Canada’s health minister says a recent decision to scrap burdensome new border paperwork for Canadians entering the United States with their dogs may only be temporary.
Citing concerns about the potential spread of rabies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced earlier this month that it would be taking new measures for dogs entering the United States from low-risk or rabies-free countries, such as Canada.
The new rules, due to take effect in August, would require dogs to be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and to carry two documents signed by a veterinarian, along with photos of the dog’s teeth, which would be checked by border control officers upon entry.
On Monday, the CDC announced it was relaxing those proposed requirements.
Newly revised CDC rules state that dogs can only cross the border if they have been in a low-risk or rabies-free country for the past six months. Import forms that can be completed online on the day of travel.
But Health Minister Mark Holland said Tuesday that the relaxed restrictions may only be temporary, describing the CDC decision as a nine-month “grace period.”
“We will continue to work hard to allow people to cross the border with their dogs beyond the nine-month deadline,” Holland said at a separate news conference.
An update to the rules posted by the CDC on Monday did not indicate the changes were only for nine months. CBC News has reached out to the CDC for clarification but has not yet received a response.
Health Minister Mark Holland says it’s a “good idea” to make sure your pet is up to date on vaccinations. Holland added that “mistakes happen,” but in the short term, the Canadian government worked with the US government to ensure Canadians were treated fairly.
Asked Tuesday whether Canadians should be worried about rules being reimposed in nine months’ time, Holland did not rule out the possibility.
“Changes are always possible when negotiating with other jurisdictions,” he said, adding that Ottawa would lobby against reinstating strict rules.
The initial proposed measures were panned by veterinary associations, the tourism industry and the Canadian government.
Holland said Tuesday that the grace period was secured after speaking with CDC Director Mandy Cohen on Friday.
“We worked hard to improve the situation and were fortunate enough to do so within this nine-month grace period,” he said.
“We both have an interest in keeping this hemisphere free of rabies, and Canada is not a source of rabies, so I think this is a recognition that Canada’s risk is low.”