G/SPS/N/USA/2268/Add.1
22 September 2014 
(14-5289)  Page: 1/2
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English
 
  NOTIFICATION 
Addendum 
The following communication, received on 15 Septem ber 2014, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of United States of America. 
 
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 Animal Welfare: Importation of Live Dogs (Docket No. APHIS-2009-0053) 
Animal and Plant Health Service is amending th e regulations to implement an amendment to the 
Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 added a new section 
to the AWA to restrict the importation of certain live dogs. Consistent with this amendment, this rule prohibits the importation of dogs, with limited exceptions, from any part of the world into the 
continental United States or Hawaii for purposes of resale, research, or veterinary treatment, 
unless the dogs are in good health, have received all necessary vaccinations, and are at least 6 months of age. This action is necessary to implement the amendment to the AWA and will help 
to ensure the welfare of imported dogs. 
This notice is available in English at: http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=APHIS-
2009-0053-0383  
Federal Register Vol. 79, No. 159, Monday 18 August 2014, pages 48653-48660 
On 1 September 2011, we published in the Federal Register (76 FR 54392-54397, Docket No. 
APHIS-2009-0053) a proposed rule to add requirements concerning the importation of certain live dogs as required by the Food, Conservation, an d Energy Act of 2008. We proposed, with limited 
exceptions, to prohibit the importation of any dog for resale, veterinary treatment, or research 
unless the dog is in good health; has received vaccinations for rabies and distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza virus (DHLPP); and is at least 6 months of age. We 
proposed to require that the dog be accompanie d by an import permit issued by APHIS and a 
health certificate and rabies vaccination certificate issued by a veterinarian with a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the country of ex port. We proposed to allow exceptions to health, 
vaccination, and age requirements for dogs imported for veterinary treatment that cannot be 
obtained in the exporting country and for dogs impo rted for use in research, tests, or experiments 
if the requirement would interfere with a research  protocol approved by the research facility's 
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Additionally, we proposed that dogs less 
than 6 months old could be lawfully imported into Hawaii from the British Isles, Australia, Guam, 
or New Zealand as long as the dog was not transported from Hawaii for resale purposes at less than 6 months of age. We solicited comments for 60 days ending 31 October 2011. We received a 
total of 74,218 comments. 
This addendum concerns a: 
[ ] Modification of final date for comments 
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of  previously notified draft regulation 
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force 
[ ] Other:   G/SPS/N/USA/2268/Add.1 
 
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  Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified 
measure in terms of products and/or potent ially affected Members, a new deadline for 
receipt of comments should be provided, norm ally of at least 60 calendar days. Under 
other circumstances, such as extension of or iginally announced final date for comments, 
the comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : The rule is effective 17 November 2014. 
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments: [ ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax nu mber and e-mail address (if available) of 
other body: 
For Further Information Contact Dr. Gerald Rushin, Veterinary Medical Officer, Animal Care, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; Tel: +(301) 851 3740  
Text(s) available from: [X] National Notificati on Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e-mail addre ss (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 20250; Tel: +(1 202) 720 1301; Fax: +(1 202) 720 0433; E-mail: us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov  
 
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