The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a federal order that, effective Aug. 6, requires importers of dogs imported for resale from countries where African swine fever exists to 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 two calendar days of arrival in the U.S. and bathing must be documented in the Veterinary Services Dog Import Record.
ASF is a highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine that can spread rapidly and lead to extremely high rates of morbidity and mortality. APHIS states that ASF can be transmitted via dogs’ fur and bedding and that the number of dogs being imported from ASF-affected countries is growing.
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