This archive report was first published on 30 June 2019.
June 30, 2019, marked a turning point in the rescue dog trade. As shelters across the United States struggle to find homes for their animals, rescue groups have turned to a new strategy: importing dogs from other countries. But this trend has raised concerns about public health and animal welfare.
According to Greg Damianoff, director of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care in Houston, rescue groups have become a 'retail operation.' They're competing for the most desirable dogs, often leaving behind the less adoptable animals. 'You get a maltipoo in here and you're likely to see a blood bath,' he said.
Rescue groups are bundling smaller, scruffy, or fluffy dogs with larger, older mixes in an effort to increase their chances of adoption. But this practice has led to the spread of diseases and parasites, including heartworms and parvovirus. Even when the animals arrive safely, they can still carry these deadly diseases, which then spread to pets in the communities where the rescues are adopted.
Several states have imposed stricter regulations on rescue animals, including mandatory examinations by a local vet and quarantines. However, these regulations are often easy to circumvent. Rescue groups have been known to take animals to neighboring states or coordinate adoptions online, making it difficult to track the movement of these animals.
The trend of importing dogs from other countries has also raised concerns about public health and animal welfare. In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspended all imports of dogs from Egypt after several rescue dogs arrived with rabies. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has also raised security concerns about this trend.
