Starting Sept. 28, 2022, it will no longer be permitted to import commercial dogs from certain countries that are at high risk for dog rabies.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says they are implementing the new measure to help prevent the introduction of dog rabies into Canada in order to protect Canadians and their pets.

Commercial dogs can include, but are not limited to dogs for resale, adoption, fostering, breeding, show or exhibition, research, and other purposes.

There are currently no active cases of dog rabies in Canada. Dog rabies (rabies caused by canine-variant viruses) is a different strain than the rabies typically found in wildlife, such as skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats. However, in 2021, dogs were imported into Canada with this disease and this triggered the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and provincial public health authorities to ask the CFIA to take action to address the risks from imported dogs.

Rabies is over 99% fatal for humans and dogs once they start to show symptoms and is nearly 100% preventable with proper vaccination of animals. Dog rabies kills 59,000 people every year globally in over 100 countries that are considered to be at high risk for dog rabies.

The countries that will be affected by the commercial dog import prohibition are:

Africa

  • Algeria, Angola
  • Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi
  • Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti
  • Egypt
  • Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia
  • Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho, Liberia, Libya
  • Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique
  • Namibia, Niger, Nigeria
  • Republic of Congo, Rwanda
  • Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan
  • Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Togo, Tunisia
  • Uganda
  • Western Sahara
  • Zambia, Zimbabwe

Americas and Caribbean

  • Belize, Bolivia, Brazil
  • Colombia, Cuba
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador, El Salvador
  • Guatemala, Guyana
  • Haiti, Honduras
  • Peru
  • Suriname
  • Venezuela

Asia and the Middle East, Eastern Europe

  • Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan
  • Bangladesh, Belarus, Brunei
  • Cambodia, China (mainland only)
  • Georgia
  • India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos, Lebanon
  • Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma)
  • Nepal, North Korea
  • Oman
  • Pakistan, Philippines
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria
  • Tajikistan, Thailand, Türkiye, Turkmenistan
  • Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen

What happens to the current import permits for commercial dogs from high-risk countries?
According to the CFIA, all currently issued import permits will remain valid until the end of the validity period specified on the permit, and the import conditions contained in the import permit will continue to apply.

All import permits issued on or after June 28, 2022 will expire on September 27, 2022, regardless of when the permit is issued.

As of September 28, 2022, import permits will no longer be issued.

All shipments of commercial dogs, regardless of age, from countries at high-risk for dog rabies will be prohibited as of September 28, 2022.

Click here for more information and to contact the CFIA with questions.

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