Comment from Jose Romano, D.V.M.

I have been a licensed veterinarian for over 30 years; and my practice is limited to dogs and cats. I have examined for years both US and foreign born dogs and I find no health issues that cannot be completely controlled by proper vaccinations and medical care in the foreign countries. I am very familiarly with many excellent foreign veterinarians and foreign breeders. The present system of requiring vaccination records to be presented to U. S. Customs before allowing puppies to enter the USA appears adequate. However, at the most USDA should strength the health documentation requirements before allowing puppies to enter the USA.
The proposed rule that will require puppies to be 6 months age before they can be imported into USA is not needed and will only service to eliminate free commerce, eliminate foreign competition, close down puppy import companies, increase the unemployment rate in the USA and increase the price of puppies in the USA. The price of puppies in the USA will go up as a result of eliminating the 300,000 imported puppies per year.
This new rule will impact first-class legitimate foreign breeders negatively and unfairly. USDA should look closely at the unfair advantage that US puppy breeder at present have over foreign puppy breeders. How can the government allow puppies from US breeders to be 8 weeks of age and at present puppies of foreign breeders must be 4 months old?