The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has issued a ban on importing dogs rescued from other countries. The ban is to go into effect on July 14th and will likely last at least one year. Thousands of dogs' lives are in jeopardy. Dogs are routinely discarded and left to fend for themselves in harsh conditions and are often subjected to abuse, starvation and many die.

I adopted Lucy, a golden retriever from Istanbul, Turkey through Kyra's Rescue after Zach, our golden from GRREAT, died. All of the dogs rescued by Kyra's Rescue are fully vetted, vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped. They follow all of the CDC and USDA protocols. I had spent months searching online at all of the golden retriever rescues on the east coast. There were no dogs available or the rescue only adopted in their geographical area. I would always choose to adopt rather than buy a dog from a breeder.

What about the homeless dogs in the United States? We have two other dogs and a cat that are rescues from shelters in Virginia. I have been volunteering at a rural shelter for eight years. Yes, I do care about ALL dogs.

Think about the dogs in China and Korea that are slaughtered for the meat trade. What will happen to them? There are many fine rescue organizations saving dogs from other countries where they would have no chance of a happy life. The CDC will make it impossible to transport dogs to the United States. The ban is unfair and puts thousands of dogs at risk.

Pam VanDerbeek

Earlysville, VA