U.S. to Ban Dogs From Over 100 Countries Amid Concern Over Spread of Rabies. Dogs from more than 100 countries will be banned from being brought into the United States for one year because of heightened concerns over the spread of rabies, federal health officials announced on Monday.
The countries targeted by the ban, which will take effect on July 14, are considered to be at high risk for spreading the deadly virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
They include the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, China, Russia, Ukraine, India and the Philippines.
Officials at the C.D.C. said that the temporary measure was necessary to prevent the reintroduction of a canine rabies virus variant in United States, where the variant has been eliminated since 2007.
As many as 100,000 of the one million dogs that are brought into the United States each year could be denied entry, according to the C.D.C., which said that it would make exceptions on a limited basis for owners of service dogs and foreigners moving stateside with their pets.
