Transportation Rules

Recognized normal temperature ranges for indoor housing of animals. The upper limit of high temperature where auxiliary cooling is required is around 80-90° F depending on the species. Since transporters are not going to change their thermostat settings for different species Ò or if multiple species are in the same shipment, most vendors/institutions set the upper limit at 80° F.

When temperatures exceed 80° F, then air conditioning must be used to prevent heat stress from occurring. This is best done by requiring transporting trucks and vehicles to have climate controlled compartments (functioning air conditioning).

• Rodents   64-79° F
• Rabbits   61-72° F
• Dogs/Cats   64-84° F

Note that the federal laws do NOT require that air conditioning be required as a pre-requisite to shipping animals. But the law says that the ambient temperatures of the animals shipped must be within their prescribed limits. There are exceptions to these rules as well, and they describe how veterinarians can certify colder or hotter shipments.

Here is what the Animal Welfare Act says about the ÏTransportation of Warmblooded Animals Other Than Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Nonhuman Primates, and Marine Mammals.Ó I have highlighted the relevant section that applies to the temperature requirement.

Ê3.136 Consignments to carriers and intermediate handlers.

(a) Carriers and intermediate handlers shall not accept any live animals presented by any dealer, research facility, exhibitor, operator of an auction sale, or other person, or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or any State or local government for shipment, in commerce, more than 4 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the primary conveyance on which it is to be transported: Provided, however, That the carrier or intermediate handler and any dealer, research facility, exhibitor, operator of an auction sale, or other person, or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or any State or local government may mutually agree to extend the time of acceptance to not more than 6 hours if specific prior scheduling of the animal shipment to destination has been made.

(b) Any carrier or intermediate handler shall only accept for transportation or transport, in commerce, any live animal in a primary enclosure which conforms to the requirements set forth in Ê3.137 of the standards: Provided, however, That any carrier or intermediate handler may accept for transportation or transport, in commerce, any live animal consigned by any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States having laboratory animal facilities or exhibiting animals or any licensed or registered dealer, research facility, exhibitor, or operator of an auction sale if the consignor furnishes to the carrier or intermediate handler a certificate, signed by the consignor, stating that the primary enclosure complies with Ê3.137 of the standards, unless such primary enclosure is obviously defective or damaged and it is apparent that it cannot reasonably be expected to contain the live animal without causing suffering or injury to such live animal. A copy of such certificate shall accompany the shipment to destination. The certificate shall include at least the following information:

   (1) Name and address of the consignor;

   (2) The number of animals in the primary enclosure(s);

   (3) A certifying statement (e.g., "I hereby certify that the __ (number) primary enclosure(s) which are used to transport the animal(s) in this shipment complies (comply) with USDA standards for primary enclosures (9 CFR part 3)."); and

   (4) The signature of the consignor, and date.

(c) Carriers or intermediate handlers whose facilities fail to meet the minimum temperature allowed by the standards may accept for transportation or transport, in commerce, any live animal consigned by any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or of any State or local government, or by any person (including any licensee or registrant under the Act, as well as any private individual) if the consignor furnishes to the carrier or intermediate handler a certificate executed by a veterinarian accredited by this Department pursuant to part 160 of this title on a specified date which shall not be more than 10 days prior to delivery of such animal for transportation in commerce, stating that such live animal is acclimated to air temperatures lower than those prescribed in Ê3.141 and 3.142. A copy of such certificate shall accompany the shipment to destination. The certificate shall include at least the following information:

  (1) Name and address of the consignor;

  (2) The number of animals in the shipment;

  (3) A certifying statement (e.g., "I hereby certify that the animal(s) in this shipment is (are), to the best of my knowledge, acclimated to air temperatures lower than 7.2°C. (45°F.)"); and

  (4) The signature of the USDA accredited veterinarian, assigned accreditation number, and date.

