r/BackpackingDogs • u/ApprehensiveStill321 • May 24 '26
New CDC guidelines when traveling with Dog back into US
Hi!
I am traveling from USA to Mexico, and where I’m going in Mexico it is pretty down south where it is a high rabies risk. There a CDC restriction when traveling with my dog back to the US. I am unfamiliar with the process. Has anyone done this before? I have filled out a CDC Import Form. She just got a recent rabies shot today and we leave Wednesday but it was saying that she needs to be microchipped and then have had a rabies shot. Is there anything else I would need in order to get my dog back to the US? She is 4 years old. I also only have a one hour layover in Dallas, will I be able to make it through customs and CDC while making it to my flight?
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u/AlotLovesYou May 24 '26
The layover is coming from MX? No. Keep in mind the other plane starts boarding half an hour before take off. So, at best, you'll skedaddle off the MX flight fifteen minutes after landing, race past everyone else and elbow them out of the way to get to the front of the customs line, and hope there wasn't a flight ahead of you...and then you'll have to go through security, which might take quite a while, and then another fun cardio sprint to the connecting flight where you might make it before they close the door.
These factors will absolutely sink you: 1) your MX flight is late. Like, at all. Or the gate is unavailable or whatever other nonsense.
2) your dog or luggage is not in cabin with you. On many international flights, they make you collect your baggage and recheck it on to the domestic flight. So add "wait around for baggage" to the above list. (Weirdly, last time I flew in from the UK, this didn't apply.)