Canada should be exempt from new rules for dogs entering the United States, according to our country’s health minister.
Mark Holland said he is “quite concerned” about the new rules from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which take effect Aug. 1.
Dogs must be at least six months old, have a microchip, and appear healthy upon arrival.
Owners must also fill out documentation on the CDC website before they get to the border.
More documents may also be needed depending on where the dog has been in the previous six months and its rabies vaccine status.
Officials south of the border have said the measures are primarily aimed at keeping the U.S. rabies-free.
But as Holland pointed out on Wednesday, Canada is free of dog rabies, just like the United States.
“A dog coming from Chicago or coming from Portland is no more of a risk than a dog coming from Toronto or from Vancouver,” the health minister told reporters.
Holland said the “very poorly thought out” policy will not only have a huge impact on Canadians but also on Americans returning with their dogs to the U.S. after visiting Canada.
The health minister noted he is glad to see the CDC has loosened some of the initial requirements they had put in place.
“The CDC has removed the requirement for CFIA to validate independently the veterinary certificates. That was going to be a massive problem for us administratively,” said Holland.
“They’ve removed the requirement for a specific ISO microchip and now are accepting any type of microchip.”
However, dog owners will still be required to fill out a CDC dog import form before arriving at the border — something Holland said is not a good use of border officers’ time.
As Canada continues to push for an outright exemption to the new regulations, Holland said he is optimistic that a grace period of a couple of months will be approved.
“Making sure that this policy does not come into force and effect on the first of August is exceptionally important,” he added.
When asked if Canada would implement similar regulations for dogs entering our country, Holland said they are focused on continuing to get concessions.
