There ’s a Travel Ban on Dogs From More Than 100 Countries, and You Can Blame COVID-19

Marine Sgt. John Weldon was deployed in Syria when a dying, days-old puppy appeared at his military base in the middle of May. To save the newborn, which was barely bigger than the hand of the local who dropped it off, the infantryman scoured the Internet for a recipe for puppy formula that he could make with limited ingredients. He nursed the pup every two to three hours with a mixture of condensed milk, egg yolk, water and yogurt, using a medical breathing tube and a syringe. Weldon watched as the puppy he named Sully opened his eyes for the first time, as his baby teeth grew in, and as his puppy nose turn from speckled-pink to black. The two had bonded by the time the U.S. announced that, starting in July, dogs from 112 countries, including Syria, would be banned from entering the U.S. due to rabies concerns for at least a year. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Then, Weldon left Syria earlier than expected in August to help U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan, disrupting any chance of arranging to bring Sully home with him. “My hands were tied,” says Weldon, 30, who’s now back in California, still waiting to be reunited with his dog. Like so many of life’s disruptions in the past 20 months, the pandemic is at the center of the predicament facing Weldon and countless other humans and animals. In 2020, as the U.S. reported shelter shortages amid surges in U.S. pet adoptions, sellers overseas capitalized on the demand, sending over hundre...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 nationpod Travel Source Type: news