November 24th 2024.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture has recently been discussing a potential new rule that would make it mandatory for pet rescues to administer rabies vaccines to all puppies, kittens, and ferrets that are imported into the state. This decision comes after a concerning incident earlier this year, in which several puppies had to be euthanized due to a potential rabies outbreak.
According to a report by Denver7, this new rule would essentially prohibit the import of animals under the age of 12 weeks, as they are unable to receive the rabies vaccine. Currently, organizations under Colorado's Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act are not allowed to import animals under 8 weeks old, and those over 3 months old must have already received the rabies vaccine.
Nick Fisher, the section chief of the agriculture department's PACFA program, emphasized the importance of this rule change in protecting both pet owners and animals from the deadly virus. He stated, "It's not only a huge consumer protection issue, but also a major public safety concern. We have to consider the potential consequences if we do not take action."
While vaccines and post-exposure medicines have proven to be effective in preventing the spread of rabies, once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, the symptoms of rabies in dogs are similar to those of the canine distemper virus, making it difficult to diagnose. In order to test for rabies, the animal must unfortunately be euthanized.
This heartbreaking reality was faced by numerous pet owners earlier this year when a puppy imported from Texas by Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue was found to have rabies. As a precaution, the remaining 10 dogs were also ordered to be euthanized, even though only one was infected. Fisher revealed that over 100 dogs were potentially exposed to the virus, and 54 people had to undergo expensive post-exposure treatment.
Fisher believes that this incident is just the beginning and that there could be more cases of rabies that have been mistaken for distemper. In order to prevent future outbreaks and protect the public, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is proposing a new addition to the Code of Colorado Regulations. This would require all dogs, cats, and ferrets imported into PACFA-licensed facilities from outside the state to have a rabies vaccine, as well as other necessary vaccinations.
The proposed rule is currently under consideration by the agriculture department's PACFA Advisory Committee and will not be finalized until fall 2025 at the earliest. In the meantime, the public is encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions during the ongoing comment period. For more news and updates on Colorado, sign up for our daily newsletter, Your Morning Dozen.
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