Dog Quarantine Near LAX: How It Works and What to Expect

April 18, 2025

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If your dog is arriving in the U.S. from a country the CDC considers high-risk for rabies, there’s a good chance a 28-day quarantine will be required. This isn’t something you can choose to skip or work around—if your paperwork isn’t perfect or if the CDC mandates it based on where your dog is coming from, quarantine becomes part of the entry process. Since Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the few approved ports of entry for these situations, and Rue’s Kennels is one of the only CDC-approved animal care facilities near the airport, I want to help you understand exactly what happens and how we take care of dogs while they’re here.



The CDC’s job is to prevent rabies from entering the country. If your dog is coming from a high-risk country and doesn’t meet every CDC requirement—like being under six months old, missing a microchip, or having an expired or unverified rabies vaccine—they’ll need to go through quarantine. That’s where I come in.


When a dog arrives at LAX and we’ve been contacted to receive them, we start by meeting them at the airport and handling all the customs and clearance work. You don’t need to be there for this part. We handle everything from picking your dog up to getting them safely into our facility. Once they’re checked in at Rue’s Kennels, we verify their microchip and paperwork and then start the quarantine timeline. If they need to be revaccinated for rabies by our USDA-accredited veterinarian, that becomes day one of the 28-day clock.


While your dog is here, we provide daily care, monitoring, and updates. This isn’t just a holding area—we give them a clean, climate-controlled suite to rest in, and our team is here all day and overnight. We make sure they’re fed on a regular schedule, have clean water, get time outside, and are checked multiple times a day for any signs of illness or stress. If anything seems off, our vet is alerted immediately. We log everything and follow CDC reporting guidelines.


One thing to know: during quarantine, no visits are allowed. I understand how hard that is. People care deeply about their pets, and being separated for nearly a month can be stressful. But we make sure you’re kept in the loop. We send you updates, let you know how they’re doing, and make sure the transition at the end of the quarantine is smooth.


It’s also important to point out that we don’t decide whether or not your dog needs to be quarantined—the CDC does. Our role is to provide the space, care, and oversight required by federal guidelines. We make sure your dog is safe, comfortable, and treated with compassion while they meet the CDC’s timeline and requirements. It’s a responsibility we take seriously.


Some of the most common reasons dogs end up in quarantine are:


  • They’re under six months old
  • Their rabies vaccination was administered too recently to be valid
  • The vaccine can’t be verified
  • The dog wasn’t microchipped before vaccination
  • Required documents are incomplete or inaccurate

If you’re importing a dog and you think quarantine might be necessary, it’s best to reach out before the flight lands. That way, we can prepare the suite, confirm availability, and make sure we’re ready to receive your dog directly from the airport. We’ve worked with rescue organizations, private owners, and groups bringing in dogs from all over the world, so we’re used to the paperwork and process.


Our location is just minutes from LAX, and we built this facility with this exact situation in mind. From day one, Rue’s Kennels was designed to support international dog intake and meet the CDC’s exact standards. Every suite is cleaned regularly, and dogs are separated from one another to prevent contact during quarantine. Our team is trained on animal care, CDC protocols, and stress management techniques, especially for international arrivals who might be overwhelmed from travel.


I also want to make it clear that we don’t operate like a traditional boarding facility during quarantine. While we do offer daycare and boarding services, the CDC quarantine process is its own regulated system. We can’t take shortcuts, and we don’t rush the process. Once the 28 days are up and our vet confirms your dog is healthy and showing no signs of illness, we’ll arrange a time for you to pick them up or coordinate transport to their next destination.


This is never an easy process for dog owners, but we’re here to make it as smooth and stress-free as possible. The key is preparation. Make sure you understand CDC requirements ahead of time. Know what country your dog is coming from, confirm their vaccine paperwork, and don’t wait until the last minute. If quarantine is likely, reach out to us early so we can be ready.


I’ve seen what happens when travelers try to skip steps or assume everything will be fine. Dogs get denied entry. Flights are missed. In worst-case scenarios, dogs are returned to their country of origin at the owner’s expense. It’s not worth the risk. Working with a CDC-registered facility like ours ensures your dog has a place to go if quarantine is necessary and that they’ll be properly cared for throughout the process.


If you’re not sure whether your dog needs quarantine or not, I’d recommend reviewing the CDC’s website and contacting us with your paperwork. We can take a look and help guide you on next steps. We can’t override CDC decisions, but we can help you avoid mistakes and prepare correctly.


Our goal here at Rue’s Kennels is to take care of your dog with the same attention and respect we’d want for our own pets. If quarantine becomes part of your importation process, we’ll be here to walk you through it and make sure your dog is safe until they can come home. Let me know if you have questions—we’ve handled hundreds of these cases, and we’re happy to help however we can.

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