We are alarmed by the recent announcement made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA banning the importation of rescue dogs adopted from countries such as Thailand.

The ban will come to effect on the 14th of July. The CDC announced that the decision was made due to the risk of rabies imposed by unvaccinated dogs who arrive into the USA from so-called high risk countries.

Phuket, Thailand, from where our dogs begin their journey to a new life, is free from canine rabies and this is why we are lobbying the CDC to plea for a revision of the ban and your help could make the difference.

If the ban is upheld, it will shatter the dreams of hundreds of dogs who would otherwise have found loving forever homes in the United States.

You can read our letter below and add your name in the form to register your support.

Dear Mr Brown,

I write to you today on behalf of Soi Dog Foundation International concerning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to suspend for twelve months the import of dogs into the USA from countries considered a high risk for rabies.  

We fully support and appreciate the importance of implementing stringent disease control measures. However, we are deeply concerned that the measures due to take effect on July 14 will unjustly penalize the import of dogs by Soi Dog Foundation, a reputable and internationally recognized rescue organization.  

All dogs imported by Soi Dog Foundation into the USA come from the southern island province of Phuket and pose no risk to human and animal health in the USA. Phuket is Thailand’s first province to be recognized as rabies free and could be compared with Singapore in relation to size and disease control.  

This status is almost entirely due to our CNVR program which now sees us sterilize and vaccinate more dogs and cats than any organization anywhere in the world. Currently, we are sterilizing and vaccinating over 150,000 animals a year. Our work towards eliminating rabies in Thailand has been officially recognized with an award from the Thai Ministry of Public Health.  

We fully understand the severity of rabies and the risk it poses to both animal and human health and are very frustrated to hear of organizations and individuals who do not share our understanding and who attempt to circumvent important disease control measures by supplying incomplete, inadequate or fraudulent documentation. We would never condone such behavior as it undermines the very purpose of our mission which is to see a world with no stray dogs and the elimination of rabies.
Soi Dog Foundation exceeds the proposed requirements for dogs to be eligible for a USA import permit. All animals in our care are microchipped, neutered and given appropriate vaccinations. For dogs, this includes vaccinations against rabies, distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, heartworm and bordetella.

Our dogs receive annual booster vaccinations against the aforementioned diseases and undergo full and regular health checks, including dental examinations. They also receive regular broad-spectrum deworming and tick and flea prophylaxis. They are disease-free, parasite-free and present absolutely no health risk whatsoever to humans or other animals.  

We fully support your decision to begin requesting rabies titer tests and note their efficacy in helping to eliminate the disease in countries that require them. The UK, for example, has not reported a single human case of rabies from animals other than bats for over a century. Soi Dog Foundation is well versed in the process of acquiring rabies titer tests as we regularly import dogs to countries in Europe where such tests are a mandatory requirement. We currently use Viro Vet Diagnostik in Germany which is ISO compliant and on the list of CDC-approved laboratories.  

All mandatory documentation is lodged with the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) in advance of travel and accompanies the dog on their journey from Thailand to the USA.

Our location on the rabies-free island of Phuket and our track record of fully complying with all import requirements places Soi Dog Foundation in a unique position to be able to continue safely importing dogs to the USA. We hope you will therefore be willing to consider an exception in this case.

Thank you,
John Dalley MBE
President of Soi Dog International Foundation