Summary: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed the CDC’s restrictive puppy import ban to take effect while the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation continues its legal battle to overturn the rule.
Sixth Circuit Ruling on the CDC Puppy Ban
On Friday, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and allowed the CDC’s puppy ban to take effect while litigation proceeds.
Background: The 2024 CDC Dog Importation Regulations
In August 2024, the CDC banned all dogs under the age of six months and without implanted microchips from entering the country. The ban was under the guise of ensuring the dogs were old enough to have been vaccinated for rabies and to make sure the vaccination paperwork matched the dog’s microchip number. Yet, the CDC does not currently require dogs from countries where canine rabies does not exist to be vaccinated. Sportsmen’s Alliance challenged that arbitrary rule, and asked the court to prevent it from taking effect while the litigation proceeds. The trial court denied that request, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed it.
The Impact on Sportsmen and Breeders
“We are disappointed with the court’s ruling today,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel for Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “We still feel that the CDC overstepped its authority and that the puppy ban is arbitrary. And in doing so, it hurt many sportsmen and breeders in the United States, Canada and around the world.”
Next Steps for the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation
The fight to overturn this rule is not over. The case will now be returned to the district court, where the parties can resolve it on the merits.
Protecting Our Hunting Heritage
The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our actions today. Please stand with us or donate to the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund in the fight against those who are working to bully and erode our heritage and traditions.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
