U.S. updates dog importation regulation

LOS ANGELES, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday the agency is updating its dog importation regulation.

The new regulation requires that starting on Aug. 1, 2024, all dogs entering the United States must appear healthy upon arrival, be at least six months of age, be microchipped, and be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form online submission receipt.

The CDC requires dogs arriving from countries with a high risk of dog rabies to be protected against rabies.

The rabies virus variant carried by dogs was eliminated in the United States in 2007 and the CDC wants to prevent the re-introduction of dog rabies into the United States.

The CDC encourages people traveling with their dogs to use its new personalized question-and-answer tool, "DogBot," on the CDC website to determine what rules apply to their dogs based on their travel dates, where their dog is traveling from, and where their dog was vaccinated.

The regulation aims to protect the health and safety of people and animals by making sure any dog arriving in the United States is healthy and doesn't present a risk to communities, said the CDC.