USDA Announces Requirements for Importing Dogs from Countries Affected with African Swine Fever

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a Federal Order establishing additional requirements that take effect immediately for dogs imported into the United States for resale from countries where African swine fever (ASF) exists. The number of dogs being imported for resale from ASF-affected countries is growing, and APHIS is taking this action to continue its efforts to protect the United States' swine industry against this devastating disease. [Source: USDA 6 August 2021]

Effective immediately, importers of dogs into the United States for resale from a region in which ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist, must submit written documentation verifying completion of the following requirements:

• The dog(s) and their shipping crate/container must be free of dirt, wood shavings, hay, straw, or any other organic/natural bedding material.
• All bedding that accompanies the dog(s) during transit must be properly disposed of at the U.S. post-entry point(s) of concentration.
• Each dog must have an ISO-compliant microchip implanted, and the individual microchip number must be verified immediately before each animal is bathed.
• Each dog must be bathed at the U.S. post-entry point(s) of concentration within 2 calendar days of arrival in the United States. Bathing must be documented in the Veterinary Services Dog Import Record.