It was a strange sort of walk that tipped Merry’s owners off something was very wrong with their cat.

It was a busy summer for Canadian rescue organizations as they rushed to bring in dogs ahead of the September 28 ban — the same day as World Rabies Day.

In an effort to reduce the risk of dog rabies, the federal government announced in June that it will ban the import of commercial dogs from 100 countries, including India, Egypt, the Philippines, China, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

“Rabies is over 99% fatal for humans and dogs once they start to show symptoms and is nearly 100% preventable with proper vaccination of animals,” reads the statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). “The importation of even one rabid dog could result in transmission to humans, pets, and wildlife. If a person is exposed, they need to undergo serious medical treatment.”

Organizations like Golden Rescue Canada (GRC) say that although they understand the government’s decision, a blanket ban simply isn’t the solution. GRC Co-chair Viive Tamm said that they’re devastated by the decision.

“Just because you have two kids talking in class you do not punish the whole class,” she told Daily Hive, adding that the dogs are fully vaccinated and tested.

Sam McElroy from Soi Dog Foundation said that they understand the government’s need to protect citizens and native animals. But rather than a ban, he hopes that the government considers making rabies titer tests (RTT) mandatory before entry.

“A similar albeit temporary ban was introduced in the United States in July 2021, but has now been revised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to accommodate the same titer testing method as implemented successfully in other first-world countries,” stated McElroy.

Organizations like Soi Dog Canada are also concerned that the breeding industry will step up to fill the gap for family pets in Canada as a result of the ban.

“We know how unsanitary, inhumane, and unsafe many of these puppy farms are,” said McElroy. “This would be far worse than healthy, pre-screened dogs being imported to Canada.”

In a September 26 Instagram post, GRC stated that their final rescues from Istanbul arrived safely in Montreal.

“We hope that this ban will be amended to allow us to continue saving these pups before it’s too late,” reads the post.

“To stop good rescue groups from doing fantastic work is really a punch in the gut because the Goldens over there are destined to die and suffer,” said Tamm. “Don’t punish us.”