Canada ‘blindsided’ by new U.S. border rules on dogs, Holland says
Global News
As Canadians prepare for new strict border rules for dogs coming into effect on Aug. 1, Holland slammed the regulations stating that the rules are "poorly through out."
As Canadians prepare for new rules around dogs crossing the border coming into effect on Aug. 1, Health Minister Mark Holland slammed the regulations, stating they were not “thought through well.”
Canada was “surprised and blindsided” by the U.S. announcement of new regulations, Holland said while speaking to the media on Wednesday. The rules state that dogs entering the U.S. must be at least six months old and meet rabies vaccination requirements.
“I’m quite concerned about the regulations that are being brought in by the United States, requiring, as of Aug. 1, a number of new measures for folks bringing their dogs across the border,” Holland said.
“As people would be aware today, when you drive across the border with your dog, there’s not a lot of questions and you’re able to go back and forth, and that makes a good deal of sense, because Canada isn’t a source country for rabies. We are a rabies-free country.”
As a result, it does not make sense for Canadians to be required to fill out paperwork for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before their planned visit, he said.
Canada is not on the U.S. list of high-risk countries for dog rabies.
“The Americans adopted this as a blanket policy for all countries. I don’t think they thought about what they were creating at the Canadian-U.S. border. We are as surprised and blindsided,” Holland said.
The documents required depend upon where the dog has been vaccinated for rabies, and what countries they have been in during the six months before travelling to the United States.
