§2Importation of live dogs
This section amends the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.) by inserting a new section after section 10404 that prohibits importing live dogs into the United States unless, prior to transport, the Secretary of Agriculture receives electronic documentation verifying the dog is in good health; has received required vaccinations, internal and external parasite treatments, and negative test results as certified by a licensed veterinarian endorsed by a recognized veterinary authority; is officially identified by a permanent method approved by the Secretary; and, if intended for transfer (i.e., any change of ownership or control including sale, adoption, exchange, or donation), is at least 6 months old (same as prior law for puppies imported for resale) and accompanied by a Secretary-issued import permit.
(As background, prior law under the Animal Welfare Act restricted importation only of puppies for resale—defined more narrowly than the new broader "transfer"—with similar but less detailed health, vaccination, and minimum age requirements.)
The new section provides regulatory exceptions for dogs imported (1) as a personal pet of U.S. origin returning to the owner, (2) as a U.S. military or contracted working dog, (3) for research, (4) for veterinary treatment paid by the importer (requiring direct transport to a facility, quarantine until compliant, and re-export), or (5) if less than 6 months old, for lawful entry into Hawaii from specified countries provided the dog is not transferred out of Hawaii before reaching that age.
It requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Commerce, Homeland Security, and Transportation, to issue implementing regulations no later than 18 months after enactment, including for electronic documentation submission and interagency sharing, post-arrival verification, denial of entry for noncompliance, a centralized database of veterinary certificates shared with state veterinarians within three days upon request, annual aggregated reporting on imports by origin and purpose, and fees to fund verification and permits.
It authorizes enforcement under the Animal Health Protection Act, subjecting noncompliant importers or import transporters (a new category for compensated entities moving imported dogs in commerce) to civil penalties and responsibility—at their expense—for each affected dog's care, veterinary treatment, forfeiture, quarantine, removal from the U.S., or return to origin. It includes a transition period during which regulations under current law (7 U.S.C. 2148) remain in effect.