Press Release - June 13, 2018
For information contact: Patti Strand, National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA)
www.naiaonline.org
naia@naiaonline.org
(503) 761-8962

Today the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry adopted language in the 2018 Farm Bill that requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide an estimate of the number of dogs imported to the U.S. each year, including those that are not subject to adequate health screening requirements.

NAIA applauds Senator David Perdue (R-GA) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) for their leadership in crafting the bipartisan amendment adopted by the Committee. We’d also like to thank Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Stabenow (D-MI) for their efforts in working to advance a Farm Bill that includes this critical provision.

Currently, there is no U.S. government data on the number of foreign dogs being imported into the United States. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has directly linked infectious diseases such as rabies and canine influenza to imported dogs, which pose significant risks to human and animal health.

Earlier this year the House Agriculture Committee adopted similar language in their version of the 2018 Farm Bill.

Today’s Senate Agriculture Committee action is another critical step in moving the 2018 Farm Bill forward. NAIA is encouraged by the bipartisan support for protecting human and animal health demonstrated today, and looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that risks associated with dog imports are addressed in the final Farm Bill.