{"abstract":"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is publishing this guidance for dog owners and importers who seek to admit a dog without a valid rabies vaccination certificate into the United States. Under current regulations, all dogs admitted into the United States must be accompanied by a valid rabies vaccination certificate unless the dog's owner or importer submits satisfactory evidence that the dog has only been in a rabies-free country if it is less than 6 months old or has only been in a rabies-free country for the 6 months before arrival if it is older than 6 months. Through this guidance, CDC is clarifying that it interprets \"rabies-free\" for the purposes of dog importation to mean \"canine rabies virus variant (CRVV)-free.\" For all other public health purposes, CDC will continue to apply the general definition of \"rabies free,\" which includes and reflects the rabies status of all terrestrial animals and not just dogs. This guidance further describes the considerations taken into account by experts in determining whether a country qualifies as CRVV-free. This notice also informs dog owners and importers on where to locate up-to-date information on a country's CRVV status to facilitate a dog's entry or re-entry into the United States.","action":"Notice of agency guidance.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","name":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","id":44,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/44","parent_id":221,"slug":"centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2019/01/31/2019-00506.html","cfr_references":[],"citation":"84 FR 724","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This guidance will be implemented on January 31, 2019.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":[],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2019-00506","effective_on":null,"end_page":730,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2019/01/31/2019-00506.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/01/31/2019-00506/guidance-regarding-agency-interpretation-of-rabies-free-as-it-relates-to-the-importation-of-dogs","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2019-00506?publication_date=2019-01-31","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2019-01-31/2019-00506/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":7,"page_views":{"count":6627,"last_updated":"2026-04-17 22:15:06 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-01-31/pdf/2019-00506.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-00506.pdf?1548855940","publication_date":"2019-01-31","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2019/01/31/2019-00506.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2019-02-20T11:00:39Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":724,"subtype":null,"title":"Guidance Regarding Agency Interpretation of “Rabies-Free” as It Relates to the Importation of Dogs Into the United States","toc_doc":"Agency Interpretation of Rabies-Free as it Relates to the Importation of Dogs into the United States","toc_subject":"Guidance:","topics":[],"type":"Notice","volume":84}