Upcoming US border rules affecting dog owners on both sides of the border

Some dog owners believe that Canada’s temporary exemption from the new, very strict US rules on taking dogs across the border doesn’t go far enough and that the exemption should be made permanent.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that starting August 1, dogs entering the U.S. from Canada (a rabies-free country) will face the same updated restrictions imposed on dog owners from Canada. high-risk countries.

Canada resisted and on Tuesday the CDC updated its policy by three categories of rules Dog owners must adhere to the following rules when bringing their dog into the United States.

Two of these categories pertain to dogs entering the US from high-risk countries, while the third rules for dogs coming from a low-risk or rabies-free countrylike Canada.

While the rules for dogs coming from Canada allow owners to avoid the most burdensome regulations, they still require new steps that some dog owners find expensive and in some cases could rule out travel to the U.S.

One requirement is that all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada “have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner for identification.”

Daniel Dickmeyer lives on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia and travels across the border every few months to visit his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren in Seattle.

His 11-year-old black Labrador, April, makes the trip with him each time. She is vaccinated against rabies, but is not microchipped.

“I know it’s supposed to be a safe surgery, but here it costs $200,” Dickmeyer said. “Especially on our island, there aren’t enough vets to go around … it becomes a hassle just to get the chipping process done.”

A lack of clarity

Health Minister Mark Holland warned Tuesday that the relaxed rules may only be temporary, describing the CDC’s decision as a nine-month “grace period.”

“We will continue our hard work to ensure that after that nine-month period, people can still take their dogs across the border and bring them back,” Holland said.

The CDC rules posted online this week make no mention of the grace period. The CDC told CBC News in an email Thursday that the new rules will be in effect until April 30, 2025.

“During this period, CDC will work with industry partners, countries affected by this process, and dog owners to evaluate long-term approaches that effectively protect U.S. communities and pets from the threat of rabies and other infectious diseases, while minimizing the burden on travelers from countries where rabies is absent or at low risk,” the statement said.

If the grace period is not made permanent, only dogs that have been vaccinated against rabies after being microchipped will be allowed to enter the U.S.

That means Dickmeyer will not only have to pay for April’s microchip, but also have to get her vaccinated against rabies twice if he wants her to visit his son’s family.

The new rules also require dog owners to: fill out an online form and present a digital or paper receipt to border control officials when crossing the border.

The form can be completed on the day of departure and is valid for multiple trips over a period of six months from the date of issue.

The owner must confirm that the dog has been in a rabies-free or low-risk country for at least six months. As long as a Canadian dog owner meets this six-month deadline, they do not need to prove that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies.

For those planning to return to Canada with their dog, there are also rules and requirements for crossing the border to Canada, depending on the age and purpose of the dog.

Even more controversial, according to some dog owners, is the requirement to provide a physical address where the dog will go once it’s in the US.

Carolyn Barone lives two blocks from the U.S. border in South Surrey, British Columbia, and takes her miniature dachshund Eddie across the border for walks every week.

She also often takes him with her when she goes south of the border for groceries or gas.

Barone says she always carries Eddie’s vaccination records with her in the car when she crosses the border and has never had to provide any other documentation.

The new requirement for a physical address could make such travel impossible, she says.

“I’m not going to an address,” she told CBC News on Wednesday. “I might take them across the border to go for a walk.”

Other dog owners told CBC News the requirement will affect their ability to enter the U.S. and drive from one part of Canada to another, such as traveling from Sarnia, Ontario, to Windsor, Ontario, via Interstate 94 in Michigan.

Working Dogs and the 6 Month Rule

Another rule under the new regulation is that all dogs entering the US from Canada must now be at least six months old.

Ariane Stewart, a sheepherder from Maine, says she buys sheepdogs from breeders in Quebec and relies on the dogs to keep her business going.

“If you get a dog at six months, it may be too late. You want to get the dog used to you and get him used to sheep at four months,” she says.

“This law has made it impossible for me to get the puppy that I bought and paid for in Canada,” Stewart added. “Dogs can be an integral part of the herding business.”

Tim Arthur, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, told CBC that guide dogs and other service dogs bred in Canada are often shipped to the U.S. before they are six months old for training.

“Groups with service dogs who try to train them are the ones who lose out,” he said.

Even with these new requirements, exempting Canada from the same rules as countries with a high risk of rabies has made “life a lot easier” for veterinarians and dog owners, Arthur said.

“If the original rules were to remain, we wouldn’t be in a great situation,” Arthur said. “I think it was negotiated really well.”

While Canadian dog owners are in a better position now than they were last week, Arthur says he’d like to know what the reality will look like in a few months.