Bringing a dog into the United States from a high-risk country for rabies involves navigating extra layers of complexity in an already challenging process. An important piece is planning for your pet’s visit to one of 7 Animal Care Facilities (ACFs) that clear your pet for entry.

ACFs can vary somewhat by location, but we’ve put together some general tips on preparing for your dog’s flight if they’re starting from an origin point that requires additional screening.

Before You Travel

Advanced planning is always important when you’re traveling with a pet. It’s even more important if you’re coming from one of the 109 countries considered high-risk for rabies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Start by making a reservation with an ACF as early as possible, especially if you’re traveling during peak times. You only have one of 7 ACFs to choose from across the entire U.S.; spots can fill up at smaller facilities.

If you’re traveling through LAX, Kennel Club LAX is a first-class boarding facility and a CDC-approved ACF, with the capacity to board over 200 dogs per night. We prefer as much notice as possible.

Planning ahead doesn’t just guarantee your pet’s spot. It can also give you peace of mind knowing that you have everything you need for a smooth arrival and to clear customs. If your dog’s rabies vaccination history is from outside the U.S., your chosen ACF will need the following:

CDC Dog Import form receipt
Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form
Valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory
Dental photos (front, side, full body front, full body side)

The ACF will also need your flight information and travel itinerary, as it matters how your pet arrives in the U.S. Some airlines may even require a reservation receipt at an ACF before you board.

In our experience, advanced planning has helped us streamline entry requirements. As experts in pet transport, we’re able to contact the airline and get pets into the facility faster – which means you may get to see your pet sooner than expected.

We can also address many potential issues before they become an obstacle to travel. That includes getting clarification on any visible health issues so that you’re not questioned at the airport and ensuring your paperwork is sound.

When Arriving at Your Destination

There are 3 ways pets can arrive at their destination: in-cabin, as excess baggage, or as manifest cargo.

Pets Arriving In-Cabin or as Excess Baggage

Dogs arriving from travel in-cabin or as excess baggage follow the same arrival steps. Upon landing in the passengers’ terminal, pets and their owners are sent to a secondary area to begin the post-entry process.

You’ll be asked to provide your dog’s paperwork so your pet can be assigned an air waybill (AWB) by the airline. The airline coordinates with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the CDC to ensure import requirements are met. The AWB acts as a tracking document for transporting the pet to the designated ACF.

Once the post-entry form is signed, the airline takes custody of your dog for transport to the cargo terminal and ACF. This is typically the most stressful part for pet owners. You will be away from your dog at this point, with few exceptions for service dogs that require prior CDC approval.

Pets Arriving as Manifest Cargo

Pets arriving as manifest cargo arrive in the cargo terminal of the destination airport. While the cost is higher, they can avoid delays during transfers from the passenger terminal.

Cargo dogs have a more efficient arrival where required documents are concerned, too. They arrive with their AWB generated ahead of time, whereas in-cabin and excess baggage pets get theirs generated once they get to the cargo terminal. It’s important to note that some airlines only allow your pet to arrive as manifest cargo, and more will likely follow suit as new requirements arrive. We prefer clients send their pets this way for ease of travel and a much safer, more efficient reunion with their dogs.

Planning an international flight for your pet? We can help.

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After Post-Entry

Once a pet arrives at an ACF, they’re taken out of their crates for a potty break, fed, and given fresh water.

A USDA-accredited veterinarian arrives to give them a full health check, followed by a dog rabies vaccination. Revaccination soon after a recent vaccination is considered safe because they aren’t receiving a live virus vaccine.

From there, the vet uploads vaccine coverage and health exam records into a system viewable by the CDC for customs clearance. Once the dog import is approved by the CDC, the ACF submits for US Customs Clearance. This step often takes 2-4 hours, and once it’s complete, the ACF will notify the owner that their pets are able to leave the facility. Pet visitation is not available while the dog is awaiting CDC and customs clearance.

Dogs traveling without a rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved lab must be quarantined at an ACF for 28 days after revaccination. This should never come as a surprise. The ACF will know ahead of your travel whether your dog will need to quarantine by looking at their health documents.

At Kennel Club LAX, foreign-vaccinated dogs on a 28-day quarantine are given an additional Bordetella vaccine to protect them against kennel cough.

In some cases, pets may not need to wait a full 28-day transition period before reuniting with their owners if their titer results are returned sooner than expected. We’ve seen cases where clients received the necessary documents in the air on their way to their port of entry.

We can also help you arrange onward travel if LAX isn’t your final destination. Some of our clients aren’t able to wait for their pets to move through the import process. We can ship pets to onward U.S. or Canadian destinations or drive them as an alternative option.

Common Questions

Your pet’s transfer time to the ACF can vary. Pets traveling as manifest cargo already arrive at the cargo terminal, which saves time; in-cabin and excess baggage pets must be transferred from the passenger terminal to the cargo area.

An air-conditioned passenger van transfers pets to our ACF from the airport, keeping them as comfortable as possible before they can spend some time out of their crates.

We tell our clients to allow up to 24 hours from arrival to pick up, but it’s often much faster, especially if dogs arrive as manifest cargo. It depends on your arrival time, too. We can only clear customs Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you arrive on a weekend or holiday, your pet will not be submitted for clearance until the next business day, and there will be additional boarding charges.

Arrivals outside of those windows mean dogs have to board overnight for a health check first thing in the morning. You can rest assured they’ll be well taken care of while they’re boarding at our facility.

Pet dogs arriving from a country of origin at high risk for rabies are separated from dogs at our facility for boarding before seeing a vet. We also have a separate area for complete isolation with pets that show any signs of illness. All of our pets are boarded in individual kennel runs with bedding and dishes that are sanitized daily.

Pets moving through the CDC import process must stay in a bonded area of the facility during that time to meet public health rules. Only approved people can enter these areas for the safety of pets and their owners.

You can bring U.S.-vaccinated dogs over a land border or seaport if they are at least 6 months of age. You’ll need to travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt that reflects your port of entry (or re-entry) and verifies your dog’s age and your dog’s microchip number. Foreign-vaccinated dogs unable to show they’ve been in rabies-free countries or low-risk countries for rabies are not able to cross at a land border. They’ll need to arrive at a U.S. airport with an ACF and meet additional requirements for dogs arriving by air. Limited exceptions to importation regulations apply for service animals arriving by sea.

We Make It Simple

Kennel Club LAX is your best option to handle the importation of dogs on the West Coast. We’re happy to help you navigate the CDC’s new rules, but even if you use another pet shipper, we can still support your entry process as an ACF and high-quality boarding facility.

Looking for a CDC-approved partner for importing your pet from a high-risk rabies country? We can plan your pet’s trip from booking to post-arrival release.

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