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This isn't just paperwork or money it's about **dogs' lives**. The CDC had a dog import rabies prevention process that worked (zero cases in decades) but now forces revaccination with potentially unproven or unnecessary rabies vaccines, even when dogs already have immunity (titers show protection). Reactions can include anaphylaxis, autoimmune issues, or death in rare cases. Add forced separation during overnight kenneling (no on-site vet option, single designated company monopoly), and the stress is massive especially for service dogs bonded to veterans with PTSD.
Total: with forced revaccinations, a $500M+ burden is also forced on owners, plus real risk to dogs' health and well-being. Former CDC Director Julie Gerberding's move to Merck (rabies vaccine maker) highlights the revolving door between regulation and profit. Waste, abuse, or overreach? Veterans and dogs pay the price.
Sources: CDC/USDA guidelines, veterinary reports, Reuters/NPR on revolving doors. Educational content only not legal or veterinary advice.
The CDC says strict rules are only for dogs from high-risk rabies countries but even then, a valid titer test (blood proof of immunity) should be enough. Yet ports and the single designated vet company still force revaccination anyway. No real safety reason when titer shows the dog is protected. This is where the overreach becomes clear: unnecessary shots, added risk to dogs, and hundreds in forced costs.
Educational content only not legal or veterinary advice.
The CDC loves to wave the "public health" flag to justify massive overreach pharma ties, conflicts of interest, and endless requirements. Now the same pattern repeats with dog importation rules: a virtually zero-risk issue turned into a mandatory, expensive, contractor-heavy process that costs dog owners hundreds of millions with little justification.
The CDC's current dog import rules for high-risk countries (like the Philippines) are a textbook example of government overreach: contract everything out to private companies, don't cut the budget, hire more administrators, and dump the cost on dog owners.
Here's how it works in practice:
The monopoly is locked in: only seven facilities are registered, no open competition, no price controls. Owners are forced to pay, contractors profit, and the CDC keeps its expanded budget without touching the dogs.
Or it's forced separation, you pay for everything: transport to offsite facilities ($100$300+ extra) and boarding/hotels during the mandatory overnight (or longer) stay.
Compliant dogs entered at any U.S. port with quick on-site government inspections. Foreign vaccinations were accepted if documented. Fraud was tiny (300-450 cases yearly out of ~100,000 high-risk imports, <0.5%), caught with basic vet exams (dental check for age, visual health). No titer, no revaccination, no private facilities, minimal fees.
The temporary ban cited pandemic staff shortages and a minor fraud bump (~150 extra ineligible dogs, none rabid, mostly paperwork/age fakes from Russia/Ukraine breeders). Basic airport exams already caught everything. No public health threat occurred.
Instead of reverting, the CDC locked in the strict rules: titers (redundant with revaccination), 6-month age minimum (already detectable pre-COVID), and outsourcing to private contractors who set prices with no caps.
The CDC kept (and even bloated) its oversight budgetpre-COVID embedded under $50 million in port operations, now running $59-$207 million yearly for audits, enforcement, and administration while outsourcing the actual work to private contractors who collect the fees. This lets the agency preserve its funding without doing the day-to-day inspections, shifting hundreds of millions in additional costs straight to dog owners.
$75-$105 million annually (50,000-70,000 dogs at $1,500 average), plus quarantine extras hundreds of millions flowing to contractors with a near-monopoly.
| Facility (Airport) | Estimated Annual Dogs Processed | Average Fee per Dog | Estimated Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| The ARK Pet Oasis (JFK) | 15,000 | $1,500 | $22.5 million |
| Kennel Club LAX / Rues Kennels (LAX) | 12,000 | $1,500 | $18 million |
| Pet Limo (MIA) | 9,000 | $1,500 | $13.5 million |
| Dandie Scottie Kennel (ATL) | 9,000 | $1,500 | $13.5 million |
| Pender Pet Retreat (IAD) | 8,000 | $1,500 | $12 million |
| Gateway Animal Care Center (PHL) | 7,000 | $1,500 | $10.5 million |
Zero rabid dogs from compliant imports, only 57 total cases in 15 years, all from fraud. Titers prove immunity, age faking was detectable pre-COVID, and basic airport exams sufficed. Yet the system now forces redundant revaccination, limited entry points, and private fees.
Rescues, pet owners, the American Kennel Club (AKC), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Sportsmen's Alliance, and groups like Animal Wellness Action call this overreachdevastating for expats, veterans, and rescues.
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Review cdc.gov/importation/dogs and contact your congressional representatives. Demand reforms: tiered fees, more airports, no redundant revaccination, and real competition for contractors.