G/SPS/N/ZAF/54  
 
20 July 2017  
(17-3974) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMER GENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member : SOUTH AFRICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
3. Products covered (provide tari ff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): HS Code 01  Domestic dogs  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners  To trading partners with which South Africa does not have 
an officially agreed upon Veterinary Health Certificate, for the import of domestic 
dogs into South Africa.  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified docume nt: Veterinary Health Certificate, DOG.GEN.12/05 CG 
(REV JR 05/2008; RW 06/2017) , for the import of domestic dogs into South Africa . 
Language (s): English . Number of pages:  4 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/ZAF/17_3293_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: Due to the transportable nature and increasingly intricate 
travel history of domestic dogs between different countries, South Africa is applying 
precautionary sanitary measures by removing the option of not testing for diseases of 
concern if the country claims freedom from any particular disease of concern. The 
following five diseases require official pre -export testing within 30 days prior to expor t at 
a government approved laboratory, for domestic dogs: "Brucella canis, Babesia gibsoni, 
Dirofilaria immitis, Leishmania and Trypanosomiasis". All other South African import 
requirements for domestic dogs must also be adhered to.  
7. Objective and ratio nale: [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection,  
[ ] protect humans fro m animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pest s.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action: The complex travel 
history of domestic d ogs between different countries  make the country freedom 
declaration irrelevant for a particular disease, if the animal travelled to countrie s where 
the disease in question  was present. Owner declarations of their domestic dogs' travel  
history proves unreliable at times. Obligatory testing for the five diseases that requ ire 
official testing pre -export  would reflect an accurate disease status of domestic dogs 
travelling between different countries. Mandatory testing for the five diseases  of concern 
to South Africa mitigates the risk of possible introduction  of the diseases of concern. 
It also decreases the risk of animals testing positive in quarantine, only to be sent back 
to the country of origin or humanely destroyed.  G/SPS/N/ZAF/54  
 
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  9. Is there a re levant international standard? If so, identify the standard :  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text ):  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)  (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code , chapter number) : Terrestrial code (OIE) Chapter 2.1, 
Terrestrial code (OIE) Chapter 5.1, Terrestrial code (OIE) Chapter 5.2. 
Terrestrial code (OIE) Chapter 5.3, Article 5.3.3 and Article 5.3.5. OIE Terrestrial 
Manual (OIE) Chapter 2.1.11 and Chapter 2.1. 21 
[ ] Internation al Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the re levant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international  standard :  
10. Other r elevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force  (dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable): 
Sixty days from the date of circulation. Should an individual country wish to have 
alternate requirements, the country must propose a Veterinary Health Certificate, which 
addresses the risk of transmission of all the above -mentioned diseases via domestic 
dogs.  
[ ] Trade facilit ating  measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle com ments : [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
Directorate Animal Health  
Dr Rochelle Wilson  
Tel: +(27 12) 319 7 536 
E-mail: RochelleW@daff.gov.za  
13. Text(s)  available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
Director ate Animal Health  
Dr Rochelle Wilson  
Tel: +(27 12) 319 7536  
E-mail: RochelleW@daff.gov.za