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The CDC has tightened rabies regulations for imported dogs. Here’s why

Rabies, a disease that targets the nervous system, is nearly always fatal

Stock photo of a small white dog in a black travel carrier. In the background, a person in a suit is standing in an airplane.

New regulations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require stricter rabies vaccination documentation for some dogs imported into the United States.

JodiJacobson/Getty Images

By Claire Yuan

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tightened rabies regulations for dogs coming into the country. The new regulations, which went into effect August 1, come as the temporary suspension of importing dogs from high-risk rabies areas — instituted by the CDC in 2021 — is lifted.