https://www.insidesources.com/lawmakers-aim-to-hold-off-another-health-threat-importation-of-sick-dogs/?fbclid=IwAR2x3_Km4dp0fjDuk8PmUrzgP3bzNNi9wEceGutQ6O8TJsf8f0edGWswNM0
<https://www.insidesources.com/lawmakers-aim-to-hold-off-another-health-threat-importation-of-sick-dogs/?fbclid=IwAR2x3_Km4dp0fjDuk8PmUrzgP3bzNNi9wEceGutQ6O8TJsf8f0edGWswNM0>
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, three members of Congress, who are also trained
veterinarians, are working hard to head off a potential public health crisis
with a proposed law to prevent importation of dogs that have contagious
diseases.
If passed, the Healthy Dog Importation Act of 2020 (introduced May 22) will
help ensure that all dogs entering the United States are healthy, fully
vaccinated with a health certificate from an accredited veterinary authority in
the country of origin and that each dog is microchipped so individual health
records can be verified upon arrival here.
To most people, it is surprising that such requirements are not already in
place.
Currently, the only requirements for dogs imported into the United States are
that they appear in good health and are at least six months old if imported for
resale or adoption.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires a rabies vaccination
certificate only if the dogs are coming from a country the CDC considers at
risk for canine rabies. The inability to verify documentation has resulted in
numerous incidents in which certifications have been found by the CDC to be
invalid or fraudulent.
While the importation of dogs helps meet the demand for personal pets and
working dogs, incidents involving sick dogs entering the country are alarming
public health officials.
They include well-documented cases of rabies, distemper, influenza,
brucellosis, parasites and other health threats, many of which can be passed to
humans and other animals and many of which had been virtually eliminated in the
United States.
Several recent incidents highlight the dangers.
Last year, a dog imported from Egypt and ending up at a Kansas rescue was
determined to have rabies, but not before all 25 of its companions had been
placed into foster care or adopted
<http://www.naiaonline.org/uploads/WhitePapers/RescueDogFromEgyptTestsPositiveForRabies.pdf>.
U.S. officials suspect that the Egyptian vaccination certificates were forged.
The third incident of its type in recent years, the CDC responded by imposing a
ban on all imports of dogs from Egypt.
In 2018, scientists at Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center
identified
<https://www.vet.cornell.edu/news/20190318/new-strain-canine-distemper-virus-arrives-north-america>
a strain of Asian canine distemper virus never before reported in North
America, which likely travelled with a dog obtained at a Korean meat market. A
year before that, an epidemic of canine influenza was also traced to Asia.
The law’s sponsors, Reps. Ralph Abraham ( R-La.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and
Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) know stronger health verifications cannot wait. Last year,
the CDC reported that as many as 1.245 million dogs are imported into the
United States annually, a surge of nearly 400 percent compared to 2006.
Of the total, 113,000 dogs originated from countries including China as well as
the Middle East, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe, regions the CDC has
designated
<https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/rabies-vaccine.html>
as “high risk” for rabies and other diseases, many of which can jump species
and infect humans.
The proposed law has the support of the veterinarians who must deal with the
public health fallout from these dogs.
“For far too long, dogs have been entering the United States without proper
inspection, increasing the risk of disease introduction and transmission,” said
Dr. John Howe, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The
proposed law “protects animal and human health by ensuring that imported dogs
are healthy and free from disease and parasites before entering the United
States.”
Stricter controls are welcomed by animal health and welfare groups.
The National Animal Interest Alliance has been raising the alarm about lax
import controls for years. “The Healthy Dog Importation Act will streamline the
federal oversight of canine imports to better protect animal and public
health,” said Patti Strand, the organization’s president.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic may incentivize the importation of even
more dogs under the current loose system. Stay-at-home orders have sparked an
uptick in shelter adoptions, and combined with a temporary reduction in flights
from overseas, some rescues in Northeastern states are experiencing shortages
<https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/496732-animal-welfare-advocates-dog-shortage-us-shows-disruption-in-supply>.
With so many dogs sourced from abroad, the protections in this proposed law are
needed now more than ever.
The last thing our country needs is further risk to public health.
About the Author
Sheila Goffe <https://www.insidesources.com/author/sheilagoffe/>
Sheila Goffe is vice president of government relations for the American Kennel
Club. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Stormy Hope
LLARTC
NAIATrust, Trustee
NAIATrust-CA on Facebook!
GSDCA Legislative Liaison to AKC
California Responsible Pet Owners
