ANIMAL SHELTERS

Before you adopt a pet this year, find out if your shelter buys puppy mill produce or imports sick dogs to be sold to unsuspecting families.

RABID DOG IMPORTED BY RESCUE GROUPS

This CDC report reveals dangerous rescue and shelter adoptions. The practice of shelters buying cute (saleable) puppies flown in from offshore while killing old, large, or dark colored owner-surrenders has escalated in 2017.

Why would anyone pay more to "adopt" a mutt than they would spend to purchase a healthy, socialized predictable purebred from a breeder who has devoted years to the care and study of pedigreed dogs? Only a psychiatrist can answer that but the risk of adopting a shelter mutt is an eye-opener.

In June of 2015, a rescue organization imported "a large shipment of stray dogs and cats" into the U.S. from Cairo, Egypt. As incredulous as that sounds, here's the kicker. StatNews^[1] reports there was an adult female among them that was later confirmed by the VA Dept. Of G.S. to have rabies. And, the dog's rabies vaccination certificate had been "intentionally falsified" so that it could enter the U.S. to be sold to unsuspecting families.

Rabies experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tell us they can't visually detect early rabies infection or a faked rabies certificate. Indeed, this is not the first time rabid dogs have slipped through customs. CDC officials are quoted as stating it is the "fourth time - that they know of - in the last 11 years that a rabid dog has been imported to the United States." People who were known to have had close contact with that shipment were advised to get treatment for rabies exposure, and nearly a dozen more people who were in physical contact with the rabid animals elected to get vaccinated.

The risk of rabies is simply too great when adopting from an unknown source. Ryan Wallace, a CDC veterinary epidemiologist, said the CDC isn’t trying to stop import operations or discourage people from adopting companion animals in need of a home but that those who want to adopt an animal should look closer to home.

Over 50,000 people die each year from rabies and that includes cases in the U.S.  The CDC and other federal agencies work hard to keep us safe but they can't protect us against unscrupulous people in the "Adoption Racket". 

The dog's flight, originating in Cairo, Egypt, landed in New York where there is a huge livestock quarantine facility. But these imported dogs were not quarantined, indeed they were transported directly to adoption facilities in four other states. The fact is, the CDC doesn’t know how many international animal rescue groups are importing dogs because they don't necessarily arrive on commercial flights.

In 2007 the United States was declared free of canine rabies virus^[2] according to the CDC.  TheDogPress.com is seeking current statistics after having published Dr. Charles Rupprecht's statement to the press in which he said “Rabies evolves to match the animals it infects, and the strain most specific to dogs has not been seen anywhere in the United States since 2004.” During the 50s, 60s, and 70s our government spent $hundreds of millions to eradicate canine rabies in the States.

Is importing adoptable dogs with faked rabies certificates just a politically correct mistake by well meaning Americans or is it proof that some people will stop at nothing to turn a profit?

Reference Links

[1] StatNews - Dog Rabies  ~  [2] U.S. was declared free of canine rabies virus  ~  See Instant info on ii Quarantine Requirements? and wonder about all those imports.

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