(d) Carriers and intermediate handlers shall attempt to notify the consignee at least once in every 6 hour period following the arrival of any live animals at the animal holding area of the terminal cargo facility. The time, date, and method of each attempted notification and the final notification to the consignee and the name of the person notifying the consignee shall be recorded on the copy of the shipping document retained by the carrier or intermediate handler and on a copy of the shipping document accompanying the animal shipment.

[42 FR 31569, June 21, 1977 , as amended at 43 FR 21166, May 16, 1978 . Redesignated at 44 FR 36874, July 22, 1979 , and amended at 44 FR 63493, Nov. 2, 1979 ]

Ê3.138 Primary conveyances (motor vehicle, rail, air, and marine).

(a) The animal cargo space of primary conveyances used in transporting live animals shall be designed and constructed to protect the health, and ensure the safety and comfort of the live animals contained therein at all times.

(b) The animal cargo space shall be constructed and maintained in a manner to prevent the ingress of engine exhaust fumes and gases from the primary conveyance during transportation in commerce.

(c) No live animal shall be placed in an animal cargo space that does not have a supply of air sufficient for normal breathing for each live animal contained therein, and the primary enclosures shall be positioned in the animal cargo space in such a manner that each live animal has access to sufficient air for normal breathing.

(d) Primary enclosures shall be positioned in the primary conveyance in such a manner that in an emergency the live animals can be removed from the primary conveyance as soon as possible.

(e) The interior of the animal cargo space shall be kept clean.

Ê3.140 Care in transit.

(a) During surface transportation, it shall be the responsibility of the driver or other employee to visually observe the live animals as frequently as circumstances may dictate, but not less than once every 4 hours, to assure that they are receiving sufficient air for normal breathing, their ambient temperatures are within the prescribed limits, all other applicable standards are being complied with and to determine whether any of the live animals are in obvious physical distress and to provide any needed veterinary care as soon as possible. When transported by air, live animals shall be visually observed by the carrier as frequently as circumstances may dictate, but not less than once every 4 hours, if the animal cargo space is accessible during flight. If the animal cargo space is not accessible during flight, the carrier shall visually observe the live animals whenever loaded and unloaded and whenever the animal cargo space is otherwise accessible to assure that they are receiving sufficient air for normal breathing, their ambient temperatures are within the prescribed limits, all other applicable standards are being complied with and to determine whether any such live animals are in obvious physical distress. The carrier shall provide any needed veterinary care as soon as possible. No animal in obvious physical distress shall be transported in commerce.

Ê3.141 Terminal facilities.

Carriers and intermediate handlers shall not commingle live animal shipments with inanimate cargo. All animal holding areas of a terminal facility of any carrier or intermediate handler wherein live animal shipments are maintained shall be cleaned and sanitized in a manner prescribed in Ê3.141 of the standards often enough to prevent an accumulation of debris or excreta, to minimize vermin infestation and to prevent a disease hazard. An effective program for the control of insects, ectoparasites, and avian and mammalian pests shall be established and maintained for all animal holding areas. Any animal holding area containing live animals shall be provided with fresh air by means of windows, doors vents, or air conditioning and may be ventilated or air circulated by means of fans, blowers, or an air conditioning system so as to minimize drafts, odors, and moisture condensation. Auxiliary ventilation, such as exhaust fans and vents or fans or blowers or air conditioning shall be used for any animal holding area containing live animals when the air temperature within such animal holding area is 23.9°C. (75.°F.) or higher. The air temperature around any live animal in any animal holding area shall not be allowed to fall below 7.2°C. (45°F.) nor be allowed to exceed 29.5°C. (85°F.) at any time: Provided, however, That no live animal shall be subjected to surrounding air temperatures which exceed 23.9°C. (75°F.) for more than 4 hours at any time. To ascertain compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, the air temperature around any live animal shall be measured and read outside the primary enclosure which contains such animal at a distance not to exceed .91 meters (3 feet) from any one of the external walls of the primary enclosure and on a level parallel to the bottom of such primary enclosure at a point which approximates half the distance between the top and bottom of such primary enclosure.

[43 FR 56217, Dec. 1, 1978 . Redesignated at 44 FR 36874, July 22, 1979 ]