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American Veterinary Medical Association: Ask Congress to Support Healthy Dog Importation
The CDC regulates the importation of animals and animal products capable of causing human disease. It estimates more than one million dogs are imported into the U.S. each year, with less than one percent inspected prior to arrival. This presents an increased risk of these animals bringing diseases into the U.S. that could impact human and animal health.
The AVMA wants to tackle this issue by asking Congress to pass the Healthy Dog Importation Act, which strengthens dog importation requirements and provides the USDA with additional tools to monitor and safeguard the health of dogs being imported into the U.S. The legislation would require every dog entering the country to be permanently identified, in good health, and accompanied by a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian accredited by a competent veterinary authority recognized by the USDA.
The bill would also streamline federal oversight, ensuring documentation and import permits are shared electronically between federal agencies. The Healthy Dog Importation Act was introduced by Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) in the House, and by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in the Senate.
Please use the form letter available on MVMA's website to ask your representative and senators to cosponsor the Healthy Dog Importation Act.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture offers grant money to livestock owners for prevention of wolf attacks
The MDA recently announced the availability in a press release. New money is available to Minnesota livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. A total of $60,000 will be awarded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. Applications are due January 24, 2022.
The grants provide reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Eligible expenses for the grant program will include any or all of the following items:
- Purchase of guard animals.
- Veterinary costs for guard animals.
- Installation of wolf-barriers which may include pens, fladry, and fencing.
- Installation of wolf-deterring lights and alarms.
- Calving or lambing shelters.
- Other measures demonstrated to effectively reduce wolf-livestock conflicts.
Eligible producers must live within Minnesota’s wolf range, as designated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or on property determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture to be affected by wolf-livestock conflicts. Any animal species produced for profit and documented to have been killed by wolves in Minnesota in the past is eligible. This includes bison, cattle, chicken, deer, donkey, duck, geese, goat, horse, llama, mule, sheep, swine, and turkey.
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