The Foreign Service Journal, October 2021

56 OCTOBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL an officer moving to North Africa. His family made the difficult decision to leave their dog behind in the United States for now “because of the uncertainty the CDC has created for us.” “Going into bidding season, the ban is certainly making my family rethink our plans to serve again overseas,” says a Foreign Service officer currently in the Middle East. “We’ve done nothing but hardship tours my entire career. I’m not sure that’s feasible anymore.” The CDC Responds Dr. Emily Pieracci, zoonoses team lead in the CDC’s Quar- antine and Border Health Services Branch, says the agency is working on a longer-term solution. But in the meantime, she adds: “We have worked diligently to identify a temporary course of action that will simultaneously reduce the risk of importing a rabid dog, protect the health and safety of animals during and after travel, and allow USG personnel who are serving our coun- try overseas to import their dogs into the United States.” The CDC’s Federal Register notice, posted in July, cites three incidents of rabies-positive dogs imported by rescue groups over six years, and a more recent uptick in problematic import paperwork. While personal pets were not involved in the rabies cases, Dr. Pieracci suggests there have been cases of suspicious or incomplete paperwork with government personnel. She did not provide specifics. The agency says overseas Americans should maintain up- to-date vaccines and titer tests annually to speed the permit process in the event of an evacuation or medical emergency. “CDC works with DOS and DOD when these kinds of emergen- cies arise and will handle these situations on a case-by-case basis,” a spokesman says. At this writing, however, there is no expedited permit process available on the CDC website, nor any appeals process if a permit or entry is denied. Under the policy, the airline—not the pet owner—must take possession of dogs denied entry and quickly deport them. The Foreign Affairs Community Pushes Back AFSA says it recognizes the high value its members place on serving alongside their pets. “We have engaged with the CDC director to find ways to make certain these new regulations can be realistically complied with,” says AFSA President Eric Rubin. “We have met with some success … but a general exemption for government employees on official travel orders, at least until after the transfer season, makes the most sense.” Heather Harper-Troje is part of a grassroots movement to raise awareness of the impacts of the ban. She and others orga- nized—in particular, through the Facebook group Foreign Affairs Friends of Animals Network—and launched a petition that garnered more than 10,000 signatures in just over a week. They also organized outreach to legislators on Capitol Hill and earned media coverage. “If there’s anything we’ve all learned from the Foreign Service life, it’s that we’re stronger together,” she says. Many in the foreign affairs community say their pets are full-fledged members of the family, and without being confident about getting dogs home from certain posts, they may be unwill- ing to serve there. With bidding season underway, this should be an urgent concern for the State Department and other agencies, as well. n The author’s dog, Evie, snuggles on embassy- provided furniture (below) and conducts doggie diplomacy at a school in Saudi Arabia, where many children aren’t familiar with how to interact with dogs as pets. Firu has lived with Heather Harper-Troje and family in Honduras and Costa Rica. Now 12, he is semiretired in Miami. COURTESYHEATHERHARPER-TROJE MELISSAMATHEWS