S. 1725 — Healthy Dog Importation Act

This section establishes requirements for importing live dogs into the United States by inserting new section 10404A into the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), prohibiting such importation unless, prior to transport, the Secretary receives electronic documentation verifying that the dog (1) is in good health; (2) has received required vaccinations, internal/external parasite treatments, and negative test results, as certified by a licensed veterinarian endorsed by a recognized authority; (3) is permanently identified by a Secretary-approved method; and (4) if intended for transfer (i.e., any change in ownership or control, including sale, adoption, exchange, or donation), is at least 6 months old and accompanied by a Secretary-issued import permit. It provides regulatory exceptions for dogs imported (1) as personal pets of U.S. origin returning to the United States; (2) as U.S. military or contracted working dogs; (3) for research; (4) for importer-paid veterinary treatment (followed by export after quarantine); or (5) under 6 months old for lawful importation into Hawaii from specified locations, if not transferred out of Hawaii before reaching 6 months. The section further directs the Secretary, in consultation with specified agency heads, to promulgate implementing regulations within 18 months of enactment—including for electronic documentation submission and sharing, post-arrival verification, entry denial, a centralized database accessible to state veterinarians, annual aggregated reporting on imports, and fees to fund enforcement—and authorizes penalties, care, quarantine, forfeiture, removal, and return of noncompliant dogs at the expense of the importer or import transporter (i.e., any compensated entity moving imported dogs in commerce). It provides a transition period during which existing regulations under section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2148) continue to apply to dog importation.