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Bringing a rescue dog into Massachusetts: the import rules

Import rules for adopters

Bringing a rescue dog into Massachusetts: the import rules

Adopting from out of state means paperwork before the dog ever reaches your door, and Massachusetts writes most of it into regulation. This page walks through what the rescue has to do, what you should receive, and what you owe your town and your vet once the dog is home. It is a summary for adopters and not legal advice; MDAR or the rescue can answer for a specific dog.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · rules checked for fall 2026

Every imported dog

Any dog entering Massachusetts needs an official health certificate

Chapter 129, section 39G(a), says a dog or cat 'brought or shipped into the commonwealth shall be accompanied by an official health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian,' with a copy sent to the commissioner of agricultural resources. The certificate must be approved by the origin state's chief livestock official, name the consignor and the consignee, give the age, sex, breed and a description of each animal, certify that it is free from visual evidence of infectious or contagious disease, and show rabies vaccination within the previous 12 months.

MDAR's shipment rule, 330 CMR 3.00, adds that the certificate must show the dog has not been exposed to rabies, and that a dog from an area where rabies was known in the six months before import must have been vaccinated within 12 months and may be quarantined at the director's discretion for at least 14 days. A dog that arrives without the required certificate faces a 90-day quarantine unless the director releases it to be returned to its home state. Dogs only passing through, and performing dogs kept under direct control, are exempt.

An official health certificate from an accredited vet, approved by the origin state
Proof of rabies vaccination within the previous 12 months
Not currently vaccinated: vaccinate under chapter 140, section 145B
No certificate: a 90-day quarantine, or a trip back to the home state

Rescue imports

Rescues need an MDAR import license and 48 hours of isolation for every dog

Rescue and shelter placements fall under 330 CMR 30.00. Section 30.03 says no individual or entity may operate a rescue, or import or place animals in Massachusetts, without an MDAR license. MDAR's frequently asked questions add that a private person rehoming animals needs a license too, and that any organization adopting animals to Massachusetts residents must be licensed, wherever it is based. Groups that bring in dogs and cats from outside the state need an import license rather than a local one.

Section 30.08 sets the procedure. Each imported dog goes directly on arrival to an approved isolation room and stays at least 48 hours, and the clock restarts if a new dog or cat joins the room. A veterinarian then examines it, and a healthy dog receives a health certificate before leaving; a sick one is quarantined until a vet clears it. The dog must also travel on an official certificate of veterinary inspection issued no earlier than 30 days before import, have had at least one vaccine before shipment and, at 6 months or older, a negative heartworm test within three months before shipment.

Document	Who issues it	When
Official certificate of veterinary inspection (OCVI)	A USDA-accredited vet in the origin state	No earlier than 30 days before import; void 30 days after issue
Health certificate after isolation	A veterinarian, once the 48 hours are up	Before the dog leaves isolation; MDAR treats it as valid for 180 days while the dog stays healthy
Disclosure statement and partial animal record	The rescue	Before placement
Rabies certificate	A veterinarian	By 6 months of age, or within 30 days of arrival for an older unvaccinated dog
Town dog license	The clerk where the dog is kept	For any dog over 6 months

What adopters receive

Before placement you should receive a disclosure statement and the dog's records

Section 30.09 limits what a licensed rescue may place and what it must hand over. The dog must be at least eight weeks old, must have been examined by a vet and issued a health certificate within 180 days before placement, and must have a complete individual animal record on file. Before placement, the rescue must give the prospective adopter a disclosure statement, which the regulation defines as a written statement of all of the animal's known medical and behavioral issues, together with a partial animal record.

Two more rules matter to families. A dog with behavioral issues that may pose a safety risk, such as aggression, may be placed only after training that mitigates the risk to MDAR's satisfaction, or with a disclosure statement the adopter signs plus an agreement to set up a management plan or hire a trainer or behaviorist. And dogs are to be spayed or neutered before adoption; a pup too young for surgery may go home with a sterilization clause that requires a vet's written proof of the surgery by six months of age.

A disclosure statement of all known medical and behavioral issues
A partial animal record that includes the health certificate
Vaccination history, with DHPP given on intake unless records show it is current
Spay or neuter, or a sterilization clause with a six-month deadline

Once the dog is home

Rabies within 30 days, a town license, and a quiet first month

Chapter 140, section 145B, requires a dog 6 months or older to be vaccinated against rabies, and an unvaccinated dog moved into the commonwealth must be vaccinated within 30 days of arrival or on reaching 6 months, whichever comes later. Section 137 then requires a license for any dog over 6 months from the clerk of the city or town where it is kept, which in Gloucester means the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave. Book the vet in the first week and both deadlines take care of themselves.

The law ends at the paperwork; the adjustment does not. A rescue new to Cape Ann meets new smells, gulls, foghorns and possibly its first sight of the ocean, and some dogs need weeks before group play is a good idea. Our free evaluation, on weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30, checks Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella and the city license, then tells you honestly whether a playgroup suits the dog yet. Calm & Connected, one of our training programs, is written for adolescents, new rescues and adult dogs, and sessions start from $94.

01
Ask the rescue for its MDAR license and confirm it holds an import license
02
Ask where the dog will be isolated and when its 48 hours end
03
Collect the OCVI, the post-isolation health certificate and the disclosure statement
04
See your vet in the first week to confirm rabies status and do a checkup
05
License the dog with your city or town clerk
06
Book the free daycare evaluation once the dog has settled at home

At Dogtown

When your rescue is ready

Daycare and Academy days give a settled rescue company, exercise and structure. Both begin with a free evaluation.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Do I need a health certificate to bring my own dog into Massachusetts?

As written, chapter 129, section 39G applies to any dog or cat brought or shipped into the commonwealth, not only to rescues, and requires an official health certificate from an accredited veterinarian with rabies vaccination in the previous 12 months. MDAR's shipment rule exempts dogs only passing through. Ask your vet about the certificate before a move.

Why does a rescue dog have to be isolated for 48 hours?

Section 30.08 of MDAR's rescue regulation requires each dog imported under an import license to go straight to an approved isolation room for at least 48 hours, then be examined by a vet and issued a health certificate before release. The regulation describes this as observation for signs of infectious or contagious illness before the animal mixes with others.

Can I collect a transport dog straight off the van?

Not a rescue import. MDAR's frequently asked questions say dogs entering Massachusetts for rescue, adoption or foster must enter an approved isolation facility immediately on arrival, and the regulation requires 48 hours there and a vet's health certificate before release. Ask the rescue where and when you can collect your dog.

Is there any exception to the isolation rule?

One narrow one. MDAR's frequently asked questions describe a direct owner surrender from Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont or New York, where the owner personally brings the dog to a Massachusetts organization with a valid official certificate of veterinary inspection and proof of ownership. Transport by a rescue, volunteers or any other third party does not qualify.

When can a newly adopted rescue start daycare at Dogtown?

Once it is vaccinated, licensed and settled at home. We need Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file and a current city dog license, and the dog does a free evaluation on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30. Give a new arrival time first; the evaluation tells us both whether a group suits it yet.