AVMA supports legislation to strengthen dog importation requirements

The American Veterinary Medical Association Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the Healthy Dog Importation Act. The legislation is designed to reduce the spread of diseases that could be dangerous to human and animal health. The bill provides the Department of Agriculture with additional resources to monitor and safeguard the health of dogs brought into the United States. The goal is to ensure imported dogs are in good health and not a risk to spread disease. Representatives Kurt Schrader, an Oregon Democrat, and Dusty Johnson, a South Dakota Republican, Co-chairs of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus, reintroduced the legislation. The bill would require every imported dog to have a certificate of veterinary inspection from a licensed veterinarian confirming the dog is healthy and has received all vaccinations and passed all tests required by the USDA. More than one million dogs are imported into the U.S. each year, but less than one percent of these dogs are inspected for diseases.