Following Klobuchar Calls for Change, CDC Delays Burdensome Dog Importation Regulation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a modification in new rules for bringing a dog into the U.S. The CDC was set to require travelers bringing a dog into the U.S. to provide numerous certifications for each entry, even from a rabies-free country like Canada. With the new announcement, the CDC will allow dogs that have spent the prior six months in rabies-free or low-risk rabies countries to enter the U.S. with only minimal documentation. This change comes after Senators Klobuchar and Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan group of 14 Senators in calling on the CDC to delay the implementation of new regulations that would create obstacles for dog owners in the U.S. and Canada who frequently travel to and from the United States with their rabies-free dogs.

"As chair of the U.S.-Canada Inter-Parliamentary working group, I have long advocated for eliminating barriers to cross-border travel between Canada and the United States," said Klobuchar. "The delay in implementing these regulations will enable both countries to collaborate on a permanent, realistic solution so Americans and Canadians can travel across the border with their dogs without burdensome disruptions. I will continue working with Senator Collins, the CDC, and representatives of the Canadian government to come to a long term resolution as soon as possible."

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