Question of the Week

Cynthia Woodling

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

As an owner of a low-entry breed (Spanish Water Dogs), I was planning to import a female puppy into my kennel. The existing bloodlines in the U.S. are limited and overused. 

Importing is the only way to expand breeding stock. The new ruling, specifically the six-month age restriction, is going to significantly hinder all breeders, but low-entry breeds will suffer the most. 

Kate McMillan

Delisle, Saskatchewan, Canada

This CDC rule is far more onerous than simply halting imports of puppies under six months. It mandates that all Canadian dogs must have a health certificate, endorsed by a government veterinarian, to enter the U.S. These certificates will be good for only 30 days.

For many of us, the expense and difficulty in obtaining appointments mean an end to our participation in U.S. shows that we have long supported — national-specialty weekends and border states in particular. In our breed, more than 20 percent of the class entries at Montgomery County in 2023 were foreign, and the majority of those were Canadian.
For some of us, it could signal the end of our breeding programs — we live in regions with typical Canadian entries of fewer than 200 dogs, and U.S. shows are our only meaningful access to competition and the exchange of genetics.
It is also a disaster for long-haul truckers who travel with dogs as companions (many may now go into rescue) and those with vacation properties, as well as general tourism in border states. Thousands of Canadian travelers cross into the U.S. to reach other Canadian provinces, especially in winter. It's going to cause chaos at the border, for no tangible benefit whatsoever.

Nanci Hanover

Simi Valley, California

I am absolutely furious about the CDC’s new requirements! They gave no notice — nothing!

I had planned to bring in a puppy next year that would've complimented my breeding program. Now I am forced to bring a different puppy from Sweden next month, when I am not ready for it! I still have a young male who needs my time and training through this year. How can we have breeding programs that improve our lines without bringing in young bitches? What breeder over there wants to keep a pup for six months? And I can assure you I want my puppy as soon as it is old enough to get here so I can begin training it how I want it trained.

What about the breeds that are just being brought here to start new lines? The FSS dogs? Are they just out of luck? Too bad, no more importing. 

This is completely ridiculous and needs to be fought by the fancy. This reeks of PETA. 

Pamela Eldredge

Waterbury, Vermont

Thank you for the opportunity to voice an opinion about the upcoming change to the puppy-import law.

I live in Vermont, 90 minutes from the Canadian border. I have purchased my puppies from a well-respected Bernese Mountain Dog preservation breeder in Canada for many years. This new law will make it impossible for me and her other loyal U. S. clients of the past 30 years to bring a well-bred puppy home before the age of six months.   

This also affects the breeder's ability to sell her puppies here in the U.S. as she has done for three decades. It is asking a great deal from the breeder to hold onto puppies for six months. The current time frame is four months in order for the puppy to have a rabies vaccination, and that has been difficult enough. 

I understand the need to limit large volume of imports that are not vaccinated and have not been treated correctly for parasites. That is a totally different scenario. This blanket change to the law doesn't seem to have any ability to allow for people who have been correctly, ethically breeding and selling well-bred puppies for years to continue to meet the demands of their clients here in the United States.

Kathleen M. Quinn

Manlius, New York

On reading [a letter on this subject from the Canadian Kennel club], I realize that this issue is dog-gone-overdramatized! 

We are a family who have crossed into Canada to a summer home each weekend or weeks at a time with multiple family canines in tow from April to November for 50 years. I’ve been assured by the customs experts at both sides of the border that it’s “business as usual.”

So, it’s not the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, health ministry, or any other government entity mentioned in the CKC letter that’s running the show here. It’s the border officer you get on that day, at that gate! (I’m talking at vehicle checkpoints.) 

I’m told border facilities “have zero microchip readers, aren’t training to use microchip readers, and certainly aren’t leaving our booths to scan dogs in vehicles. We have computer histories on every vehicle license plate that’s crossed, and it’s documented if dogs are on board. These travelers do not raise red flags for us.

“Going to Canada and returning home for events, vacations, travels, appointments or whatever with canines is NOT importing dogs. The USA and CANADA ARE NOT HIGH-RISK COUNTRIES.

“If you have a puppy on board, have your paperwork. We will ascertain the dog did not originate from the Middle East, has a shot record, and is not a health threat.”

The AG specialist did not want to be named, and she shot straight from the hip, telling me: “This idea is ridiculous, and next they will be telling us that cats who identify as dogs are not allowed back in! Dogs going back and forth across our borders in cars are healthy, family or competition dogs. We enjoy seeing them! The airports will be the focus, and, still, just have your paperwork/forms in order, with all owners’ names matching that paperwork. If you come from a high-risk Middle Eastern country, expect an interview. If you come from a dog-rescue group, expect an interview. If it looks like a suspicious rag-tag lot of dogs, expect an interview.”

In conclusion, just like when they lifted the Covid ban and we had extra hoops to jump through going back and forth, the attitude of the real authorities in charge is: “We are not letting this CDC nonsense bottle up our traffic flow coming or going over our borders and bridges.”

Laura Brown

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

In breeding proper, there are sometimes exchanges to strengthen genes and lines between the U.S. and other countries ... Sad to impose a six-month age to enter, as those are crucial training and socialization months the new owner/breeder needs with the pup. How about preventing the sick, virus/diseased "rescue" dump dogs that have caused outbreaks and issues? Especially when most of those "rescues" are from people intentionally breeding to sell to just that heartstring person who wants to rescue ...

Melissa Mount

Westfield, Vermont

It's not just puppies, it's any dog, whether from the U.S. that leaves or not. People like me who live close to the border will also have to jump through hoops just to go to shows and to get our dogs back home safely.

Rose Hidlay

Marietta, Georgia

As a breeder of a low-entry breed, the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, I think this is the most outrageous thing that CDC has done to the dog-world community! We import a lot of new bloodlines for our breeding stock, and this is going to eliminate a lot of us from getting that important bloodline into our lines. Not to mention the increase in expense for us if we are able to find that special dog to include in our breeding stock.  There needs to be some kind of exception made for breeders.