United States suspends dog imports from Guyana, other countries

Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 June 2021, 9:12 by Denis Chabrol

The United States has suspended the importation of dogs from Guyana and almost 100 other countries, in an effort to minimise the chances of rabies.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says these countries are considered high risk for importing dog rabies into the United States.

“No CDC Dog Import Permits are issued upon arrival. Dogs that arrive from high-risk countries without advance written approval from CDC will be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense,” the CDC said.

Beginning July 14, 2021, the CDC says there is a temporary suspension which prohibits the entry of dogs into the United States arriving from the countries.

On an extremely limited basis, CDC says it has the authority to issue advance written approval to bring a dog from a high-risk country.

Other countries on the CDC list include Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Cuba, Belize and the Dominican Republic.

None of the English-speaking island member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has made it on the list of countries from which the US has temporarily banned dog imports.