The USDA License Difference
You may have seen transporters advertising themselves as “USDA Transporter”, but what exactly does that mean for your pet? The USDA is responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations set forth by the federal Animal Welfare Act. This act gives rules for what conditions are required for transport vehicles, how often pets should be given food and water in transit, how old a pet should be before being booked for transport, and what health documents transporters should always carry with them.
The USDA also does unannounced inspections of their registered transporters. This is a level of accountability that you will not get with an unregistered transporter. These inspections check that the paperwork the transporter has is all in order, and also makes sure that the transport vehicle, crates, and pets are clean and in excellent condition.
Let’s take a look at what a few of these regulations are.
Crate Requirements
There are safety regulations about what type of crates can be used in transport. Crates should be large enough for pets to stand, lay down, and turn around comfortably, and pets should not be able to put any body parts outside of the crate. Crate materials should be sturdy, with a solid floor and good ventilation, and the crate should be easy to access and open in the event of an emergency.
Primary enclosures used to transport dogs and cats must be constructed so that: (1) The primary enclosure is strong enough to contain the dogs and cats securely and comfortably and to withstand the normal rigors of transportation; (2) The interior of the primary enclosure has no sharp points or edges and no protrusions that could injure the animal contained in it; (3) The dog or cat is at all times securely contained within the enclosure and cannot put any part of its body outside the enclosure in a way that could result in injury to itself, to handlers, or to persons or animals nearby; (4) The dog or cat can be easily and quickly removed from the enclosure in an emergency;
Animal Welfare Act
While traditional Vari-Kennels do meet the requirements for the USDA transport enclosures, they do not hold up well in an accident, and dog’s have been known to open the doors. We utilize RuffLand Kennels as they are a much sturdier plastic, with stronger doors that have material that doesn’t bend like a Vari-Kennel door. Wire crates, fabric crates, and dogs riding loose or with a seatbelt are NOT acceptable under USDA regulations.
USDA Transporter Age Requirements
The minimum age for a dog or cat to be transported by a professional is 8 weeks old, and all puppies and kittens must be fully weaned. If your puppy or kitten is traveling with any of their littermates, they can hang out with each other in the same kennel. If not, they will be solo in their own kennel. While not a requirement from USDA, we also have a “No Paws On Ground” policy for younger pets. Instead of being leash walked at stops, puppies will play in a fully sanitized X-Pen, with a barrier keeping them from touching grass or soil. This is done with any puppy who has not finished their vaccine series.
Paperwork and Health Requirements
All pets who travel with a USDA transporter need a health certificate from a veterinarian. The USDA requirement says that this certificate should be issued within 10 days of travel, but we have a policy of 7 days. By having the 7 day requirement, your certificate will still be valid in the unlikely event of a weather or mechanical delay, and you can avoid a last minute trip back to the vet. When picking up your pet, I will ask you when the last time was that your pet had food or water, and add that information to my record. Any medication your pet needs will also be documented.
Trust But Verify
If you are interviewing a transporter for your pet, and they claim that they are USDA licensed, you can double check that information. You can look up your transporter on the USDA website, and make sure that their license is valid. Unfortunately, some scammers have lied to people about being licensed, but you can easily verify things in just a few minutes.
