Going through Canada

Question
We will be going from New York state through Canada to Michigan and back two weeks later.  What is required to bring our dog with us?

Answer
HI Shep,

Thank you for your question. To answer your question, you'll need to go to the Embassey of the country you're traveling through and find out what their policy on importing animals is.  Since you are traveling THROUGH Canada and then re-entering the United States you'll also have to make sure that you are in compliance with the US animal importation requirements.

The following link will provide you with all the information you will need to enter into Canada

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/dogse.shtml

and

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/dog_chien_3e.shtml

Importations of Pet Dogs - Section 3Dogs three (3) months of age or older from countries Canada does not consider to be rabies-free
The information on this page is current as of 2009-2- 8 .

1) Domestic or pet dogs may enter Canada if accompanied by an original valid rabies vaccination certificate, which is issued by a licensed veterinarian(2), in either English or French and which clearly identifies the dogs and states that they are currently vaccinated against rabies. This certificate should identify the animal as in breed, colour, weight, etc., and indicate the name of the licensed rabies vaccine used (trade name), including serial number and duration of validity (up to three years). Please note that if the duration of validity is not indicated on the certificate, the vaccine will be considered to be valid for one year.
There is no waiting period imposed between the time the animal is vaccinated for rabies and the time the animal is imported into Canada.


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If the animal arrives at a Canadian port of entry and does not meet the requirements above, an inspector will order the owner-at the owner's expense-to have the animals vaccinated against rabies within a specified period of time and to provide the vaccination certificate to an inspector.
Rabies vaccination or certification is not required if the dogs are less than three (3) months of age.
(1) An official government veterinarian is a veterinarian who works for the government veterinary service in the country of origin.

(2) A licensed veterinarian is a veterinarian who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the country of origin.



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INFORMATION ON RE-ENTERING THE UNITED STATES WITH A DOG
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http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/animal/dogs.htm#dogs

Importation of dogsA general certificate of health is not required by CDC for entry of pet dogs into the United States, although some airlines or states may require them. However, pet dogs are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans. If a dog appears to be ill, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner's expense might be required at the port of entry.

Proof of Rabies Vaccination: Dogs must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry into the United States. These requirements apply equally to service animals such as Seeing Eye dogs.

Importation of Unvaccinated Dogs: Dogs not accompanied by proof of rabies vaccination, including those that are too young to be vaccinated (i.e. less than 3 months of age), may be admitted if the importer completes a confinement agreement (see below) and confines the animal until it is considered adequately vaccinated against rabies (the vaccine is not considered effective until 30 days after the date of vaccination). Spanish, French, and Russian translations of form CDC 75.37 are available, but must be completed in English.

Confinement agreement (form CDC 75.37)  (68 KB / 1 page)

Translations of CDC 75.37:

Spanish  (56 KB / 1 page)
French  (69 KB / 1 page)
Russian  (211 KB / 1page)
Puppies that are too young to be vaccinated (i.e. less than 3 months of age) must be kept in confinement until they are old enough to be vaccinated, and then confined for at least 30 days after the date of vaccination.

Unvaccinated dogs must be vaccinated within 4 days of arrival at their final U.S. destination and within 10 days of entry into the United States, and must be kept in confinement for at least 30 days after the date of vaccination.

Dogs may not be sold or transferred to other owners during this period of confinement, and the person that signs the confinement agreement is responsible for ensuring the conditions of the agreement are met.

Importers must provide a contact address where the dog will be kept during the confinement period. If the importer will be housing the dog at several addresses or traveling with the animal, all points of contact must be provided.

Importation of Dogs from Rabies-free Countries: Unvaccinated dogs may be imported without a requirement for proof of rabies vaccination if they have been located for a minimum of 6 months or more in countries that are free of rabies.

Following importation, all dogs are subject to state and local vaccination or health certificate requirements. All pet dogs arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements. Additional information can be found in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control.

Importation of Dogs for Commercial/Breeding purposes: There are no separate CDC regulations for dogs to be used for commercial purposes, rather than as pets. The rules for bringing domestic dogs into the United States are covered under regulation 42CFR71.51. When importing puppies, the importer is responsible for maintaining quarantine according to the vaccination and confinement agreement signed at the time of importation.

Hopefully this helps answer your questions,

Please feel free to let me know if I can help with anything else.

Sincerely,

Chris Shoulet
Dogtravel Company
www.dogtravelcompany.com