Why Do We Need to Fight the CDC on their New Dog Importation Rules?
There are many reasons why the new CDC dog import rules just don’t make sense. Here’s a quick by-the-numbers breakdown:
4 - the number of rabies cases caused by imported dogs in the last 10 years. No humans were impacted.
4,000 - the number of rabies cases reported in the US each year, (not related to dogs).
113 - of the 195 countries in the world 113 are on the CDC’s “high-risk” list and affected by the new CDC rules.
483 - the number of International Airports in the US.
6 - the number of airports travelers are allowed to use when entering the US with their dogs from any of the 113 'high-risk' countries.
Prior to entry, each dog not previously vaccinated in the US must receive a rabies vaccine and have certification from a CDC-approved serology lab verifying the vaccine's effectiveness.
9 - countries on the “high-risk” list have a CDC-approved serology lab. This forces many individuals to send their dog’s blood work to a different country to be processed by a CDC-approved lab. Expenses and timing vary from country to country.
$997* - the amount the individual/rescue must pay to a CDC-approved quarantine facility at one of the 5 approved airports in the US to re-vaccinate their dog upon entering the country. Note: all dogs entering these facilities for revaccination already have a valid CDC-recognized rabies vaccine as proven with the titer test.
$225 -the amount of the $997 revaccination fee which is allocated as a CDC Admin Fee.
3 PM - the time the vet at the JFK Airport quarantine facility leaves for the day. The vet is only available until 3 PM on weekdays. Revaccination is not able to happen in the evenings, on weekends, or on holidays.
$167 - the daily fee individuals must pay for their pet if they need to stay at the quarantine facility to wait for the vet. Note: animals cannot be picked up prior to vaccination. Anyone who does not live within driving distance of one of the 5 quarantine facilities in the US must find lodging to stay near the facility until their dog is released and then find additional transportation home.
There are horror stories of people waiting for up to 3 days to have their dogs vaccinated at the Miami facility, simply because the center was too backed up. Individuals are missing their connecting flights and being forced to pay for new ones.
Why does the CDC need to revaccinate dogs who have been certified at one of their approved labs as having a rabies vaccine? The CDC does not have a clear answer.
We must keep the pressure on the CDC. Congress has already forced the CDC to roll back rules restricting dog movement between the US and Canada, but we can’t stop here! Contact your representative today!
Find and contract your representatives here.
The phone number for the U.S. House of Representatives switchboard is 1-202-224-312
