It is now much more difficult to bring a dog over the border with Canada, even if the animal recently traveled with its family from the United States.

ALBANY — Crossing into the United States from Canada with a dog was, until a few days ago, a simple thing. In my experience, a border agent might glance at the animal, give it a friendly smile — and that was about it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is making the process much more complicated.

Since Friday, any dog coming into the United States must be microchipped and at least six months old, while its owner must provide a receipt showing that an official import form has been submitted. The dog must also “appear healthy,” whatever that means.

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The new rules apply even if the dog and its owner have only been outside the country for a few hours.

The strict entry requirements, designed to prevent the spread of rabies, may make sense for dogs from countries where the disease is widespread, and, indeed, more stringent rules have long been in place for animals from such locations. But they make little sense at the U.S.-Canadian border, given that rabies is rare in both countries.

The rules will do........

© Times Union