The new regulation go into issue August 1 .

Alex Lloyd / The Sato Project

For decade , animal rescue organizations around the public have worked diligently to facilitate good acceptation across international border and give more animal a opportunity to find a forever home . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) desire to pad the safety of these adoptions withupdated dog importation regulations .

Photo:Alex Lloyd / The Sato Project

Beginning Aug. 1 , 2024 , all dogs enroll the U.S. must :

The largest increase to the CDC road map is strict additional guidelines regarding dog rabies following a temporary suspension of Canis familiaris immigration fromhigh - endangerment countriesin 2023 .

The CDC has bolstered guidelines due to the disease being over 99 % black and 100 % preventable . Although it has been eliminate in the U.S. since 2007 , bounder rabies is not keep in line in over 100 land , and hydrophobia vaccination are not federally mandate in the United States across all 50 states .

Alex Lloyd / The Sato Project

Many Rescues Already Adhere to Rules

While stern guidelines may seem like an imposition on these international animal delivery , that ’s not needfully true . Many rescues already meet the new criteria , including The Sato Project , founded by Chrissy Beckles .

The Sato Projectis a nonprofit rescue organization based in Puerto Rico that work to rehome isolated dogs from the island to best-loved parent located on the U.S. mainland . Since 2007 , Beckles and her squad have rescue and rehomed more than 8,000 of Puerto Rico ’s stray dogs .

Their winner is for the most part due to the Sato Project ’s unrelenting 14 - page vetting and adoption communications protocol , perfected over time by Beckles with direction from her mentorCynda Crawford , DVM , PhD , of the University of Florida , who discoveredcanine influenza .

Hector Navarro / The Sato Project

Beckles and her team spend an norm of $ 2800 in veterinary expenses per sizeable wienerwurst to check that they are more than tidy enough to fly to the U.S. Some of these precaution and treatments let in :

Beckles ’ standards for her delivery are n’t just enforced out of warmth but also out of reverence of one of her dogs — or her fellow rescuers ’ dogs — being patient zero for a communicable disease outbreak in the U.S.

“ It ’s going to take one dog on the mainland , and then we ’re all go to get shut down , ” Beckles says . “ I attempt to tell my fellow recoverer to be as responsible for as they can , but not everyone wants to listen . I sample to civilise them why I do it this way ; it ’s not because I like paying high vet note . ”

Hector Navarro / The Sato Project

Decrease in North-of-Border Adoptions

Unfortunately , follow with CDC guidelines is n’t the biggest challenge that international delivery are face . The veridical obstruction ? The U.S. is overwhelmed with dogs .

“ Our N - of - borderline ( NOB ) adoptions are down significantly because NOB sheltersare over capacity , ” say Darryl Painter , operations squad loss leader atLucky Dog Rescue and Adoption Center , located in the Lake Chapala region of Jalisco , Mexico . “ We currently have 29 dog at Lucky Dog , and our capacity is 22 . Most of our cad have been at Lucky Dog for over two years . ”

Beckles tot up , “ Up until 18 months ago , I put 363 wienerwurst on two planes and flew them up to New York , and every single one had a place to go before they go far . I ca n’t do that any longer . Where we used to get 20 - 30 applications for a hound , we ’re not seeing that now . ”

Hector Navarro / The Sato Project

The Importance of Spaying and Neuturing

Until acceptance pick up again , rescue organizations have to pivot their focus to other initiatives , such as battle overpopulation . It ’s estimated there are over 600,000 stray click in Puerto Rico — the size of Connecticut .

“ Everyone is so overwhelmed , ” pronounce Beckles . " We ca n’t rescue the number we used to , so we ’ve had to pivot and look at increase spay and neuter clinic , ” enounce Beckles . “ That ’s depart to be our focusing for this yr and for the foreseeable time to come . ”

OperationSato , launch in 2023 , is The Sato Project ’s high - volume spay and neuter effect that operates every couple of months to spay and neuter , vaccinate , and microchip 300 - 400 domestic dog in a few day . Last November , Operation Sato was able to spay and castrate 1200 unchanged dogs in six days and hopes to again reach similar telephone number during their November clinic in 2024 .

Since the launch of # OperationSato , Beckles and her team have noticed a reduction in stray dog in the municipality of Yabacoa , which is one of the island ’s poorest area and where the clinic routinely operate .