The Canine Ledger

Adopting a Dog From Abroad: Rabies Rules, Brucella, and What Changed

Canada banned commercial dogs from high-risk rabies countries, the US tightened entry, and Britain now tests some imports for Brucella. What to check first.

Written by thecanineledger

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Rules on importing dogs change often, and they differ between Canada, the US and the UK. Check the government page for the country the dog is going to before you commit. This page was checked against those pages on 4 November 2026.

Rescuing a dog from another country can save a life. It also carries risks that a rescue’s website may not mention, and the rules have tightened in all three of our countries since 2022.

While most imported dogs arrive healthy, some carry diseases that are rare or absent at home, and paperwork doesn’t always prove what it claims. This page explains what changed, the diseases that drove the changes, and the questions to ask before you adopt.

1. Canada: commercial dogs from high-risk rabies countries are banned

Since 28 September 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has prohibited commercial dogs from countries at high risk for dog rabies: “All shipments of commercial dogs, regardless of age, from countries at high-risk for dog rabies will be prohibited as of September 28, 2022” (CFIA notice to industry, modified 13 March 2025).

“Commercial” includes rescue adoption. The CFIA says commercial dogs “can include, but are not limited to dogs for resale, adoption, fostering, breeding, show or exhibition, research, and other purposes.”

The CFIA explains why: “in 2021, dogs were imported into Canada with this disease.” Over 100 countries are on its high-risk list.

A study of dogs imported into Ontario by rescues, mostly from Egypt, tested their rabies antibodies after arrival. Even though they had rabies certificates, “48% (32/67) of these dogs had titres below 0.5 IU/mL, and this included 19 dogs that had no measurable titre” (Belanger et al., Zoonoses Public Health 2025). The authors advise vets to “consider revaccinating imported dogs”. A certificate isn’t proof that a dog is protected.

2. The United States: new entry rules since August 2024

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its dog import rules on 1 August 2024. Its current guidance says: “All dogs entering or returning to the U.S. must be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.” Every dog must also meet requirements such as “having a microchip, and being at least 6 months of age” (CDC, Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations).

Dogs that have been in a high-risk rabies country in the past six months need more documents, and the rules depend on where they were vaccinated (CDC, Bringing a Dog into the U.S.).

The CDC’s concern is evidence-based. A CDC analysis estimated that the rate of rabies “was 16 times higher (range, 13.2-19.4) in dogs imported from DMRVV-enzootic countries” than in dogs in the US (DMRVV is the dog-specific rabies virus) (Pieracci et al., Zoonoses Public Health 2024).

Our note: We haven’t read the US rules for dogs imported for resale, or whether rescue adoptions fall under them.

3. Great Britain: Brucella canis testing for dogs from Romania

Brucella canis is a bacterial infection of dogs that can also infect people. The UK government’s guidance for vets says that “Since 2020, there has been a large increase in cases in dogs driven by an increase in the number of dogs imported in GB, especially imports from Eastern Europe” (APHA, Canine brucellosis: general information for veterinary staff, updated 17 November 2025).

From 7 October 2025, “dogs commercially imported from Romania must have a negative Brucella canis test result” (GOV.UK, Brucella canis: testing dogs before import). As in Canada, rescue counts: commercial rules apply “if there will be a sale or transfer of ownership (including to rehome rescue animals).”

For dogs from other countries, testing is advised but not required. The guidance says testing “is strongly recommended but is only a legal requirement for commercial imports of dogs from Romania into England, Scotland and Wales.”

Why it matters to an adopter. Infected dogs may look well: “Dogs without clinical signs that are infected can still be infectious.” And the options if a dog tests positive are hard. The guidance says “Treatment is not recommended due to the poor likelihood of success,” and that euthanasia “is the only way to completely eliminate all future risk of disease transmission from the dog.” Ask for a test result before the dog travels, not after.

Our note: The APHA guidance is for Great Britain. Northern Ireland follows different rules.

4. Other diseases vets are seeing

Rabies and Brucella aren’t the only concerns. In a survey of 413 UK vets, “The most common infectious diseases reported as being diagnosed were leishmaniasis, dirofilariasis and brucellosis” in imported dogs (Pinchbeck et al., Vet Rec 2026). Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by sand flies; dirofilariasis is heartworm.

The same vets raised concerns about paperwork: “Suspected falsified health documentation or passports had been observed by almost two-thirds of respondents.”

A separate study of 151 dogs seized in an RSPCA welfare investigation found that “24% (32/133) of the dogs tested positive for an infection with one or more exotic pathogens”, and that infected dogs often showed no signs (Wright et al., Vet Rec 2023). The authors note those dogs weren’t a random sample of imports.

Our note: Which tests a newly imported dog needs depends on where it came from, so we give no list. Ask your vet.

5. Questions to ask before you adopt from abroad

  • Which country is the dog in now, and where has it been in the past six months?
  • Is the rescue following the commercial import rules for where you live? In Canada and Britain, rehoming counts as commercial.
  • Can I see test results for diseases common in that country, including Brucella canis, before the dog travels?
  • Who vaccinated the dog against rabies, and when? Will my vet recheck antibodies or revaccinate?
  • What happens if the dog is refused entry, or tests positive after arrival? Who pays, and where does the dog go?

Book a vet check for the first days after arrival, and tell the vet where the dog came from.

Our note: These five questions are ours.

6. Behaviour and welfare in transit

The UK vet survey also found that “Thirteen percent had encountered imported dogs who had died during or shortly after transportation”, and that common behaviour concerns included “fear of people, noises or objects, and unwanted behaviours when confined or alone.” A dog who has had a hard start may need time and patience.

Our note: We name Romania and Egypt because the studies and rules name them. That doesn’t mean every dog from those countries is infected.

7. What we could not verify

Commonly saidWhat we found
“A rabies certificate means the dog is protected”Not always. In one Ontario study, 48% of imported rescue dogs with certificates had low antibody levels.
“Rescue dogs aren’t covered by import bans”Wrong in Canada and Britain. Both treat rehoming as commercial.
“Brucella-positive dogs can be cured”APHA says treatment is not recommended because success is unlikely.
How many dogs are imported each yearUS only. The CDC analysis estimated 72,589 a year from high-risk countries (2015–2022). We found no figure for Canada or the UK.
The UK’s new import lawNot yet in force as far as we found. The Topic Map flagged an Act needing regulations; we haven’t read it.

Sources

Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.