Canada Changes Pet Food Importation Policy

As of September 1st, 2015 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) stopped issuing import permits for US pet food, treats, and chews that do not contain bovine ingredients. The affected products now need to have a health/export certificate that has been issued by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

For the time period between September 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2016, APHIS will issue health/export certificates for the necessary products. These certificates will be based upon a notarized affidavit from manufacturers. Beginning July 1st, 2016, APHIS will issue certificates based upon their own inspections.

APHIS certificates will not be restricted to single shipments but all applicable shipments within seven days. President and CEO of the Pet Food Institute, Cathleen Enright, PhD, said, “The pet food industry is grateful for the effort by APHIS and CFIA to find a timely, workable process that meets Canada’s new import requirements without disrupting the supply of safe, nutritious food for Canada’s cats and dogs.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Will North American Shelters Run Out of Dogs?

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) aims to decrease the euthanasia of adoptable pets in American shelters. In order to be effective, they need greater knowledge of the pet marketplace. Recently NAIA conducted some research on shelter dogs. It is difficult to quantify the number of animal shelters in the United States, estimates range from 3,500 to 6,000.1

Several decades ago overpopulation was an issue across the United States however it has been eliminated in several regions. Now that shelters are feeling less pressure from canine overpopulation their roles are changing. In order to continue to offer dogs to the public some shelters are now importing dogs 1. The public safety issues of importing dogs will be discussed in a future InfoStream article.

Why are shelters running low on dogs? NAIA President, Patti Strand believes that one cause the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC encourages thoughtful selection of pets, sterilization of all dogs not intended for breeding, and highlights the commitments required to be a responsible dog owner. While the lack of dogs has been noticed across Canada and the United States, animal rights groups are still trying to eliminte American dog breeders. The main issue with this is that it is nondiscriminatory and negatively affects both responsible and irresponsible breeders. Strand said, "These extreme animal rights groups have become so ideological and irrational that they would rather risk importing rabid dogs from Asia and Africa than support humane, responsible breeding in the U.S. so consumers can purchase the dog of their choice from a responsible and in many cases regulated American breeder." 2 

   

Dr. Emily Weiss from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) writes, “I do not think pets should be just for certain people (those who can afford a puppy from a high-end responsible breeder, for example), but for all people who want to care responsibly for a pet. The crisis is that we are running out of puppies! There are many communities that simply do not have juvenile dogs entering their sheltering system. This is great news!! And, this is the source of my concern. So here is where the crisis is – when there is a need, the void is usually filled. How do we want the void left by the lack of puppies to be filled? I know one thing we can all agree on, we sure do not want it filled by puppy mills and those who breed with no understanding of the importance of early socialization, proper nutrition and the like.” 3