Bringing Fido Home
The world is changing; new requirements when travelling into the USA with a dog
The world is changing; new requirements when travelling into the USA with a dog
The Way It Was
Once upon a time, like last month, crossing into the United States with your dog was not an issue. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) didn’t care. For the eleven or twelve years we have been travelling with Liddy, I can’t remember being asked for her rabies certificate once. I’ve been hassled about her dogfood, but rabies certificate… not so much.
On our trip to Europe in 2022, we needed export papers signed and sealed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dated no more than a week prior to travel. These export papers were required so we could import her into Germany.
Our vet recommended that we engage a service that would ensure all of Liddy’s documents were in order. Bringing her home… not so much because at that time, CBP didn’t care. Arriving in Seattle, the guys at the desk didn’t want to look at her even though I specifically asked if they needed any documentation.
This contrasts so differently from our arrival in Frankfurt. The customs agent was very helpful getting us processed. But. He was certainly diligent in his inspection of those documents that I had stressed over and paid a few coins for. We were glad to have them and glad to be able to walk out of the custom hall with Liddy at our side.
August 1st and Beyond
I didn’t hear about this until I was chatting with my sister. She lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We were going to visit and then take our biannual service dog assessment.
I haven’t heard anything on our local Seattle news about this. It may have come up, but I could have missed it.
What is it, you ask. Well, it is a new directive from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
The CDC is tasked with keeping the people of the USA safe from… oh Diseases. Things like smallpox, polio, measles, Covid, and rabies.
It’s that last one, rabies, which is pertinent to this discussion.
According to the CDC, as of 2007, the US domestic canine population is rabies-free. Rabies is still alive in the wild, showing up in squirrels, bats, and raccoons, from time to time, but not in our domestic pets.
This situation is credited to the requirement that our domestic pets be vaccinated against rabies with a booster every three years.
The CDC reviewed the US import regulations in 2024 and realized that the risk of introducing a rabid dog is greater from outside the US than inside.
The new directive requires that all dogs imported into the US on or after August 1st must meet some basic requirements. Requirements similar the ones in place to bring a dog into Germany.
What Requirements, and Why do I Care?
Most of my family lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada. A weekend trip to visit my brother or sister will require crossing an international boundary, entering Canada from the US. This has never been a big deal. Canada hasn’t put any policy in place for dogs except you may need to show proof of vaccination.
The kerfuffle will happen on the way home. On the return trip, we will be importing Liddy back into the US, so the new CDC rules apply. We will need:
A Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination
A recent photo of our dog, Liddy showing the face and body
Liddy’s microchip number
A copy of the CDC Dog Import Form Receipt
The receipt needs to be printed after completing the import form on the CDC website. Note that I said printed. A copy on your phone won’t cut it. The receipt will be emailed to you, so you need access to that account as well.
The complete set of instructions are available on this page on the CDC website: Required Documents for Bringing a Dog into the United States
Note that if you don’t live in the US, or if you travel to one of several countries considered high risk for rabies, there are additional requirements, so read these pages closely.
Your vet may not be aware of these new cross border requirements. When I asked mine, the advice I received was that I should contact the service that we used when taking Liddy to Germany. Not a satisfactory answer to someone who travels to the great white North five or six times a year.
What to do
The CDC forms became available on July 15th. After reading the instructions described on their website, Required Documents for Bringing a Dog into the United States, I don’t think it is as big a deal as it will be if the form isn’t completed. The biggest issue is knowing the port of entry before completing the form. I have a choice of three and I like to use the one with the least traffic. The completed form can be revised, but that damned receipt must be printed. I don’t keep a printer in my car.
So, we are ready. The vet assures me that Liddy’s Rabies Certificate has been registered with the USDA. It has her microchip number on it. I have a photo of Liddy on my phone to upload to the form. I can fill out the CDC form from my phone before we leave our host’s home, or I will find a shop that will print it for me. Check. Ready.
For the moment, I will be happy if this article helps a fellow traveller from being blindsided on returning home from a trip abroad with their canine companion.
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
The world is a beautiful place. Share the beauty. Leave only footsteps.