USDA’s new rules for dog imports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said rules raise health and safety standards for dogs.    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has recently amended the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations to require dogs imported into the United States meet stronger health and safety standards. 
   Under the new rules, dogs imported for resale must be vaccinated and in good health, and are required to be over six months of age.
   The new regulations are authorized under section 18 of the AWA, which Congress added in the 2008 Farm Bill. In September 2011, APHIS published and took comments on a proposed rule in the Federal Register addressing the requirements of the new AWA section.
   “This will help safeguard the imported dogs, the public, and our pets and other animals,” said Kevin Shea, APHIS administrator, in a statement. 
   The agency said the final rule applies to dogs intended for resale and not to those that are imported for research purposes, veterinary medical treatment, or personal companions.