Safeguarding Canadian pets and humans: A call to strengthen regulations for importing companion animals.

Companion animals are more and more mobile and global translocation of parasites and other pathogens is increasingly recognized as a risk to animal and human health, as well as to international trade. Canadian regulations for importation of pets are lax, with only rabies vaccination and basic health documentation required. Pathogens, including the zoonotic parasites Echinococcus and Leishmania, as well as drug-resistant strains of parasites currently at low prevalence in Canada, such as canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) and hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum), are inadvertently imported along with pets. The objective of this article is to provide a timely review of the current regulatory situation in Canada, describe recent examples of foreign animal pathogens, including drug-resistant parasites, being brought into Canada, and provide expert opinions on both risks and mitigation measures associated with the introduction of non-endemic companion animal parasites. There is now a higher risk of establishment due to climate change, which endangers local domestic and wild animals and triggers costly, long-term public and animal health interventions. Canadian veterinarians are increasingly faced with new challenges due to imported animals, including diagnosis and management of non-endemic diseases. We call for tighter mandates for importation of companion animals to Canada, including pre-travel screening of pets for local diseases of concern, treatment with a broad-spectrum antiparasitic just prior to relocation, and follow-up testing to detect drug resistance, as well as improved traceability of imported animals, and educational campaigns for owners and rescue organizations. These measures will ultimately reduce the burden on veterinarians, responsible pet owners, and reputable rescue organizations.