The US will prohibit bringing dogs from countries with risk of canine rabies such as Colombia and Peru

The United States will suspend the importation of dogs from 113 countries, after detecting a sharp increase in the number of puppies entering the country with fraudulent certificates of vaccination against rabies, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for its acronym in English). 

The measure will take effect on July 14 and is expected to be revalued in a year.

The entry ban will apply to all dogs, including puppies, emotional support dogs and canines that traveled abroad and returned from high-risk countries, Reuters reported.

It also includes dogs that come from abroad if they have been in a high-risk country for the past six months.

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Among the countries included in the suspension there are several Latin Americans: Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela. 

Dog imports from Russia, India, China, Qatar and other Asian and African nations will also be affected. 

The temporary suspension of importation of dogs to the United States includes countries such as Russia, India and China.

A dozen Latin American nations are also on the list.

Julio Cortez / AP

"This temporary action is necessary to ensure the health and safety of dogs imported into the United States and to protect public health against reintroduction of the canine rabies virus variant into the United States," the CDC announcement reads.

Canine rabies was eradicated from the United States in 2007, according to health authorities.

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If you are in one of the countries included in the suspension and you have a pet that you want to bring to the United States, you can request a special permit from the CDC at least 30 days before your trip.

"We recognize that there will be some people who will need to bring a dog to the United States," CDC veterinarian Emily Pieracci told public radio. 

The approval of the permit will be at the discretion of the health authorities.

If you are denied, you will not be able to appeal the decision.

"Dogs arriving from high-risk countries without prior written approval from the CDC will be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer's expense," an official statement said. 

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Pieracci told Reuters that many dog ​​vaccination programs around the world were suspended or canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic and spoke of a growing number of canine rabies cases in Haiti and Peru as a result of those cuts.

The official explained that during 2020, the CDC detected more than 450 dogs that arrived in the United States with falsified or fraudulent rabies certificates, an increase of 52% compared to the previous two years.

According to the CDC, just over a million dogs are imported into the United States annually.

The entry suspension will affect about 6% of imported canines.