This is a subject that is becoming more and more common. More and more people are helping with the transportation of animals from a high-kill shelter to a no-kill shelter or from a shelter to a rescue. Either way there are more and more people out there offering to help these dogs and cats get saved. This is a good deed. These people usually do this out of the kindness of their heart or there are donations set up to help out with a little gas money for along the way. Then you have the “For-Hire” types that charge a transport fee. This is fine but it puts them in a different category. They went from personally taking a dog or cat from one place to another to driving commercially. Most are not realizing this is how they are classified.
Based upon the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), they state that animal transporters are anyone “involved in any way in the transportation of regulated animals as part of your business operation, you must be licensed as a dealer or registered as an intermediate handler or carrier.” They have three different types of handlers/carriers:
- Carriers: Any enterprise transporting regulated animals for hire as a common carrier must be registered as a carrier. This includes airlines, railroads, motor carriers, shipping lines, and other enterprises.
- Intermediate Handlers: Anyone taking custody of regulated animals in connection with transporting them on public carriers must be registered as an intermediate handler.
- Contract Carriers: Anyone transporting regulated animals by contract or agreement must obtain a license as a dealer and is responsible for complying with all regulations and standards. This requirement covers those that are not involved as common carriers or intermediate handlers but do transport animals for profit or compensation such as transporting animals for licensed dealers to airports, pet stores, etc.
The contract carrier is where just about most for-hire transports would be classified; therefore they need to be registered through the USDA as a carrier. There is paperwork to fill out and inspections to be done before you are registered. Go to the USDA website to register in necessary.
The Animal Welfare Act states the term “carrier means the operator of any airline, railroad, motor carrier, shipping line, or other enterprise, which is engaged in the business of transporting any animals for hire.” These carriers are required to be licensed or registered. They are also required to keep record keeping, which requires carriers to make and retain records with respect to the transportation, receiving, handling, and delivery of animals. It also states that any dog or cat must have a certificate of health issued by a licensed veterinarian, certifying that he inspected the animal within ten days before such delivery, and that the animal appeared free of any infectious disease or physical abnormality that could endanger the animal or other animals or endanger the public’s health. If these provisions in this Act are violated then the Secretary of State shall make an investigation to determine if any regulation was in-fact violated. If found of a violation, there may be a civil penalty given by the Secretary of the State of not more than $10,000 for each violation and they will be given a cease and desist from continuing the violation. In the protection of pets section, if the health certificates have false information they will also fall under the same fines as above, and for each dog or cat after the first offense the carrier will be charged $5,000 per cat or dog in violation. (Information is from Sections 2132, 2133, 2134, 2140, 2143 (f)(3), 2146, 2149, and 2158)
Now the Animal Welfare Act Regulations explain in Title 9 Animals and Animal Products that there is a standard for transporting animals. The dogs and cats must be in an area with sufficient air and air flow to maintain healthy normal breathing. Each dog and cat 16 weeks or older is to be offered food at least every 24 hours and water every 12 hours. Any puppies or kitties less than 16 weeks old, food and water must be offered every 12 hours. Any carrier must observe the dogs and cats once every four hours to make sure they have sufficient air for breathing, the temperatures are good and that none of the dogs or cats are in distress. If they show signs of distress, they must be transported to the nearest veterinarian for veterinary care immediately. (Information is from Sections 3.15, 3.16, and 3.17)
If you are transporting dogs or cats that do not have any health certificates, the dogs and cats could be confiscated and sent to the local animal control facility and the carrier could be fined between $100-$500 for each and also spend up to 30 days in jail. The penalty is determined in each state and varies. The cats and dogs, if impounded, could all be euthanized as that state has no idea what diseases they may be carrying. With the Animal Welfare Act, these are basic care instructions set by the Unites States government for anyone transporting animals. They are not guidelines but rather the law. These are also normal operating standards that most carriers do follow, but there are some that may be reading this and seeing it for the first time. This is to provide you with the facts that you need to have to maintain a successful “for-hire” animal transport company.
There is also a state, county and city level to the licensing that is required having a business. Each state has their own requirements for the “for-hire” carriers. Some states view them as commercial carrier and they must have a license to do it while others you may just need an exempt certificate stating they are exempt from the licensing. Before someone decides to get into the business of “for-hire” transporting, they need to check all resources within their city, county, state and also federally to make sure they are abiding by the laws and licensing for their business.
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