@GoodTimes - totally agree. Canada should follow suit with the importing/vaccines from different countries and I hope that they do!
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So is Canada more lax than the US in heath requirements for animals coming in from other countries, specifically rescue dogs from countries with a large number of unvaccinated animals? Are the rescues bringing the dogs to Canada to circumvent US requirements on imported animals? If so, I can see the reason for these new requirements. I have to think the target is not the documented pet owner, although they are caught up in the regulations.
Up until this goes into effect the US is/has been EXTREMELY lax on requirements for importing dogs.
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No. There are different requirements if an owner is travelling with the dog vs an agent, rescue, commercial purposes. Different requirements based on age and/or where the dog is coming from.
For the most part valid rabies vaccination certificates are sufficient. However Canada does have a list of high risk countries, vaccinated dogs from those countries can enter with their owners as personal pets, but Canada will not permit entry from those countries for “commercial” dogs (breeding, showing, resale, adoption, fosters, etc.). More countries are being added to the list August 1, 2024.
Canada changed their rules in 2022, so the situation described by the CDC in the post upthread is unlikely to happen again. It’s harder for rescues to bring dogs in.
There isn’t really a good reason that Canada and the US couldn’t have a reciprocal agreement. Both countries are experiencing a shortage of veterinarians. IMO it’s a waste of resources and precious appts for healthy, vaccinated dogs to have to visit their vet just to cross from Canada to the US with their owner.
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That’s better, but I’m in agreement with the AKC and a number of other organizations that the 6 month age limit is odd and unnecessary.
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Slightly offtopic, but have you actually ever been able to get the US side to stamp your papers? They have never been willing to stamp stuff for me (or anyone else at my barn, and we cross a lot).
Most border guards seem pretty befuddled by the whole thing, too, which always surprises me.
@samondel - Are you Canadian crossing into the US? If so, the US does not care to stamp papers as it has nothing to do with them and they really have no clue on what to do, but they are not the ones that have to try and cross back into Canada which has a HUGE issue with paperwork that is not stamped (which of course totally makes sense as Canada wants proof that you have only been in the US for less than the 30 days which is what the temp. horse paperwork is good for).
So the US never stamps it and hands it back to me. I kindly hand it back to them and let them know that it has to be stamped with the US emblem and it must have a date. I do let them know when I come home, the Canadian side needs to have proof of when we entered the US so we are well within the dating of our temp papers. They always have stamped it for me then. But it is up to us to ensure that our paperwork is correct. Trust me, I have had issues coming back into Canada when I didn’t get my paperwork stamped and I almost thought I would have to re do my paperwork and see the vet at the border. Not fun. I also make sure they stamp the temp health papers as they will try and stamp the original Coggins (they have done this to me before as well!). I also make sure to keep the receipt of the bridge crossing as it also has the date of when I crossed into the US. Of course its not really proof like stamping and dating the temp health papers, but I keep it as a back up.
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I was able to cancel my vet appt with my dog yesterday since the form is not needed right now. So far the only thing that is needed is the on line dog import form which is free. It still needs to be filled out a couple of days before you cross and the dog still needs a microchip, but at least there’s one less vet fee and paperwork needed. A step in the right direction I think. I will of course still bring my proof of rabies as well as a copy of my dog’s CKC papers which has her name, my name as owner and her microchip # on there as well. Too much paperwork is not a bad thing to cross right now I think
I’m going to still keep checking the CDC website as even the on line form has changed several times. The picture part has been removed, so it looks quite straight forward right now. Subject to change I’m sure. I have until the 22nd so I’m sure it will change yet again…
This is the current form and no picture required:
https://cdc-786687.workflowcloud.com/forms/090dc543-7b2f-4538-b2c7-2919d12ecc73
Yes, I had to cross every two weeks for a while there, Ontario to Michigan. No luck on getting stamped any of the trips, and general confusion from the US about the request.
I only had some issues coming back once, and I’m hoping that I don’t have to go much anymore. All my trips were there and back in one day, which maybe helped? No receipt for the bridge, either, as I had to go through the commercial lanes (which somehow ended in not paying any toll).
Just as an update:
I went to WEC in Ohio 2 weeks ago and had the CDC form filled out and printed off. On our way down, I didn’t have any room in the truck for my dog as we had 4 people in there and my 115lb pup wouldn’t fit in there, so I had her in our LQ in our trailer. I handed them her paperwork and my pony paperwork and stated she was in the trailer if they wanted to see her. She just said I was super organized with my paperwork, didn’t even look at my dog, did not stamp my horse paperwork and handed it back to us. So I kindly asked for her to stamp the back of my horse paperwork to show proof on when we crossed into the US as Canada does not like it when there is not date of entry. She did stamp it and we were on our way. Maybe 5 mins total?
So it was an easy and free process for the dogs, which I’m grateful for. I have heard lots of Canadians now crossing in the US with 0 issues, so thats always good to hear. Of course coming back into Canada was a non issues as they don’t require any dog paperwork and I just handed them my stamped copy of the horse paperwork and we were on our way home in no time.
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I don’t know if this got answered later in the thread, but when I talked to a vet friend about this, she told me that it can take 6 months from exposure to symptom for symptoms of rabies to appear, depending on where the exposure occured (bite on a rear limb for example). The only definitive test for rabies infection is to euthanize the animal and disect it’s brain, so there is not really a good way of testing 8 - 16 week old puppies.
I find this to be an upsetting rule for ethically bred puppies on both sides of the border, since the root cause is generally not dogs born in Canada or born in the USA, but dogs born elsewhere, brought to Canada/USA, paperwork falsified and then sent on the USA/Canada. I am pretty sure the Canadians don’t like this importation system of dogs brought from elswhere and having their origin ‘cleaned’ by routing through Canada either.
