S. 1725: Healthy Dog Importation Act

The Healthy Dog Importation Act aims to revise regulations surrounding the importation of live dogs into the United States. Here’s a breakdown of what the bill proposes:

Definitions

The bill includes specific definitions, including:

• Compensation: Any form of value a person receives directly, such as cash or benefits.
• Importer: A person who brings a dog into the U.S. from another country.
• Import Transporter: Any entity that moves an imported dog for compensation.
• Transfer: The change of ownership of an imported dog.

Importation Requirements

The bill sets forth strict requirements for importing dogs:

1. Before transporting a dog to the U.S., importers must provide electronic documentation proving:
   • The dog is healthy.
   • It has received necessary vaccinations and treatment and has negative test results.
   • It is officially identified by an approved method.
   • If the dog is to be transferred, it must be at least 6 months old and come with an import permit.
2. Exceptions to these requirements include:
   • Dogs returning to U.S. from owners.
   • Military working dogs.
   • Dogs imported for research or veterinary treatment.
   • Young dogs from specific regions (Hawaii-friendly imports).

Implementation and Enforcement

The bill mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture, within 18 months of enactment, will create regulations to implement this act. These regulations will focus on the following:

• Facilitating electronic submission of documents.
• Establishing post-arrival verification processes.
• Ensuring any non-compliant dogs are denied entry.
• Tracking and maintaining a database of imported dogs for transparency.
• Reporting data on imports, including origins and purposes.
• Setting fees for the verification and permitting processes to fund operations under this act.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Importers or import transporters who fail to comply with the act may face penalties, which could include:

• Fines as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
• Liabilities for care, quarantine, and removal of non-compliant dogs from the U.S.

Transition Period

During the transition period between enactment and the establishment of new regulations, existing animal importation regulations will still apply, provided they do not conflict with the new law.

Conforming Amendment

Lastly, a section of the Animal Welfare Act related to this topic will be repealed to align with the new regulations.

Relevant Companies

None found