CDC Bans Adoption Of Stray Dogs From India

The U.S. suspension of adoptions from more than 100 countries is dire news for strays around the world.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is blocking adoption of stray dogs from more than 100 countries, including India, a steady source of pets for American families. Adoptions will be suspended for at least a year over rabies fears, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. CDC officials are particularly worried about importing a canine rabies variant after discovering falsified rabies vaccination certificates for some incoming animals, the veterinary association noted.  The ban is a near-disaster for animal charities like India’s Kannan Animal Welfare, which helps find overseas homes for India’s many stray dogs that are often hard to place there. India has an estimated 60 million street dogs, many of them disfigured or disabled.