The puppy I sold was refused entry to the USA. What now?
- MATTER
- Travel & export
- JURISDICTION
- USA
- BASED ON
- Illustrative scenario, CDC rules
- LAST REVIEWED
- November 2026
A breeder sells a young puppy to a family in the US. The puppy is healthy, vaccinated and chipped, and flies with a health certificate. On arrival it’s refused entry, because it doesn’t meet the US rules for dogs. The family calls from the airport: who pays, where does the puppy go, and how fast do you have to act?
This is an illustrative scenario: it combines details from several real situations breeders have faced. No single person or event is described.
The short answer
A dog refused entry to the US is sent back to the country it flew from, at the importer’s expense, usually within 72 hours.[3]
Act fast: answer the airline and the animal care facility, and agree who pays. And know this before your next sale: every dog entering the US must be at least six months old.[1] A young puppy can’t go at all.
What to do now
The puppy’s welfare comes first. A puppy can be held at the airport while the return is arranged, and the costs add up for every day. Agree who pays now, and argue about the bill later.
What decides it
1. The rules every dog must meet
Under the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every dog entering the US must:[1]
- be at least six months old,
- have a microchip that a universal scanner can read,
- look healthy on arrival, and
- have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
Dogs that have been in a country the CDC classes as high-risk for dog rabies in the last six months must meet more requirements, including vaccination forms and, in some cases, arrival at specific airports. Airlines must refuse boarding if a dog looks ill or looks younger than six months.[1][2]
What it means for you: the old practice of sending a puppy to the US at eight to twelve weeks no longer works. Your buyer must wait until the dog is six months old.
2. What happens when entry is refused
| What happens | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The dog is returned to the country it flew from | Not necessarily your country, if there was a stopover[4] |
| On the next available flight, no later than 72 hours after arrival, if fit to travel | Decisions are needed within hours, not days |
| The importer pays for holding, care and the return | Check who your contract names as importer and who carries the risk |
| If the importer doesn’t respond or pay within 24 hours, the dog can be treated as abandoned | Someone must answer the airline at once |
3. Who pays between you and the buyer?
The CDC rules decide who pays the airline and facility: the importer.[3] Between you and your buyer, your contract decides. If it says nothing, the question is who was responsible for checking the entry rules. Many breeders now write this into their export contracts.
What the kennel clubs say
- Kennel clubs don’t decide entry rules. Each country’s authorities do, and they change.[5]
- Export registration is separate. If the dog will be registered in the new country, ask your own club in good time what papers are needed.
Last updated: November 12, 2026
Step by step
- Call the airline and facility yourself, with the buyer’s permission, if the buyer is struggling. Ask what they need and by when.
- Agree in writing who pays the holding and the return, even if you split it for now and sort it out later.
- Book the return flight and the collection at your end, and plan a vet check after arrival.
- Ask why entry was refused, and keep any written decision. You’ll need it if the puppy is to travel again later.
- Decide with the buyer: try again when the dog meets the rules, refund, or rehome. Put the outcome in writing.
How to prevent it next time
- Check the CDC’s current rules on the day you agree a sale, and again before the flight. Use the CDC’s own Dog Importation Navigator.
- Don’t send a dog to the US before it is six months old. Agree a later pickup date, or keep the puppy longer, and price that in.
- Check where the dog has been. A stopover can change which rules apply.
- Write an export clause: who checks the rules, who is the importer, who pays if entry is refused, and what happens to the dog then.
- Check the buyer’s CDC form receipt before the flight, and that the microchip number matches every document.
What we can’t tell you
Entry rules change, and they depend on where the dog has been. Always check the CDC’s current pages before a sale and before travel. We haven’t seen your contract, and who carries the cost between you and the buyer depends on it.
The evidence · What the CDC rules say
Every dog entering the US must be at least six months old, microchipped, healthy and have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
A dog denied entry goes back to the country it flew from, at the importer’s expense. CDC rules checked November 12, 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations. cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Information for airlines on dog importation. cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Policy statement: return of dogs and cats denied entry (28 October 2024). cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Layovers and dog importation. cdc.gov
- American Kennel Club, CDC expands rule on importing dogs into the U.S. akc.org
Related
Breeder’s Library: Exporting puppies and international sales → Breeder’s Library: Puppy sales contracts and consumer law →General information, not legal advice. Import rules change and depend on the dog’s travel history. Check the authorities’ current requirements before every sale and journey.