Effective August 1st, 2024, the US has banned all puppies 6 months and under from entering the US.  For us, this means that effective immediately, we will cease all homing of puppies to the US.

The CDC has also implemented several changes that will affect parents who frequently travel to the US.  These rules apply to ALL dog owners including US and Canadian residents.  There is no work around, please be very careful when listening to ‘ I know someone who said’ on social media.  The CDC has been very clear, the rules will be enforced and do apply to all travelers.

So, what do you need to know?

All dogs must have a current microchip registered at the same time as the rabies vaccination.  If you are able to go to the US to have the rabies administered, you will find it is a much better long term solution as they do retain that information in their database for 3 years and you will then only require the arrival form to be filled out.

If you are opting to do the vaccination in Canada, that document will be valid for 30 days and you will be required to continuously renew if traveling to the US.

The microchip must comply with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and be implanted before administering any necessary rabies vaccination. The corresponding number must be included on all required forms and accompanying veterinary records.

For the CDC Dog Import Form, completion online is necessary between two to 10 days before arrival. If adjustments are needed, travelers can update their submission by sending a new form, specifying modifications to an existing one.

According to CDC spokesperson Dave Daigle, the Animal Welfare Act previously mandated dogs to be at least two months old for entry into the U.S. Additionally, verbal or written confirmation was required to ensure they hadn’t visited a high-risk country within the last six months.

Here is the offical statement from the CDC

CDC Updates Dog Importation Regulation; New Rules will Start August 1, 2024