Bunny's Buddies Fights the CDC Ban - Bunny's Buddies

As many of you know by now, the CDC placed a ban on the importation of rescue dogs from 113 counties starting July 14, 2021, to reduce the risk of rabies. Since 2015, only four dogs imported into the USA have had rabies— three from Egypt and one from Azerbaijan. None have come from China, where Bunny’s Buddies rescues from.

Since 2018, Bunny’s Buddies has saved 400+ dogs from slaughterhouses, kill shelters, and the streets of Asia. We pride ourselves in doing rescue right, which is why we have a full-time, USA-based veterinarian on staff who oversees each dog’s care alongside our vets in Asia. Because we value animal welfare so much, we never want to put our dogs or local dogs at risk for illness, so years ago, we created a testing protocol that exceeds all of the CDC’s expectations by leaps and bounds. 

Our dogs are now stuck in China. The CDC’s ban not only prevents any additional dogs from being saved in countries with zero animal welfare protection, but it is also now preventing hundreds of our healthy dogs from coming home so we might fight to modify this ban.

Bunny’s Buddies cannot do this alone, we need your help! We have been working non-stop with members of Congress, looking for those who believe in our cause. Luckily, we have finalized a letter to the CDC with Reps, Fitzpatrick & Deutch and we must now begin the outreach for additional signatures.

How You Can Help

All of our supporters must reach out to their members of congress and ask them to sign on to this letter. Below is text you can use as a template for your call or email to your local congressmen!

Find your local Congressmen’s contact info here! All you have to do is enter your zip code and your exact local representative will appear with their phone and email. Many will also list their social media accounts so you can tag them in any of our posts as well.

Example Content

Email Subject: Please help us continue to save rescue dogs!

Hi there, my name is Amanda and I am writing today to ask for your support and signature on a House letter to the Director of the CDC led by Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., calling on the CDC to lift their ban on dog imports from 113 countries.

Recently, the CDC  issued a blanket suspension on dogs being imported into the United States from these countries and has cited a lack of funding as a key reason they are unable to process these imports. As a result, many animal rescue operations in the U.S. are unable to bring the dogs they save from abuse, slaughter, and meat markets overseas home to be adopted and cared for.

And as a result of the suspension, the companions of our American military heroes as well as those of many diplomats have also been prevented from reinterning the U.S. – a sad state of affairs for those who have risked their lives to serve and protect our country.

But the House passed a funding amendment in July by a voice vote to provide $3 million to the CDC to streamline the import inspection process, and the Deutch-Fitzpatrick letter will complement that effort and put more pressure on the CDC to lift the ban. 

Please consider signing on the Deutch-Fitzpatrick letter that closes on Friday, September 24, 2021, so reputable rescue groups can continue their life-saving work. Thank you for your time!

This should not take more than 10 minutes of your time and this is the most important part of this fight, to let our voices be heard for those who cannot speak! Thank you for helping us fight this fight for them!