Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - If you travel regularly with your dog between the U.S. and Canada, the process has been relatively easy. You just need a certificate of a rabies vaccination. Sometimes customs officials ask to see the documentation. Other times they just ask if the pet has been vaccinated.
But starting Aug. 1, you will need a lot more than that.
"The reality of going over for a daily trip with your pet is going out the window, unless you're really organized and on top of things," said border attorney Jamie Fiegel of Fiegel, Carr and Joyce.
The new rules require all dogs entering the U.S. to be at least 6 months, old enough to be vaccinated against rabies and for the shots to take effect; have a microchip placed under their skin with a code that can be used to verify rabies vaccination; and have completed a new CDC import form.
"Puppies under six months will have to stay home, dogs had to have an ISO-compatible microchip implanted before their rabies vaccination. If you didn't already have a microchip for your dog, you couldn't do it now. It's going to leave a lot of people in a lurch," added Fiegel.
The CDC has an app called DogBot to help navigate the upcoming rules.
A spontaneous trip over the border with your pet will be basically out of the question.
Owners must complete a CDC Dog Import Form online between two and 10 days before their trip, or at the border if they have internet access.
Fiegel noted, "It's going to be a lot of work and I don't think the CDC had the U.S. Canada border in mind when they created this. It's going to cause a lot of issues for people who travel, especially if they have their summer home or winter home in one country or another.
She's hoping that maybe if it causes a kerfuffle, that officials might consider a different rule under the USMCA (U.S., Mexico and Canada Agreement) to allow dogs to go through the land borders easier, but as of now, there are no exceptions. Aug. 1 is a hard start for the new requirements.