Bill to address animal importation issue passes Indiana Senate

 A bill authored by State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) that would help address an animal importation issue facing Indiana today passed the Senate by a unanimous vote. Senate Bill 533 would require a person who transfers a domestic dog or cat from a foreign country to Indiana to provide an electronic or paper copy of the animal’s veterinary inspection or official health certificate to the recipient of the animal.According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), globally, dogs remain the principal source of human rabies infections. While the United States eliminated the canine rabies virus variant in 2007, since then, three cases of canine rabies were reported in dogs imported to the U.S. Additionally, the CDC estimates that more than 1 million dogs are imported to the U.S. each year.As of Jan. 31, 2019, the CDC will not require any documentation from Mexico or Canada.