New Rules for International Dog Travel, TSA's Cutest Canine Winner, MLB Pup Scores with Fans, and More!

Jet-setting pups have some new rules from the CDC.  photo illustration: Ali Cherkis; Getty Images

CDC Clamps Down on Rabies: New Rules for International Dog Travel

Heads up, four-footed travelers! The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added new international rules for traveling with dogs. That includes rescue pups arriving from other countries, as well as jet-setting vacationers traveling with their own furry friends. And while the airline component has gotten more press, the new rules also apply to any dogs arriving by car or on foot (see details here). 

Aimed at stemming the spread of rabies (definitely a good thing), the updated regs are intended to bring the U.S. into line with pet rules in other developed countries. Still, this does add to the paperwork involved and some airlines and passengers have reportedly had a hard time catching up. 

The CDC says the new policies are a long overdue response to dogs entering the U.S. with shady or falsified rabies vaccine records. In one 2021 case, a rescue dog from Azerbaijan arrived at Chicago's O'Hare with the deadly disease, sparking suspicions of vaccine fraud and a multi-state investigation. 

While the new system may take some getting used to, let's keep our eyes on the prize. The last case of dog rabies in the U.S. was in 2017. With your help, the CDC hopes to keep it that way. 

Source: wired.com

There's a new star at SFO - Barni, a German Shorthaired Pointer, won TSA's Cutest Canine contest.  photo: TSA

Meanwhile, Over In the Screening Line...
Meet TSA's Very Good Boy

In other flying news, the San Francisco International Airport scored bragging rights recently when one of its sniffer dogs was named the winner of this year's Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Cutest Canine Contest. 

But Barni, a 5-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer, is more than just another pretty face. He and his TSA handler, Michelle Cogle, have a super serious charge: screening thousands of travelers each day for explosives at SFO. 

Despite a career that might daunt many humans, Barni is always happy to come to work. "He loves his job keeping travelers safe," reports Michelle. 

While Barni enjoys meeting and sniffing passengers, petting is strictly off limits while he's on the clock. But this handsome guy doesn't lack for spoiling in his downtime. When he's off duty, he lives with Michelle at her home, where his favorite activities include playing fetch, getting ear rubs, and chasing squirrels. 

As part of his prize, Barni will be featured as the very good cover boy on the TSA's 2025 calendar, available on the TSA website later this year. Who knew those hardass security types were pushovers for pups just like the rest of us? 

Sources: sfgate.com, tsa.gov

Shohei Ohtani’s adorable pup Decoy made the news by joining the field for a first pitch.  photo: Getty Images

Hot Dog! 
Major League Pup Delivers the Charm

With the World Series gearing up this month, dog-loving baseball fans are already wondering when they'll see more of Dodgers' phenom Shohei Ohtani’s adorable pup Decoy.  

The little brown and white charmer ran the ball from the pitcher's mound to home plate last month in a unique ceremonial first pitch that delighted over 53,000 fans at Dodger Stadium and millions more broadcast viewers. Decoy is a Dutch Kooikerhondje, meaning "duck catcher's small dog," though in this case a better translation might be "star pitcher's small dog."

Ohtani reported that he'd been training Decoy for more than three weeks before his big league debut. "It's a really special night," he said through an interpreter, about Decoy's performance. "I hope to buy some special snack for him." 

May we suggest a classic ballpark frank for the team's newest star? Maybe hold the mustard.

Source: nytimes.com

The paparazzi will be thrilled to know the Westminster Dog Show is returning to the Big Apple in 2025.  photo: Westminster Kennel Club

Fancy Dog News:
Westminster Returns to the Big Apple

We're confirmed mutt lovers at our house, but even so we still seem to get sucked into this foofy extravaganza every year. Now we've learned that the vaunted Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be back in Manhattan this February for the first time since the pandemic. If you want to attend the big do in person, tickets are already on sale. 

Evening events, including Group judging and Best in Show, will take place at the iconic Madison Square Garden on February 9 and 10. Look for daytime events, including Agility, on February 8, 10, and 11 at the nearby Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

As always, we suggest you warm up by screening Best in Show, Christopher Guest's classic 2000 mockumentary starring Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, and a host of other comedy greats (for a shorter taste, just watch this clip of "God Loves a Terrier."

And if you still want to go after all that, you'll find tickets, hotel info, and more at westminsterkennelclub.org

Source: westminsterkennelclub.org

This dog was among a dozen canines that helped to scatter native seeds at a British nature reserve. photo: Dylan Walker, Washington Post

Just a Little Green:
Dogs Help Rejuvenate Nature Reserve

The Nature Reserve in Lewes, England, had been nearly loved to death by visitors to this popular hiking and dog walking spot. "It was a degraded woodland," says Dylan Walker, the reserve's wildlife manager. "We weren't seeing any plants coming up." 

Now dogs are part of the plan to rejuvenate the area. Visitors can let their dogs run free in the reserve as long as the pups are wearing specially designed Doggie Saddle Bags filled with seed mix. Tiny holes in the bags allow frisky pups to scatter native wildflowers and other seeds in areas all across the reserve's 25 acres. Walker notes the dogs' actions mimic how wolves once roamed the U.K., picking up seeds on their fur and depositing them in other places. 

The first re-greening pups were set loose on the job five months ago, and shoots are already sprouting up. "We're seeing some early germination, and next year, we'll see some flowering," Walker says. "Our plant life is coming back." 

All in a day's work for these freelance canine conservationists. 

Sources: cbsnews.com, wapo.st