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 implemented a measure to prohibit the entry of commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies? Q3 – Why does the Canadian Food Inspection Agency update the list of countries at high-risk for dog rabies? / Why are countries being included/removed from the list? Q4 – What is the Government doing for people fleeing war zones with their pet dogs? Q5 – What is the Government’s response to petitions to ban puppy mills and prevent puppy mill imports?

R.1 - Rabies is deadly for both humans and animals.

In addition to the measure prohibiting the entry into Canada of all commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies, work is underway to explore options to further strengthen Canada’s import requirements for dogs entering Canada. R.2 - While Canada is currently free of dog rabies, in recent years two dogs infected with dog rabies were imported into Canada.

The prohibition responds to calls from federal and provincial public health officials to strengthen Canada’s import conditions for dogs to mitigate the risk of introducing and spreading dog rabies into Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will continue to monitor and evaluate the impacts of this measure. R.3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency collaborates with the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to classify countries’ risk of dog rabies based on scientific assessments.

Canada has adopted the same list of countries at high-risk for dog rabies as the United States.

The list contains over 100 countries and is reviewed annually and updated as necessary. R.4 - The Government of Canada recognizes the trauma experienced by those who have been forced to leave their homes due to war.

In this situation, the Government and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency seek to accommodate personal pet dog imports whenever possible under the Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations. R.5 - The Government takes animal health seriously. Regulating animal welfare, puppy mills or the online sale of companion animals falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction.

However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to work with partners to provide Canadians with important information and guidance before they purchase or adopt a new dog.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency 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.

The authority to impose import requirements is provided 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 and the World Trade Organization. For dogs, most import requirements are prescribed in the Import Reference Document, incorporated by reference in the Health of Animals Regulations.

Canada's import requirements for dogs are very specific and depend 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.

Certain rabies strains are found in Canadian wildlife, such as skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats. Canada has been free of dog rabies since the 1960s.

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 September 28, 2022, a new measure prohibiting the entry of commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies came into effect. 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 CFIA is also exploring options to further strengthen Canada’s import requirements for dogs entering Canada.

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 dogs from international dog rescue/animal welfare organizations.

List of countries at high-risk for dog rabies:

An update to the list of countries considered high-risk for dog rabies occurred and was published and came into effect on August 1, 2024. Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and Timor-Leste have been added to this list and all commercial dogs entering Canada from these countries are not permitted entry.

All commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies remain prohibited from entering Canada. This list is reviewed regularly and subject to change.

While Canada and the U.S. have identified the same countries to be considered high-risk for dog rabies, the two countries have different regulatory frameworks and legal authorities which results in different import policies.

On June 14, 2021, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US 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 August 1, 2024, the U.S. CDC implemented a new rule pertaining to their Dog and Cat Importation Regulation, which has strengthened the import requirements for all dogs entering the U.S.

Puppy Mills:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency 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 their respective regulations. Animal control requirements are usually a responsibility of municipalities.

The Government takes animal health seriously.

In 2022, Canada implemented a measure to prohibit the entry of commercial dogs into Canada from countries at high-risk for dog rabies. This measure helps to keep Canada free from dog rabies, which would negatively impact the health of both animals and humans.

To protect animal and public health, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is exploring options to further strengthen the requirements for dogs entering Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will continue to take enforcement action against importers of dogs that are not compliant with Canada’s requirements.