Some Mainers are raising concerns about new federal regulations for dogs crossing the border into the United States.
The rules, which go into effect Aug. 1, require that all dogs entering the U.S. be at least six months old and have a micro-chip, rabies vaccine and various documentation.
Betsy Hallett, who runs the Central Aroostook Humane Society in Presque Isle, said the new rules will make it more difficult to rescue some dogs, facilitate adoptions or return lost pets to their owners who cross Maine's eastern border with Canada.
"What has happened in the past is people end up in the jam of not having proof of vaccinations, so therefore they can't cross the border, pick their dog up and take it back home with them," she said. "We've had people who have had to have a friend from the U.S. side go pick their dog up, go back to the area from where the dog had crossed over, stand on the U.S. side, meet up with the other people on the Canadian side and let their dog run across."
The Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race in Fort Kent was canceled earlier this year due to weather, but vice president Sarah Brooks said a majority of registered participants were Canadian.
She worries that it will be too expensive and difficult for mushers to secure the proper paperwork that they'll need to cross the border and participate in next year's race.
"You're looking at a time period where veterinarians are not easily accessible, because there is a shortage of veterinarians in both the United States and in Canada," Brooks said. "Not every veterinarian is a CFIA or a USDA certified veterinarian, so there's a lot involved with getting the paperwork completed."
Brooks said the new rules will also slow border crossings for tourists and long-haul truck drivers who bring their dogs with them. She acknowledged that the CDC is concerned with the spread of rabies from high-risk countries.
"I really feel that the CDC did not look at the implementation of these rules from all angles, from the economic standpoint, from the breeding standpoint, from the family pet standpoint, from all the other competitions that dogs are involved in," she said.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is among those asking the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reconsider the new rules and postpone their implementation.
"The changes made in the final rule are significant," she wrote in a letter to the CDC. "Those affected have had limited time to understand the new processes, let alone to comply."
