FAQs: Dogs from High

The current importation suspension continues to be extremely successful in addressing dog importation problems seen in prior years.

Rabies is fatal: Rabies is over 99% fatal and is 100% preventable. The United States eliminated dog rabies in 2007, but dog rabies is not controlled in over 100 countries—creating a risk to the United States from imported dogs. Through regulations, CDC strives to prevent reintroducing dog rabies to protect America’s families, communities, and their pets. Preventing the importation of infected dogs into the United States is a public health priority. Each rabid imported dog could infect people and other animals and can cost more than half a million dollars to contain.

Why it’s important now: Since 2015, four rabid rescue dogs were imported into the United States. Historically, about 300 dogs annually have been denied entry to the United States due to inadequate paperwork. However, between January and December 2020 (during the COVID–19 pandemic), CDC documented an increase from previous years with more than 450 instances of incomplete, inadequate, or fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates for dogs arriving from high-risk countries.

The increase in the number of dogs inadequately vaccinated against rabies that importers attempted to bring into the United States created a public health risk of importing dog rabies. The public health management of these dogs was also unsustainable during the current COVID–19 pandemic.

Protect dogs and people: With this extension, CDC has expanded eligibility for importation from high-risk countries to all people, provided the dogs meet the requirements. CDC has improved the importation process to prevent the reintroduction of dog rabies into the United States and better protect the health and safety of dogs being imported and their US families and communities.