Taking dog from US to Canada for vacation...

Question

Hey, I am going to go to visit family members in Toronto, Canada for a week or so from where I live in New York City. I have understood that I need some rabies papers, and stuff going to Canada.

But I'm still not too sure. What exactly do I need taking my dog to Canada and what (else?) will I need when I'm coming back home?

Answer 1

All you really need is a certificate of rabies vaccination from your vet.  That just means you need a paper signed by your vet that your dog has had its rabies vaccinations and that it's up to date.  It should have some way to identify your dog (usually name, breed, color, and/or ID # if it's been microchipped).  You probably got one of these last time you had the dog vaccinated, and if not, simply stop by your vet and request a copy (and make sure it's signed by the vet).  It's pretty routine.

The USDA has some very comprehensive information about traveling internationally with pets:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare...

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare...

For Canadian import requirements, you can see the website of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

http://airs-sari.inspection.gc.ca/Airs_E...

(For "Commodity," you can enter "dog" and then choose "Dogs (Domestic)").  You can then choose the age of the dog, and the origin (US - New York):

DOCUMENTATION INSTRUCTIONS:

RABIES VACCINATION CERTIFICATE

- issued by a licensed veterinarian

CONDITIONS OF IMPORT:

The animal is accompanied by a certificate of a veterinarian that clearly identifies the animal and shows that the animal is currently vaccinated against rabies. Animals less than 3 months of age are not required to be vaccinated for rabies.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Exemptions from rabies certification: An assistance dog that is certified as a guide, hearing or service dog when the dog is accompanying the user and dogs under three months of age.

The Canadian customs agent will check the rabies certification and ensure that it's for your dog.  He/she will also check the basic overall health of the dog to make sure it doesn't appear sick.

To bring your dog back into the US, the CDC also requires proof of rabies vaccination, which is basically the same thing you need to bring the dog into Canada.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/animal/dogs...

Note that New York state may have additional import requirements, but it's fairly unlikely.  You can contact the state veterninarian office to find out.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/...