Inter and Intra state transport

[Anntann]

Because of a thread on a yahoo group I got to looking around at various regulations and found that Wisconsin requires a vet certificate for any rabbit (any animal, in fact) being brought into or being returned into the State of Wisconsin. Amazing.

In California they recommend a vet certificate, but do not require one.

Pennsylvania is ambiguous. Defining various animals in their regs, but rabbit doesn't appear, but could loosely fall under their generic "animal" definition...but it could easily be argued.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_states.shtml is the USDA page that could be the start of your journey to finding out your regulations if you live in the U.S. (Canada...I'm assuming there is something similar somewhere but I've not found it yet)

The linked page has links to every U.S. state's Ag website, (some are outdated, so you may have to search further). Once you get to your state's site, just do a search on "rabbit" or "animal importation" or "animal transportation" and you should come up with either articles or the actual regulations.

Now....does everyone who takes a rabbit to a show in the next state have a vet certificate? Or when a rabbit is sold to someone out of state do you get a certificate? :lol: no. It's VERY uncommon for these regulations to be enforced. heck...I've driven all over the US with my dogs and have NEVER been stopped for the dogs. Even when stopped at Florida's border for citrus fruit, the guys just petted my dogs and never asked about any certificates. There are only a few borders that have inspection stations (Arizona, California, Florida) and those are for "livestock" and fruits and veggies.

 

[DevonW]

I've driven through Wisconsin with 36 rabbits in the back of a van, and next weekend two of my Mini Rex will be going from Ontario to Pennsylvania then alllllll the way to their new home in Wisconsin, and one or two rabbits from Wisconsin will be coming home with us. And no one is getting health certs at all. (Health certificates are dumb anyways they cost $15.00 and the vet will write them without even seeing the rabbit).

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

LAst summer, my friend with the pony rides had to get the ponies rabies shots because she got the contract for a fair JUSTover the Pa border- the reasonong "well, a pony might bite someone" Of curse, she got that bit of information on the first day of the fair, AFTER the fair had opened. So, next day we took a detour into the city and stopped at the vets-- funny- 35 foor horse trailer parked in the street, and a vet and tech passing needles and papers back and forth!! Iknow a lot of people who show horses. I had a vet in zflorida tell me when she was moving into florida, was pulling her horses-- got stopped at the border-had her coggins,nothing else, Snapped at the inspectors-"Im a vet, give me the blasted papers and I'll fill them out!" We are told, as Servie Dog users, that when we travel, to at least have a copy of the vet records with you, especially if crossing state lines. But rabbits? are theypets, or are they livestock. Only their keeper knows for sure.....

 

[Anntann]

Terry, in most states it doesn't matter between pets and livestock. The regs that I've been perusing all talk about "small animals" which includes "pets". Exotic pets is another one they talk about..snakes, lizards, monkeys, etc.

Interesting that the vet hadn't thought to check Florida's regulations and requirements. I bet the guys checking were quite ready to help her get on her way ! :lol:

I've been noticing a trend in the states, tho. If you transport only inside the state, nothing is required by the state. If you travel OUTSIDE the state (like to a show) then you are required to have a vet certificate. I know for Wisconsin that's specifically for farmers who move livestock around from farm to processor and for 4H stuff. Unhappily Wisconsin is one of the states that has supported and pushed NAIS in the past. Hopefully our new administration will reverse that.

Again....they just rarely check the small animals. I suppose it's just not worth the effort it takes. It's probably also assumed that the show you're going to (if it's a show) or the sale's barn has already required you to have a vet certificate. I suspect that 95% of the local and state police (not including any border/ag agents) have no CLUE what the regulations say.

sigh. so many rules these days. It's probably against the law somewhere to trip over a sidewalk crack. I know I was 10% responsible under the law in Minnesota for having my car parked in a legal parking space when another car hit it. apparently they say it's 10% your responsibility for the accident "by being there". :x

 

[akane]

I wonder just how busy the vet offices would become if everyone actually got a health cert to cross state lines. Although one year we needed the vet to inspect our horses before the fair show and his idea of an inspection was to drive by the pasture on the nearby road. Then later write up a bunch of certs while we described the markings of each horse to him in his office. 5 horses done in 5mins.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I actually did 'import' sheep from Illinois= oh yes, when bringing that kind of livestock into the state, there is paperwork that must accompany each animal. I had the sheep in the back of my pickup truck, under a cap--no official person ever saw them. In Ohio, all imports must have
papers unless going directly to a slaughter facility. Animals going to auction- well, that gets funny-- livestock sales may no longer accept 'downers', horses for the 'kill market' need no papers, others do. Amazing the number of 'kill' horses that are sold to one time killer buyers!!!
People who show horses-yes, they are required to have papers for each state line they cross- my former vet had never been asked for papers in any state during the past, so she only kept coggins paperwork on the horses. I know here, at the big horse shows,papers for everything must be shown before the animal is hauled onto the show grounds. When I moved to Florida, we stopped for the AG inspection. I had to ID the plants in the back of the U-Haul-- I could have brought MaryJane along, they would not have known what it was!!! For a while in florida, each county set its own Rabies vaccination rules, One had to prove the dog was a resident of such n such county to walk free if it was vaccinated every three years instead of annually. A year or so after I left, the rabies req was standardized across the state.
Luckily, rabbits ae both small enough, and quiet enough, we could just about sneak them anywhere, huh?