must also be microchipped and healthy.
The regulations apply to all forms of international travel, including flying, driving and cruises. Travelers who don’t meet the requirements could be stopped from boarding their flight.
Rabies kills an estimated 59,000 people a year across more than 150 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Nearly all human rabies cases can be traced to bites from infected dogs. The United States has been free of dog rabies since 2007.
“The regulations bring the United States into conformity with the practices of other countries that are rabies-free,” said Elizabeth Schuette, president and chief executive at the ARK at JFK, an import-export animal facility at the New York airport.
The entry criteria is more elaborate for dogs who have spent time in destinations with a high threat of rabies (about 110 countries). However, travelers whose dogs have spent the previous six months in a country with a low or nonexistent threat of rabies must also abide by a few new rules.
If you are planning an international trip with your pet, or plan to bring a foreign pup home with you, here is what you need to know under the new rule.
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