Certain dogs will get an international border crossing regulation reprieve under proposed federal legislation introduced onThursday.
The Homeward Bound Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine and Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, removes unnecessary barriers that some owners and their dogs face when returning to the U.S. from low-risk rabies countries such as Canada, according to King.
Under the bipartisan legislation, the Centers for Disease Control would give dogs of military and diplomatic families and service dogs an 18-month waiver from the CDCs strict international dog importation regulations that went into effect in August. The legislation must be passed by the Senate and House before becoming law.
Americans traveling to Canada or other countries encounter a thorough check of their dog and its documentation upon returning through customs at U.S. border crossings.
The more stringent regulations, established to prevent the spread of rabies, require plenty of planning and possibly a trip to the veterinarian before taking a pet across an international border, including the one Maine shares with Canada.
Prior to the Aug. 1 changes, the U.S. required proof of rabies vaccination and it was strongly recommended that dogs be microchipped and have an international health certificate, said Pablo Jarrin, a USDA accredited veterinarian in Veazie.
Now it is mandatory, he said.
In short, all dogs entering the United States must appear healthy upon arrival; be at least six months old; be International Standards Organization-compatible microchipped; be vaccinated for rabies; and be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form online submission receipt.
Those rules have created additional hurdles that make bringing your dog back to the U.S. a needlessly complicated process, creating a burden on military families, diplomats and those who rely on a service dog, King said.
“Many American families enjoy the love and companionship of pet dogs — including those serving our country abroad,” he said in a release.
Following a public and Congressional outcry when the new regs were announced in July, the CDC relaxed some deadlines and revised the rules. But according to King, pet transport from low-risk countries was still complicated and made traveling worldwide more difficult for military and diplomatic families.
While the rule is intended to lessen the risk of the spread of canine rabies, it has created a cumbersome border crossing process, including implanting a microchip in the dog that contains its medical history, according to Thursday’s release from King’s office.
In addition to the 18-month waiver, the Homeward Bound Act, would, for military and diplomatic and service dogs, remove the microchip requirement for dogs born prior to the bill’s enactment and would only apply to dogs coming from low-risk countries. The bill also grandfathers in dogs born before the introduction of this rule from the microchip requirement.
Nonetheless, the Homeward Bound Act does not help dog owners like Lorraine Monfils, who frequently cross the border with dogs for veterinarian visits, to see family or travel,
Monfils is the founder of Ark Animal Sanctuary in Houlton. She has been going to a veterinarian in Canada for 15 years with her own animals and the Ark Animal Sanctuary animals.Because of the new rules, the sanctuary will no longer be able to take dogs across the border, she said in July.
A companion bill has been introduced in the House by Representatives Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota and Mary Peltola, D-AK.
According to King’s office, the legislation has been endorsed by the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, the Canadian Snowbird Association, Signature Pet Transport and Doug the Pug.
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