In a recent Saskatchewan SPCA webinar, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine discussed the potential risks for importing companion animals into Canada.

Dr. Scott Weese explained how Canada has very few regulations for importing animals compared to other countries, and sometimes that is taken advantage of.

He says many people have great intentions, such as rescue organizations, but some import large quantities of dogs for commercial sale and puppy mills.

The main concern with importing dogs from other countries is the risk of bringing in diseases. Weese says these can include foreign diseases, zoonotic diseases, and diseases that can potentially become established.

Weese recommends that owners do research on where their new dog is coming from, isolate the dog once it enters Canada, vaccinate it for rabies and deworm the dog, as well.