Know the New Rules: CDC Dog Importation Requirements 2024

Learn the latest directly from the CDC on the new dog importation requirements. Starting August 1, all dogs entering or re-entering the United States must meet new regulations to prevent the reintroduction of canine rabies. These include proof of rabies vaccination and adequate serologic test results from a CDC-approved lab. This presentation will explain the new import requirements and provide guidance for U.S. veterinarians on filling out the forms dogs will need to return after traveling abroad.

Speaker

Cara Williams, DVM, DACVPM

Dr. Cara Williams is a Veterinary Medical Officer in the Division of Global Migration Health at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  She earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and a Certificate in Global Health in 2013 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and became a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 2021.  Dr. Williams practiced livestock, exotic, and companion animal medicine on farms and in clinics for four years prior to joining the federal government in 2017 as a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. She joined CDC as a Veterinary Medical Officer in July 2020 with a focus on regulatory compliance in the importation of animals that pose a human public health risk. She’s on the management team for both the CDC dog importation program and the nonhuman primate importation program. Additionally, Dr. Williams co-founded the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association in 2014, served as the first president in 2019, and served on the leadership board until 2022. Her professional interests include zoonotic diseases, foreign animal diseases, and disparities in health outcomes for humans and animals attributable to institutionalized systems of oppression.