AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life News Belize Dogs Banned from Entry into the USA

Please be aware of this. If you travel to Belize after the 14th of July from the US with your dog, you will not be able to bring him back with you. If you have a dog in Belize, you will not be able to bring him to the US for the foreseeable future.

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These countries and political units are considered high risk for importing dog rabies into the United States. Beginning July 14, 2021, there is a temporary suspension which prohibits the entry of dogs into the United States arriving from the countries listed below.

On an extremely limited basis, CDC has the authority to issue advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit) to bring a dog from a high-risk country.

If you wish to import a dog from a high-risk country, you must request advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit) from CDC by emailing [email protected] at least 30 business days (6 weeks) before you intend to enter the United States.

No CDC Dog Import Permits are issued upon arrival. Dogs that arrive from high-risk countries without advance written approval from CDC will be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer's expense.

Here is the list... Belize is on it.

https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/high-risk.html

The story says 1 year ban - which is the foreseeable future.... and there are exceptions. Doggie passport holders are probably approved and most ESA have passports. But definitely people should take their pets back to the USA before the ban starts if they want to be there in the foreseeable future.

Traveling from Belize to the United States? You Won’t Be Able to Bring Your Pet after July 14

Earlier this week, the United States announced a surprise move: banning dogs from entering the country for the first time or returning to the area after spending time outside. Starting July 14, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will ban you (or anyone else for that matter) from importing dogs from countries that the CDC considers to be high risk for dog rabies. In fact, you won't be able to import dogs that have spent any time in such high-risk countries during the previous six months either. The CDC currently lists 113 countries as high-risk that have been providing an estimated 6% of all dogs imported into the U.S.

The measure will affect more than 100 countries, including Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua. , Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

There are other types of regulations in countries that prohibit the entry and / or sale of dogs.

Traveling from Belize with a pet

The only way to get past these new bans will be to apply for a CDC Dog Import Permit �and send an email to CDC at least 30 business days (which translates to about 6 weeks) before you intend to enter the U.S. The CDC will then review your case and reasoning, rendering a decision. And this decision will be final. Without such advanced written approval from the CDC, you can't get an exception to the ban.

It is important to stay up to date with travel alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as this ban is expected to be temporary. Meanwhile, the countries on the list may change.

Any updates on pet travel from USA to Belize and back? Our dog is vaccinated for rabies. We can't understand why he can't go on vacation with us to Belize. CDC Dog Import Permit apparently won't work. The CDC is pretty clear on that - dogs can't vacation in high-risk countries - even if vaccinated. Odd... Any chance that Belize might come off the list of high-risk countries? Probably not. Sigh... Thanks in advance for any information.