|
Today, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation
(SAF) appealed a court order denying a
preliminary injunction that prohibited the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) from enforcing a ban on importing
puppies into the United States.
In August, CDC banned dogs under six months old
and dogs without implanted microchips from entering—and in some
cases, reentering—the country. Not only does this deprive sportsmen
of the opportunity to purchase quality sporting breeds, but it means
that they cannot return with their dogs from a field trial or hunting
trip across the border.
This ban was implemented under the same statute
that CDC used to suspend evictions and require masking on airplanes
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the COVID regulations, this ban
was also implemented with flimsy justifications. In this case, the
ban is purportedly needed to prevent the reintroduction of rabies in
the U.S. and reduce fraudulent pet importations. But the ban applies
to countries that the CDC has declared rabies free, and nobody is
actually checking for fraudulent entries. This is rulemaking for the
sake of rulemaking.
SAF immediately sued, and asked for an injunction against the rule. After months
of briefing and arguments—and an announcement
from CDC that it would be reconsidering the ban—the court denied
the injunction in April 2025.
“We respectfully disagree with the court’s
conclusion that the law authorizes the ban, and that CDC engaged in
reasoned decisionmaking,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel for
Sportsmen’s Alliance. “So, we’re asking the Sixth Circuit court of
Appeals to reverse the denial.”
|
