More than 100 countries are deemed to be at high risk for canine rabies, so the federal government will be closing Canada’s borders to commercial dogs from those countries on Wednesday.
Animal rescuers and advocates have been opposed to the move, but the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association says it’s necessary for people and dogs to be protected from a deadly disease.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, announced in June earlier this year, that there are no active cases of dog rabies in Canada, which is caused by a different virus than that found in wildlife such as raccoons and foxes.
With proper vaccination, rabies is nearly 100 percent preventable; however, once symptoms appear, it is nearly entirely fatal for humans and dogs. Afghanistan, Ukraine, and mainland China, among other countries affected by the ban, kill 59,000 people annually from dog rabies.
Louis Kwantes, past president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, said canine rabies has become a growing concern in Canada since the U.S. implemented a similar ban last year. The risk has always been there, Kwantes explained, but when it actually occurs in your country, that theoretical risk becomes a reality.
Since July 2021, two cases of rabies have been confirmed in Ontario in dogs imported from Iran – a banned country. A rabies vaccination was given to both dogs before their arrival that was not licensed in Canada. The treatment for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis cost about $2,000 per person for 49 people who came into contact with the dogs.
Kwantes said rabies is a slow disease, and depending on where the bite occurs it may take months for symptoms to appear. Therefore, a dog bitten with rabies before vaccination could carry the virus in its nervous system for months. Kwantes expressed concerns about fraudulent vaccine certificates or a lack of inoculations in many of the banned countries.
CFIA’s stance may seem harsh, but Kwantes maintains that it is justified based on the dangers that canine rabies and other infectious diseases endemic to other countries pose to Canada’s dog and human populations.
Although it is an extremely difficult step, he does not believe it is unreasonable.
Nevertheless, Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice Canada, said the CFIA should have considered less stringent methods before banning the animals. According to Labchuk, the group has gone from zero to 100 very quickly.
As part of the extension of the ban on dogs from countries where rabies is a problem, the government has also created a pathway to allow certain dogs into the country.
The Canadian government should have considered making similar exceptions to its policy, such as additional vaccine verification, antibody testing, and mandatory quarantines, said Labchuk. Labchuk explained that Canada has been a lifeline for dog rescue organizations in the international community. “We are devastated.”