kca87
Anacortes, WA (summer) La Paz, BCS, MX (winter)
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We will be crossing north in a few months and need to make some type of arrangements for one of our dogs with some dietary issues. Last year when we came through Tecate all of our dog food was confiscated by CBP - even though it was purchased at Sam's Club, was a U.S. brand and had never been opened.
Unable to find the exact same food in the San Diego area (even at the local Sam's Club) for their next meals, we bought what we thought would be similar and just about killed one of our dogs by making a sudden switch.
If anyone has some information or experience concerning dog food going north - could you please post it here for those of us with pets? Dog food is not on the CBP List of prohibited or restricted items however meat products are - but nothing specific about how the restrictions are applied for Mexico even though I've read everything I can from the US FDA.
We've got a few months to go - but we need to make some preparations for how we're going to handle this now.
Thanks everyone!
Ken,Charlene, Cody, and Jake
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moisheh
North America
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kca87: It seems that it is a******shoot. Some border agents will read you the riot act while others do not even ask. Often, if you cross @ Nogales, RV's will be sent to secondary and an ag rep may ask questions. I had posted awhile back that any type of fowl, Cooked or raw, is strictly prohibited. Do they put chicken parts in dog food? If so it will not be allowed.
Moisheh
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Francesca Knowles
Port Hadlock, Washington
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Was this DRY dog food that got barred?
I think I read a while back that there were some concerns about some kind of weevil or something in DRY pet foods- maybe that's what California Ag.'s concerned about.
If yours was a dry food, could you switch the dogs to something canned that WOULD get across O.K.?
Barring that, you might try to find and switch them (gradually) to some brand of dry food available on both sides of the border.
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien
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mamestra
Campbell River, B.C. Canada
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Do I understand this correctly, you cannot bring back a bag of unopened, made in the USA dog food back into the USA from Mexico? Does anyone know why? I can understand if it is open, but unopened?
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Barbilou and Fujimo
Show Low, AZ and Kino Bay Mexico
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I know the OP's looking for a concrete published directive on this,but like Moisheh said, it's a ****shoot.
They've taken our pet food every single time at Nogales, bar none. HOWEVER, they've allowed us to keep enough to feed them that night.
Maybe you could have some mailed to General Delivery at the Nogales post office, so it's waiting there for you?
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moisheh
North America
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mamestra; The regs for importing any foods are nuts! Once a US manufactured product leaves the USA it is not considered American . Maybe they are afraid it became contaminated ??? Remember that this is the same FDA that had border guards take away canned soup and roast beef sandwiches!
Moisheh
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kca87
Anacortes, WA (summer) La Paz, BCS, MX (winter)
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Okay - thanks everyone. I think we'll assume dog food will be confiscated and make plans accordingly.
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kca87
Anacortes, WA (summer) La Paz, BCS, MX (winter)
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Quote:Was this DRY dog food that got barred?
and Quote:Do I understand this correctly, you cannot bring back a bag of unopened, made in the USA dog food back into the USA from Mexico? Does anyone know why? I can understand if it is open, but unopened?
I forgot to answer your questions when I posted again.
Yes - dry unopened dog food was confiscated. I have heard that drugs can sometimes be hidden in dry dog food . . . I'm not sure about that but it is what I have heard.
I can only guess, from the CBP website which points to APHIS/USDA which points to about 10 or 12 other sites at that meat products from certain countries can be a risk . . .
I would have liked to ask but the CBP official that inspected us was not at all friendly or talkative. We asked and were allowed to feed our dogs one helping of food right there before the food was taken. We just didn't push it by asking why.
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iguana07
Ventura, CA. USA
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The last 2 years I have crossed with dry dog food, told them when asked that it was still in original U.S. purchased bag. One year the bag was open and last year it was a full unopened bag. Both times they let us through???
I do intend on returning this year with about 20#s it will be in its original open bag we will see what happens.
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MexiNow
Mexico
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In April, on our NB trip we crossed at Nogales and we were checked by a very strict border officer. He told me to put the dog in the kennel and we were to sit down. He said 'You only have enough dog food for 3 meals, RIGHT?!! I said 'Yes, plus we have a new bag that has not been opened yet. We bought it in the US before crossing into Mexico'. He said he wasn't interested in the unopened bags but they are supposed to take anything in an open bag in excess of a couple of meals.
He went on to explain that it was because people have been taking empty bags down to Mexico and are filling them with cheap dog food that they buy there and are bringing it back with them into the US. They have no idea what is in the dog food and for this reason they have to take it.
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