C.D.C. Rules To Make Travelling With Pets Difficult in the U.S.

Traveling with a pet has become more difficult due to a recent C.D.C. rabies rule, costly pet ‘tickets,’ and restrictions on animals in aircraft cabins.

According to the new ruling from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a ban has been imposed on importing dogs into the United States from 113 countries.

The ban went into full effect on Oct. 14. The ban’s goal is to keep animals at high risk of contracting rabies out of the nation. It comes following a spike in false health certificates from overseas pet importers as a result of the pandemic boom in dog adoptions, according to the federal agency.

The judgment by the C.D.C. comes at a time when pet owners are already dealing with tighter limits on pet travel in airline cabins, fewer alternatives for shipping dogs as cargo, and a slew of flight cancellations and schedule disruptions. If the pandemic has made air travel difficult for humans because of vaccine restrictions and testing procedures, it has made it far more difficult for our four-legged companions.

In 2020, the C.D.C. intervened in more than 450 dog importations involving falsified or incomplete rabies vaccination certificates. It has now started issuing a small number of permits to dogs arriving from high-risk countries such as Guatemala, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. However, there are stringent requirements: microchipping, a valid rabies vaccination certificate, and blood tests from an accredited serology laboratory are all required.

According to the rules, the dogs must also be at least six months old, with rabies serologic titers taken at least 30 days after rabies immunization and 90 days before entering the U.S. In addition, the number of ports where canines from nations on the C.D.C.’s list can enter the United States will be reduced to three from 18 after Jan. 7, 2022. Here are the three airports selected:

• John F. Kennedy International Airport
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Flying with a pet to the United States will become far more complex moving forward.

Source: CDC