Question Period Note: DOG IMPORTS

Q1 – What is the government doing to prevent the introduction and spread of dog rabies in Canada? Q2 – Why has the government taken a measure to prohibit dogs imported from countries deemed high-risk for rabies? Q3 – What is the government doing for people fleeing the war in Ukraine with their pets? Q4 – What is the government’s response to petitions to ban puppy mills and prevent puppy mill imports?

R1 - Rabies is deadly for both humans and animals. In September 2022, the Government implemented a measure to prohibit the entry into Canada of all commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for rabies caused by canine-variant viruses (dog rabies).
Work is underway to develop conditions for the entry into Canada of personal pet dogs and assistance dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies as part of the effort to keep Canada free from dog rabies in order to further strengthen prevention efforts in this area. R2 - Canada is currently free of dog rabies. In recent years, however, two dogs infected with dog rabies were imported into Canada.
The new import restrictions respond to calls from federal and provincial public health officials to strengthen Canada’s import requirements for dogs to mitigate the risk of introducing dog rabies into Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will continue to monitor and evaluate the impacts of this new measure. R3 - The Government of Canada recognizes the trauma experienced by those who have been forced to leave their homes due to the war in Ukraine.
In this situation, the Government and the CFIA seek to accommodate personal pet dog imports whenever possible under the Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations. R4 - The Government takes animal protection seriously. Regulating animal welfare, puppy mills or the online sale of companion animals falls primarily under provincial and territorial jurisdiction.
However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to work with partners to provide Canadians with important information and guidance to raise awareness about puppy mills before they purchase or adopt a new dog.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for regulating the importation of regulated animals, including dogs, into Canada in order to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases that could negatively impact the health of both animals and humans.
Canada's dog import requirements are developed by the CFIA using authorities under the Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations. The import requirements take into account the diseases and conditions affecting animals, the current national disease health status, the risk to human health, and Canada's obligations as a member of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Canada's import requirements for dogs are very specific and dependent on the country of origin, the purpose of import, the age of the dog at the time of the importation and whether the dog is accompanied by the owner. In general, all dogs imported into Canada must be healthy and fit to travel with no visible signs of illness. They must have the necessary vaccines and documentation.
All import requirements must be met before an animal is imported into Canada. If an animal arrives in Canada and does not meet the import requirements, the specific details of the case will be evaluated. Depending on the results of the inspection, the animal may be ordered to be removed from Canada, monetary penalties may be applied or other enforcement actions may be pursued.
Many countries have reported an increasing trend of dog importations associated with introduction of serious human and animal diseases.
Canada has been free of dog rabies since the 1960s; however, certain rabies strains are found in Canadian wildlife, such as skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats. The last reported human death due to dog rabies that was acquired in Canada was in 1944.
In July 2021, a dog imported from Iran into Ontario was diagnosed with rabies caused by canine-variant viruses (dog rabies). A considerable public health response involved nine different health units and identified 24 people at risk, 14 of whom required rabies post-exposure prophylaxis treatment.
On January 15, 2022, the CFIA was informed of a second case of rabies in a dog imported from Iran on June 28, 2021. There were 37 high-risk contacts who received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis treatment.
On June 28, 2022, the CFIA published an advance notice on its website about a new measure prohibiting the entry of commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies that came into effect three months later on World Rabies Day, September 28, 2022. Commercial dogs include dogs intended for purposes such as being given/transferred to another person, resale, adoption, fostering, breeding, show or exhibition and research.
This measure applies at Canadian airports declared as Secondary Control Zones under the Health of Animals Act until further notice. The notice also mentioned that further changes are being explored for the entry of personal pet dogs and assistance dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies.
A judicial review of the current measure prohibiting entry of all commercial dogs from countries considered high-risk for dog rabies has been filed with the Federal Court of Canada by organizations supporting the adoption of international dog rescues.
International comparators:
While Canada and the U.S. have identified the same countries to be considered high-risk for dog rabies, the two countries have different legal authorities and import policies. The differences reflect the different regulatory frameworks of the two countries.
On June 14, 2021, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) introduced a temporary suspension for dogs imported from high-risk countries for dog rabies. In June 2022, this suspension was amended to allow the importation of dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies under specific import requirements. On July 6, 2023, the US CDC announced proposed changes to their Dog and Cat Importation Regulation, which will strengthen the import requirements for all dogs entering the US.
Puppy Mills:
The CFIA is not responsible for regulating puppy mills. Provinces and territories have legislation in place respecting the humane treatment of animals and are responsible for enforcing all related regulations. Animal control requirements are usually a responsibility of municipalities.
A 2020 petition (e2997) called upon the Government of Canada to ban the operation of puppy mills in Canada.

• The Government takes animal protection seriously and is strengthening the requirements for dogs entering Canada for the protection of animal and public health.

• In September 2022, new import requirements were put in place to prevent the introduction and spread of dog rabies into Canada through the commercial importation of dogs.

• These measures will support the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in its efforts to keep Canada free from dog rabies and prevent the introduction and spread of diseases that could negatively impact the health of both animals and humans.