OTTAWA, ON , July 17,
2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Mark Holland,
Minister of Health, issued the following statement to update on
the United States (U.S.) Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decision to make changes
to their import requirements for all dogs entering the U.S., coming
into effect on August 1, 2024:
"Since the requirements were first announced by the CDC on
May 8, 2024, the Prime Minister,
myself and Members of Parliament have also raised the issue with
U.S. partners, and U.S. Congressional leaders have shared concerns
over the changes. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has
been engaging with the CDC to seek solutions and flexibilities,
clarify the new requirements and highlight the significant impact
these requirements will have on Canadians and Americans.
"This has resulted in changes to the guidelines for Canadians,
but the Government of Canada
remains concerned by the potential negative impacts these new
regulations will have on both Canadians and Americans.
"Canada is free of
dog-maintained rabies virus variant (DMRVV), also known as dog
rabies, and shares the same rabies free status as the United States. These new CDC regulations
will impact all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada and will require Canadians to take on
additional planning and costs to satisfy the new requirements.
These regulations will also impact Americans returning with their
dogs to the U.S. after visiting Canada.
"Tourism in the U.S. and in Canada will be impacted as travelers are
forced to pay extra costs to travel to the U.S. with their dogs and
navigate overwhelming administrative processes. Additionally, some
airlines are unclear on how they could implement these new
regulations.
"Transportation sectors, such as trucking, will face challenges
that will affect both American and Canadian supply chains.
Canada and the U.S. trade billions
of dollars in goods and services every year. At a time when cost of
living and economic growth are top of mind for our citizens,
implementing these new CDC measures could strain these critical
supply chains.
"The Government of Canada is
concerned by the impacts to local economies and hospitality
industries especially in border communities, which are often rural
and rely on cross border traffic to support their local businesses
and their jobs. Both Americans and Canadians living in border
communities, who regularly cross the border to buy goods and
services or to get to their place of work, will feel these
effects.
"These CDC regulations disproportionately impact people with
service dogs who require these support animals wherever they
travel.
"Indigenous peoples that regularly travel across the border to
their traditional territories will feel the effects of these CDC
regulations.
"We continue to advocate for an exemption from these
requirements, given that both Canada and the
United States are free from dog rabies, the geographic
realities of our shared border, and our strong economic and social
ties.
"While the Government of Canada
negotiates for further changes to ease the burden for Canadians,
here is what Canadians should know now if they are looking to
travel to the U.S. on or after August 1,
2024, with a dog:
- dogs must:
- be at least 6 months of age;
- have an ISO-compliant or universally readable microchip;
- appear healthy upon arrival;
- a CDC Dog Import Form receipt is required for all dogs entering
the U.S.;
- have a Canadian export document issued and signed by a Canadian
licensed veterinarian (Authorized Veterinarian) with vaccination
and microchip information. Endorsement by a CFIA veterinarian is
not required:
- all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada will need to be accompanied by
additional documentation, which varies depending on where the dog
was vaccinated against rabies and where the dog has been in the
past 6 months before entering the U.S.
"Canada and the U.S. are both
free of dog rabies and share the public health goal to prevent
rabies. These new CDC regulations risk negative impacts to our
people, our supply chains, and our local economies. Our government
has been clear: many Canadians – like snowbirds and truckers –
travel to the U.S. with dogs, and the CDC's new regulations will
affect the people and economies on both sides of the border. We
will continue to raise these concerns with our U.S. counterparts
and work to find a path forward. Our government will always stand
up for Canadians' interests."
For information on the latest requirements, visit: Dogs
travelling to the U.S.
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) touches the lives of
all Canadians in so many positive ways. Each day, hard-working CFIA
employees—including inspectors, veterinarians and
scientists—inspect food for safety risks, protect plants from pests
and invasive species, and respond to animal diseases that could
threaten Canada's national herd
and human health. Guided by science-based decision-making and
modern regulations, the Agency works tirelessly to ensure access to
safe and healthy food in Canada,
and support access to international markets for our high-quality
agricultural products. To learn more, visit
inspection.canada.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)