Animal protection groups left scrambling ahead of import ban

Animal protection groups are left scrambling to get dogs to Canada.

Next month a policy by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will ban the import from more than 100 countries, potentially leaving thousands of adoptable dogs behind.

According to the agency, the ban will prohibit the entry of commercial dogs from countries it considers high-risk for canine rabies beginning on Sept. 28.

“Canada does not currently have any active cases of dog rabies, a strain that is different than rabies typically found in wildlife, such as skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats,” said the CFIA.

”However, in 2021, dogs were imported into Canada with this disease. Following these events, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and provincial public health authorities have asked the CFIA to take action to address the risks from imported dogs.”

According to the agency, rabies is over 99 per cent fatal for humans and dogs once they start to show symptoms and is nearly 100 per cent preventable with proper vaccination of animals.

Golden Rescue, a Canadian animal protection and adoption organization, said their partners in Turkey and Egypt had followed all vaccination protocols, and this ban could put thousands of dogs at risk.

“We’re appalled. We’re distraught,” said Viiva Tamm, co-chair of Golden Rescue.

“One of our protocols with our security partners overseas is that they have to give the rabies vaccine 45 days in advance, and it needs to be approved by the Canadian government.”

Golden Retriever Rescue in Istanbul said the ban would likely lead to the shelter surpassing capacity leaving dogs on the streets.

“There are a lot of golden retrievers out on the street, and unless we can send them to Canada, there’s no capacity with our rescue that we can hold them in the rescue farm,” said Ahmet Cullu, spokesperson for Golden Retriever rescue.

Over the next month, Golden Rescue plans to rescue about 130 dogs before the Sept. 28 deadline.