CFIA ban on importing dogs from over 100 countries stalls adoption plans

SOURIS, P.E.I. — Mary MacDonald and her colleagues had been devastated after they acquired the information on June 28.

“As of Sept. 28, 2022, the entry of business canine into Canada from international locations at excessive threat for canine rabies can be prohibited till additional discover,” a information launch from the Canadian Meals Inspection Company (CFIA) stated.

“Business canine” contains canine meant for gifting away, adoption and fostering, the discharge stated, itemizing over 100 international locations that might now not be allowed to ship canine to Canada.

That is dangerous information for MacDonald and her fellow employees at Extraordinary Galgos & Podencos, a company that helps discover everlasting properties in Canada for former searching canine from Spain, Oman and Kuwait. MacDonald is the adoption co-ordinator for the Atlantic area.

Whereas the group started with Calgos and Podencos in Spain — which isn’t on the ban listing — they branched out to different breeds in Oman and Kuwait in recent times, working with organizations there to match adopters and canine.

Now that work will cease on Sept. 28, with no return date in sight, MacDonald stated in a July 12 SaltWire interview.

“We had been doing so nicely with serving to these canine, and now we have now a deadline, and it’s a variety of work. We’re glad to do it, however after Sept. 28, what occurs to the opposite canine which can be caught on the rescues? It’s fairly unhappy, really.”

When MacDonald spoke with Saltwire, the organizations she works with overseas had quite a few canine able to undertake, together with 70 in Kuwait.

“We had been doing so nicely with serving to these canine, and now we have now a deadline, and it’s a variety of work. We’re glad to do it, however after Sept. 28, what occurs to the opposite canine which can be caught on the rescues? It’s fairly unhappy really.” — Mary MacDonald, Atlantic area adoption co-ordinator for Extraordinary Galgos & Podencos

As a result of most of the breeds in query are working canine that aren’t considered as pets, MacDonald says animals who can now not work are sometimes deserted or euthanized at kill shelters.

After 10 years of expertise in canine adoption work with out importing a canine with rabies, MacDonald doubts the choice to ban so many international locations.

Oman and Kuwait, particularly, haven’t proven to be excessive threat from what MacDonald has seen.

“I don’t know the place they’re getting their info from, or why they assume the Center East is likely one of the larger threat areas,” she stated.

CFIA explains

Canada doesn’t at the moment have any lively circumstances of canine rabies, the CFIA launch stated, noting canine rabies is a distinct pressure than that sometimes present in wildlife.

The Public Well being Company of Canada (PHAC) and provincial well being authorities requested CFIA to take motion after a 2021 incident the place rabid canine had been imported into Canada, the discharge added.

At a look

CFIA ban on importing industrial canine:

• All at the moment issued import permits will stay legitimate till the top of the interval famous on the allow.
• All import permits issued on or after June 28, 2022, will expire on September 27, 2022, no matter when the allow is issued.
• As of Sept. 28, 2022, import permits will now not be issued.

Supply: Notice to Industry on CFIA web site

SaltWire emailed CFIA’s media relations on July 12 to ask how they decide threat and who makes choices on bans.

CFIA collaborated with the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management (CDC) to categorise international locations by threat of canine rabies, a departmental assertion stated.

“The methodology utilized by the CDC was evaluated by the CFIA and located to be scientifically sound and applicable for use by the CFIA.”

CFIA regulates animal importation by way of legal guidelines that observe worldwide requirements. All imported canine have to be wholesome and match to journey with no indicators of sickness, the assertion stated.

The assertion and preliminary press launch each famous the intense hazard of rabies unfold, with 99 per cent of circumstances being deadly. It’s, nonetheless, nearly 100 per cent preventable by way of vaccination and proactive measures.

Whereas there is no such thing as a set date for the ban to finish, the listing of high-risk international locations is reviewed recurrently and topic to vary, the assertion stated. MacDonald and her colleagues are calling for that change to return quickly.

“Hopefully they may look additional into it and make some exemptions. We’re glad to – if we wanted to do the tighter take a look at that takes longer, we’re glad to do no matter it takes to assist.”

Logan MacLean is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @loganmaclean94.