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Reopen Canada’s Doors To Desperate Rescue Dogs

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Canada’s rescue dog import ban was meant to protect public health—but three years later, it’s condemning countless animals to die abroad while compassionate families at home wait with empty arms.

Two volunteers gently interact with a dog against a neutral background.

In 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) imposed what it called a “temporary” ban on the import of rescued dogs from more than 100 countries deemed high risk for rabies1. Three years later, that ban is still in place. Every day it remains, countless dogs are denied safety and condemned to die abroad.

The ban was meant to protect Canadians after two imported dogs tested positive for canine-variant rabies—cases that were isolated and already preventable through stronger documentation and testing2. But instead of implementing science-based safeguards, the CFIA chose a sweeping prohibition that now blocks every rescued dog from entering Canada, no matter their health status or the reputation of the rescue group involved3.

Compassion Shouldn’t Stop at the Border

These aren’t abstract statistics—they’re living beings. Dogs from war-torn Ukraine, Afghanistan, Gaza, and Haiti are trapped in overcrowded shelters or left behind in disaster zones. Survivors of cruelty and the dog meat trade in China and the Philippines are being denied the chance to find homes in Canada4. Animal rescuers who once gave these dogs hope have been forced to shut down or turn them away, knowing that for many, the ban is a death sentence5.

Canada stands alone among Western nations in enforcing such an absolute policy. The United States, the EU, and the United Kingdom all allow controlled imports from higher-risk regions using proven measures—vaccination certificates, antibody tests, and quarantine—to keep rabies out while saving lives2. These safeguards are endorsed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the World Health Organization. There is no reason Canada cannot do the same.

A Cruel Policy With Ripple Effects at Home

The ban’s cruelty doesn’t stop overseas. With fewer rescue dogs available for adoption, Canadians are increasingly turning to puppy mills and unethical breeders who profit from misery6. Instead of preventing suffering, this policy is fueling it—both abroad and within Canada’s borders.

Science Can Protect Us. Compassion Can Define Us.

Rabies is deadly, but it is also entirely preventable. What’s missing is balance. Canada can protect public health without turning its back on vulnerable animals. By replacing the ban with a case-by-case, science-based import system—and creating exemptions for accredited rescues—our nation can ensure that compassion and safety coexist.

It’s time for Canada to do better. Dogs around the world are waiting, not for pity, but for action.

Sign the petition today to demand that the CFIA and the Government of Canada lift the rescue dog import ban and adopt a humane, science-based policy that saves lives.

More on this issue:

  1. Canadian Food Inspection Agency (28 June 2022), “Notice to Industry: New Measure Prohibiting the Entry of Commercial Dogs from Countries at High-Risk for Dog Rabies.”
  2. Bridget DeMarsh, Animal Justice (31 October 2025), “Canada’s Rescue Dog Import Ban Is Leaving Dogs to Die.”
  3. Stefan Labbé, Business in Vancouver (23 October 2025), “Federal Judge Upholds Canadian Ban on High-Risk Dog Imports.”
  4. Darren Major, CBC News (23 October 2022), “Thousands Call on Government to Reconsider Ban on Dogs from Countries at Risk of Canine Rabies.”
  5. CBC News Montreal (12 July 2022), “Montreal Animal Activists Decry Government Decision to Ban Dogs from International Rescues.”
  6. Dan Howe, Animal Justice (21 September 2022), “3 Heartwarming Dog Rescue Tales Show Why Canada Is Wrong to Ban International Dog Rescue.”

The Petition

To the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Government of Canada,

In 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) imposed a “temporary” ban on the import of rescued dogs from more than 100 countries deemed high risk for rabies. Three years later, that ban remains in place—and it is costing lives.

What began as a short-term safety measure has become an enduring barrier to compassion. Under this sweeping policy, dogs from countries such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, Gaza, Haiti, China, and the Philippines—many rescued from war, natural disasters, or the brutal dog meat trade—are blocked from entering Canada.

Animal rescue organizations that once provided these animals with safety and homes have been forced to shut down. Thousands of dogs now face starvation, abuse, or slaughter simply because they were born in the wrong place.

Meanwhile, the shortage of rescue dogs in Canada has fueled an increase in puppy mills and unethical breeding operations. With fewer adoption options, Canadians seeking pets are turning to profit-driven breeders who operate in secrecy and neglect. This ban, meant to protect public health, is instead driving cruelty and suffering both abroad and at home.

We call on the CFIA and the Government of Canada to act now:

  1. Lift the blanket ban on rescue dog imports from countries labeled high risk for rabies.
  2. Replace it with a science-based, case-by-case system that includes vaccination verification, antibody testing, and quarantine measures consistent with World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) standards.
  3. Establish a clear exemption process for responsible, accredited rescue organizations that follow strict veterinary and transport protocols.
  4. Strengthen domestic enforcement against puppy mills and unethical breeders that profit from animal suffering within Canada’s borders.

This is not a call to compromise safety—it is a call to balance it with compassion and evidence. Rabies prevention and animal welfare can coexist. Every major Western nation has shown that humane, science-based policies protect both people and pets without condemning thousands of animals to die.

Canada’s compassion should not end at its borders. These dogs deserve more than bureaucratic red tape and political delay—they deserve a chance to live. By replacing this ban with a responsible, humane framework, Canada can protect public health, restore hope to global rescue efforts, and ensure a kinder future for all.

Sincerely,

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