Imported Rescue Dogs Bypass USDA Health Screening and Bring Canine Brucellosis to the U.S.

Thousands of dogs are imported into the United States each year through international rescue organizations, many from countries with endemic canine diseases that are rare or absent in the U.S. The CDC estimated over 1 million dogs enter the U.S. annually, and until a 2024 rule change, there was minimal health screening at the border. Dogs from meat trade rescues in South Korea, street dog rescues in the Middle East, and shelter transfers from Mexico and the Caribbean arrive with diseases including canine brucellosis, rabies variants not seen in U.S. dogs, leishmaniasis, and exotic tick-borne diseases. This matters because canine brucellosis (Brucella canis) is a zoonotic disease -- it can spread from dogs to humans, causing chronic fever, joint pain, and reproductive complications. Once introduced to a household or breeding kennel, it is extremely difficult to eradicate. Infected dogs shed bacteria in urine, reproductive fluids, and birth materials. The disease is lifelong in dogs and there is no reliable cure. Multiple U.S. states have reported brucellosis outbreaks traced directly to imported rescue dogs, including Iowa (2019), Tennessee (2021), and several Midwestern states in 2023. The human health risk is underappreciated. Veterinarians handling infected dogs without proper precautions have contracted brucellosis. Foster families caring for pregnant imported rescue dogs have been exposed during whelping. The CDC classifies Brucella as a potential bioterrorism agent due to its ease of aerosolization and chronic infection capability. Yet dogs carrying it enter U.S. homes through well-intentioned but poorly regulated rescue pipelines. This persists because international dog rescue has become a multimillion-dollar industry driven by genuine compassion but insufficient biosecurity. Rescue organizations operate on tight budgets and emotional urgency. Testing for brucellosis costs $50-$100 per dog and requires a 30-day quarantine for reliable results -- costs and delays that rescue logistics cannot easily absorb when managing dozens of dogs. The CDC's 2024 updated rules require a valid rabies certificate and microchip but still do not mandate brucellosis testing. The structural issue is a collision between animal welfare ethics and public health biosecurity. Suggesting that rescue dogs should face stricter import controls is perceived as anti-rescue, making it politically difficult for health agencies to impose necessary regulations. The result is a policy gap where the U.S. screens imported livestock far more rigorously than imported companion animals.