Dogs entering the US must be 6 months old and microchipped to prevent the spread of rabies, new rules say

NEW YORK — All dogs coming to the U.S. from other countries must be at least 6 months old and microchipped to help prevent the spread of rabies, according to new government rules published Wednesday.

The new rules require vaccination of dogs that have been in countries where rabies is common. The update applies to dogs brought in by breeders or rescue groups, as well as pets traveling with their owners in the US.

“This new regulation will address the current challenges we face,” said Emily Pieracci, an rabies expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who was involved in drafting the updated regulations.

The CDC published the new rules in the federal register on Wednesday. They take effect Aug. 1, when a 2021 temporary order expires. That order suspended the import of dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is still a problem.

The new rules require that all dogs entering the U.S. be at least 6 months old, old enough to be vaccinated if necessary and for the vaccines to take effect; have a microchip placed under the skin with a code that can be used to verify rabies vaccination; and completed a new CDC import form.

There may be additional restrictions and requirements based on where the dog has been in the previous six months, which may include blood tests from CDC-approved laboratories.

CDC regulations were last updated in 1956 and a lot has changed, Pieracci said. More people travel internationally with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have created operations abroad to meet the demand for pets, she said. Now, about 1 million dogs enter the U.S. every year.

Dogs were once common carriers of the rabies virus in the U.S., but the type that normally circulates in dogs was eliminated through vaccinations in the 1970s. The virus invades the central nervous system and is usually a fatal disease in animals and humans. It is most commonly transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. There is no cure for this once symptoms begin.

Four rabid dogs have been identified entering the U.S. since 2015, and authorities fear more could cross over. CDC officials also noted an increase in incomplete or fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates and more puppies being denied entry because they were not old enough to be fully vaccinated.

A draft version of the regulations updated last year drew a flurry of public comments.

Angela Passman, owner of a Dallas company that helps people move their pets internationally, supports the new rules. It can be especially complicated for families who buy or adopt a dog abroad and then try to bring it to the U.S., she said. The update means few changes from the way things have been handled in recent years, she said.

“It’s more work for the pet owner, but the end result is good,” said Passman, who is a board member of the International Pet and Animal Transport Association.

But Jennifer Skiff said some of the changes are unwarranted and too costly. She works for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington group focused on preventing animal cruelty that helps organizations import animals. She said these groups work with diplomats and military personnel who had difficulty complying with the requirements and were the reason some owners were forced to leave their dogs behind.

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