Animal rights advocates are criticizing a new policy by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that will ban the importation of dogs from more than 100 countries.
The agency has announced that it will ban the entry of commercial dogs from countries it considers to be at high risk of rabies in dogs starting September 28, which is World Rabies Day. The agency said the ban was necessary to reduce the risk of rabies dogs entering Canada, and defined “commercial dogs” as dogs for resale, adoption, foster care, breeding, display or exhibition, or research. research and other purposes.
“Canada does not currently have any active cases of rabies in dogs, a strain different from rabies commonly found in wild animals… However, in 2021, dogs were imported into Canada with this disease,” the agency explained in a statement posted on June 28. “The importation of even one dog with rabies can result in transmission to humans, pets and wildlife.”
Countries called by the CFIA to be at high risk include Ukraine and Afghanistan, which have been hit hard by the war; and the Philippines and China, where the dogs are at risk of being sold into the meat trade.
Animal Justice, a Canadian animal rights group, argued that the ban would prevent organizations and individuals in Canada from rescuing vulnerable dogs in these countries.
Camille Labchuk, chief executive officer of Animal Justice, said: “Many Canadians are eager to adopt dogs, but this ban will leave thousands of dogs languishing on the streets, or killed in shelters. overcrowded instead of finding loving homes in Canada. a media release.
The group has launched a petition calling on the CFIA to facilitate waivers for animal rescues and humanitarian efforts that allow animals to be adopted into Canada. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control added a similar exemption to their own dog import policy in June and now welcomes dogs from high-risk countries as long as they meet these standards. certain vaccinations and quarantines.
In its petition, Animal Justice alleges the CFIA failed to consult with Canadian dog rescue agencies prior to announcing the ban, and said some of these groups were at risk of closure if they can no longer facilitate international rescues.
One such group, Save a Friend, works with an organization in Colombia to fund medical care and find homes for rescued dogs on the streets and high-kill shelters there. It relies on adoption fees and donations to operate.
Roxanne Yanofsky, director of the organization, said: “It is shocking that the CFIA did not consult with the dog rescue community prior to implementing this moratorium, which could force many organizations to be forced to closed,” Roxanne Yanofsky, the organization’s director, said in a media release. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already dire animal situation in Colombia, and if this policy is not changed, dogs will suffer and die in greater numbers.”
CTV News has reached out to CFIA for comment but has not received a response at the time of publication.
