I personally do not know of any rescues or shelters who have received dogs from Haiti, but maybe some shelters in the South are getting them and they may eventually work their way up here.  It’s been discovered that many Haitian dogs are carriers of screwworms, a nasty parasite that not only harms dogs but can infest humans too.  Screwworms were eradicated in the U.S. in the 1980’s.  The screwworm is a grey-blue fly with orange eyes, and it lays its eggs in open wounds and the maggots eat the flesh of its host.  Typically, about 400 eggs are laid at a time, and as they hatch and become maggots, the host animal can die within 2 weeks if untreated.  Screwworms were a major problem for the cattle industry before they were eliminated.

Screwworms are deceptive and not always easy to detect.  When the eggs are laid in a wound and the wound closes up, it can be difficult to detect their presence.  USDA veterinarians are supposed to be inspecting animals coming into the U.S. from other countries, but the screwworms can be overlooked if the wounds have healed over.  The maggots are still underneath the skin, eating their way out and slowly killing the animal.

If you know anyone who is involved with Haitian dog rescue, please alert them to this problem.