The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is concerned about dogs coming into the U.S. from countries where the rabies risk is high, which will impact how many dogs are imported into the U.S. moving forward.
What did the CDC say about dogs?
The CDC said it will suspend imports of dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is considered to be highly transmissible.
- This will impact “dog rescue missions, imports from dog breeders and people bringing in pets,” according to CNN.
Why is the CDC suspending dog imports?
The CDC said it will suspend the imports because of the coronavirus pandemic and because there’s a lack of locations that can quarantine dogs safely.
In fact, the CDC said there were three incidents where dogs came into the U.S. with rabies.
- “This suspension applies to all dogs, including puppies, emotional support dogs and dogs that traveled out of the United States and are returning from a high-risk country,” the CDC said in a statement on its website.
- “This action is necessary to ensure the health and safety of dogs imported into the United States and to protect the public’s health against the reintroduction of canine rabies virus variants (dog rabies). The suspension is temporary and will be reviewed periodically.”
Which countries have a high risk for rabies?
The CDC has a full list of countries with a high risk for rabies. You can read through it over at the CDC’s website.
Major countries on the list include Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Peru and Russia, per NBC News.
Has there been an increase in puppy adoptions?
Per NBC News, the move comes as puppy adoptions have increased over the last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.