Service members and their families returning to the United States from overseas duty assignments must comply with updated dog importation requirements effective Aug. 1, 2024.
“Most of our family members are stationed in low-risk or rabies-free countries,” said U.S. Army Maj. Chelsi Blume, a veterinary public health officer at the Defense Health Agency in Falls Church, Virginia. “There should be minimal impact to their moves. The policy was changed to prevent the reintroduction of the canine rabies variant into the U.S. It will ensure dogs arriving stateside from a high-risk rabies country are properly vaccinated against rabies and will deter falsified documents.”
The canine rabies variant was eliminated in the U.S. in 2007, but dog rabies is not controlled in over 100 countries and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to prevent the re-introduction of the canine rabies variant, said Blume.
The CDC has updated their requirements to protect the health of U.S. communities and animals and prevent the re-introduction of dog rabies to the United States. Blume said these new, specific requirements align with World Organisation of Animal Health standards. The requirements also address recent challenges, such as falsified documents seen with international dog importations. There are no new requirements or changes for cat importation.
New CDC Dog Importation Vaccination Requirements
All dogs arriving into the U.S. must be healthy, at least six months of age, have a microchip that is detected with a universal scanner, and have a completed CDC Dog Import form. Dogs will require additional documentation for proof of rabies vaccination if they are traveling from high-risk rabies countries.
“These rules apply to all dogs, including puppies, service animals, military working dogs, government working dogs, as well as dogs that left the United States and are returning,” said Blume. “They also apply whether you are a U.S. citizen, legal U.S. resident, or foreign national.”
All dogs entering or returning to the United States from an overseas location must adhere to requirements based on the location of the animal six months prior to entering the U.S. and where the canine received their rabies vaccinations, said Blume. U.S. canine importation requirements and timelines can be found on the CDC website.
The new import regulations will impact Department of Defense service members making a permanent change of station, or PCS, move with dogs back to the U.S., said Blume. Service members should first determine whether any of the countries their dog has been in over the last six months are designated as rabies-free, low-rabies risk, or high-rabies risk countries by the CDC, as this will determine what new requirements must be met for travel. Families with pet dogs who will be traveling to the U.S. from low-rabies risk or rabies-free countries, will need only one new additional document, the CDC Dog Import form, which owners fill out.
For service members stationed in high-risk rabies countries, Blume outlines some of the new changes and requirements in the updated CDC importation regulations:
Requirement for All Dogs
- CDC Dog Import form: This document can be filled out online by the owner and will not require a veterinarian signature.
Requirement for Dogs Returning from High-Risk Rabies Countries
- Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccine or Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form: The document will be required for dogs entering from high-risk rabies countries. U.S. military veterinary hospitals or clinics—stateside and overseas—count as “U.S.-administered rabies”, said Blume, and therefore, the first form can be used for service members overseas who use a military veterinary clinic. If this option doesn’t exist, a foreign national veterinarian must use the second form.
- If dogs enter from a high-risk rabies country, they must enter the U.S. at a CDC registered animal care facility, or ACF. The service member must make a reservation with the ACF. The dog must also have a rabies titer test, or FAVN, taken at least 30 days after the valid rabies booster was administered and at least 28 days before entry. This titer test must have been submitted to a CDC-approved laboratory or the dog will undergo a 28-day quarantine at an ACF upon arrival.
Blume noted that only two high-risk countries identified by the CDC—Turkey and Cuba—have veterinary treatment facilities. Service members stationed in other high-risk rabies countries will need to seek services through a local national veterinarian to meet importation requirements.
“Service members in high-risk countries will need to start their checklist process early. Try to locate your original health certificate documents and rabies certificate that got you into the country,” said Blume. “If unable to find these documents, get with your military veterinarian. If neither of these options exist, get with your local national veterinarian as soon as possible to meet importation requirements.”
The CDC recommends service members who have foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries begin their checklist process 60-90 days before travel.
To offset some of the dog importation costs associated with a PCS move, the Joint Travel Regulation approves up to $2,000 reimbursement for one pet that is traveling overseas. According to the JTR, reimbursement is for “cost of mandatory microchipping, quarantine fees, boarding fees, hotel service charges, licensing fees at the new permanent duty station testing titer levels for entry, and pet shipping fees.” Service members must keep their receipts for all expenses incurred and submit these expenses to the finance office once they arrive at the new duty station. U.S. Army personnel should ensure their orders include a statement that they will be traveling with their pet (this is a function the Military Personnel Division will select in Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army, or IPPS-A, to add pets to PCS orders).
“We know PSCing is stressful,” said Blume. “These updates require additional planning, time, and resources. Military veterinarians are here to answer questions and concerns regarding your pet’s travel. Get with your local military veterinarian, or local national veterinarian if a military veterinarian is unavailable at your location, and contact airlines once you receive word of a potential PCS back to the U.S.”
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