Dog Teams Held Up by Japanese Rules Frustrated Swiss team waiting, US negotiating By Mary Papenfuss, Newser User Posted Mar 14, 2011 3:43 AM CDT 6 comments Comments A member of the Swiss rescue team waits with her dog for the departure to Tokyo over the weekend. (AP Photo/Keystone/Walter Bieri) (Newser) – Strict Japanese rules against importing dogs are holding up canine teams that could be critical in rescuing survivors of the nation's massive quake. A Swiss team of 25 handlers and nine dogs has already been delayed, and US officials are negotiating with Japan to speed the movement of search-and-rescue dog teams from Virginia and California. "There are many rules here, so it's taking a long time," a frustrated member of the Swiss team told ABC News. (Read more Japan stories.) My Take on This Story Report a story error Show results without voting | 64% Annoying 6% Hilarious 5% Intriguing 21% Depressing 1% Brilliant 5% Scary
