New US border rules for dogs starting August 1 raise concerns for health minister

Health Minister Mark Holland says he has received concessions over new rules the United States is imposing on dog owners taking their pets across the border, but he is “concerned” about the coming changes.

“I am frankly concerned about the rules that the United States is putting in place starting August 1 that will require a number of new measures for people who bring their dogs across the border,” he said in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Holland said the new rules introduced by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will impact not only Canadians, but also Americans who travel to Canada with their pets and face the new rules when they return home.

“I think this was a very poorly thought out business move, and it will have a huge impact on Americans,” he said.

Watch l Minister says new policy on border rules for Canadian dogs entering US is a ‘surprise’ l

Minister calls new policy on border rules for Canadian dogs entering US a ‘surprise’

Health Minister Mark Holland says new import requirements for dogs entering the U.S. from Canada could have “potentially negative consequences” for both Canadians and Americans.

The health minister said rules requiring dogs to have a specific type of chip have been relaxed, with any type of microchip now accepted.

The requirement for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to have veterinarians verify vaccination certificates for dogs has also been removed. A veterinarian in Canada must still certify that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies.

Holland said the U.S. will introduce a special form for Canada that will allow a dog to enter and return to the U.S. as long as his or her rabies vaccination is valid.

• What questions do you have about the new entry requirements for dogs traveling from Canada to the U.S.? Send them to us in an email at ask@cbc.ca.

Tim Arthur, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, told CBC News the concessions will ease the burden on overworked veterinarians across the country.

“Compared to where we were yesterday, the workload has decreased. There will still be an additional workload,” he said.

“My profession is already a bit on the borderlines in terms of the amount of work we have to do, so the question is how we are going to do this.”

Arthur said veterinarians can handle that work, but cautions pet owners to plan ahead. He said those who visit a vet for updated vaccination records three days before they travel could be out of luck.

Hoping for a grace period

Holland also said he has “very positive indications” that a request for a few months’ grace period might be approved, but that this has not yet been confirmed.

“We have made good progress. This improves the situation considerably, but it is not enough,” Holland said of the concessions he has secured.

Asked whether he plans to impose similar rules for Americans, Holland said he will focus on securing a grace period and, if possible, an exemption for Canada.

“Both countries have done a fantastic job of eliminating rabies from our country and ensuring that our dogs are safe, so I believe that more sensible action is being taken here,” he said.

“This was a policy decision. I don’t think it was thought through properly.”

Barbara Barrett, executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) – which represents 32 duty-free shops at the land border in Canada – has expressed concern about the impact of the revised rules on tourism and border travel.

“The negative impacts of these new regulations are far-reaching and will affect travelers and businesses on both sides of the border. We support the minister in her efforts to secure a full exemption for Canada,” she said in a statement.

Photo ID is required for dogs

Holland said that every time a dog is transported across the border, owners must fill out a CDC form and attach a photo of the dog so border officials can compare the photo to the photo of the dog seeking to enter the United States.

“I just don’t think it’s a good use of border officials’ time, honestly,” Holland said. “There are a lot of problems at the border.

“Whether my Maltese is another Maltese or not, and whether a border official can find that out, I said [U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra]That seems like nonsense to me.”

Holland said he understands the U.S. wants to remain a rabies-free country, but that these new rules should not be imposed on Canada, which also has a rabies-free status.

“We believe it makes sense to have one policy that protects our hemisphere, rather than separate policies for two different countries,” he said.