(File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By The Canadian Press

DOGS

Risk of rabies prompts feds to close Canada’s borders to commercial dogs

Sep 27, 2022 | 2:12 PM

Federal authorities are set to close Canada’s borders Wednesday to commercial dogs, including ones being put up for sale or adoption, from more than 100 countries deemed to be at high risk for canine rabies.

The move has been met with fierce opposition from some animal rescuers and advocates, but the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association said it’s necessary to protect people and dogs from a deadly disease.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Canada currently has no active cases of dog rabies, which is caused by a different variant of the virus than the one that circulates in wildlife such as raccoons and foxes.

The agency said that while rabies is nearly 100 per cent preventable with proper vaccination, the disease is more than 99 per cent fatal for humans and dogs once they start to show symptoms.

Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice Canada, said the agency should have opted for less stringent measures, such as antibody testing to verify vaccination, before imposing an all-out ban.

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But Louis Kwantes, past president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, said he thinks the policy is warranted given the risks canine rabies poses to Canada’s human and dog populations.

The CFIA said dog rabies kills 59,000 people every year in the countries affected by the ban, including Afghanistan, Ukraine and mainland China.

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