Shipping Rabbits

[Shara]

How would one go about shipping rabbitS? Do you have to fly them, or can they be done UPS-style or something? how much would something like that cost?

 

[trinityoaks]

How would one go about shipping rabbitS? Do you have to fly them, or can they be done UPS-style or something? how much would something like that cost?

Shipping rabbits by air is very expensive, like $250. Not worth it to either buyer or seller. I don't think the ground carriers will take them, either, and I sure wouldn't trust my rabbits to them. I think your best bet is to find a rabbit person who is traveling to the delivery area and arrange (perhaps for a small fee) for them to take your rabbits.

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree with Trinityoaks about the problems with shipping rabbits. In addition, one needs to remember how easily stressed rabbits are. Transport with a rabbit person makes good sense, since they likely know how to minimize the stress hazard.

 

[Shara]

thanks guys!

 

[rabbitgeek]

US Postal Service normally doesn't ship rabbits. In the last year, I've seen one person write that they ship by postal service, but I've never seen any followup on it.

Rabbit show breeders/exhibitors ship rabbits by air all the time. Breeders go to national shows or even international shows. The rabbits are packed into rabbit carriers and travel with the luggage. The same thing for shipping rabbits as cargo, they travel with the luggage. When you prepare for it, the rabbits handle the stress easily. Hundreds, if not thousands, of rabbits went by air to ARBA national convention in Minnesota last month.

Time of year is critical though. Rabbits can handle cold better than heat. There is a "no fly" period for rabbits from late spring through summer for most airports in North America because it gets too hot for the animals.

Winter is good for flying between most airports.

Here is an article from my blog recalling our first air shipment experience:

Shipping Rabbits
*from the rabbitgeek notes*
We've shipped several times. Below is an article we wrote in 2004.

I'd like to add that we used a standard 3-hole show carrier with
cardboard inserted in top of the carrier under the wire to make a
"solid top".

We used empty tuna cans for feed and water cups. We punched two holes
in the sides of the cans with a nail and used wire to attach to the
side of the cage.

The article follows, Tracy writes:

Flying Rabbits to Hawaii

This endeavor started in August with an inquiry as to my For Sale
French Angoras. I'm pleased to report that the three angoras that I
sold to a girls school in Maui are flying to their new home on
Tuesday, 12/14/2004.

I highly recommend flypets.com for handling the flight. Flypets.com
was recommended to me by Betty Chu. Betty's an amazing resource... she
knows EVERYTHING!!! I tried initially to send the bunnies on Delta
and found that the flight alone would be about $700. Through
flypets.com, the flight on American Airlines is $199. To ship them out
of Sacramento it would've been $300. So I'm driving them to San
Francisco for the cheaper rate. Now understand that the price is just
for the rabbits. I don't get to go

I have an appointment with the vet to get the bunnies' health
certificates. The angoras will have to be quarantined in Hawaii for 30
days but the school has arranged to have them quarantined on their farm.

Shipping Rabbits

The three angoras are making their way to Hawaii as I write this. We
drove them to San Francisco International Airport and dropped them off
at American Airlines cargo. It was great because we didn't have to
actually go inside the airport. Flypets.com made the reservation with
American Airlines and handled all the paperwork. The cargo clerk was
expecting us and she was very nice and efficient. We had no problems
with either the Health Certificates or the Acclimation Certificates.
We shipped them in a 3 hole carrier this time without using a dog
kennel. Franco just put a solid cardboard top on the top of the
kennel, inside the wire top and they were good to go. I wouldn't
hesitate to ship rabbits again. It was a very positive experience.

Safe Arrival!

My French Angoras arrived safe and sound at the Honolulu Airport.
However, the rabbits arrived missing one of the health certificates,
the pedigrees, and the acclimation certificates. I'm not sure what
happened to them because Franco put them in between the cardboard and
the wire on the top of the cage. It seemed secure to me. So at about 4
pm our time, I got a call from the Honolulu airport saying that they
have the rabbits but they can't release them without the health
certificates. I kept copies of the certificates but the official
needed to have them faxed directly from the vet. So I called the vet
and she faxed them right over to the official and the rabbits were
released. That was the only snag in the whole procedure and it was a
very minor one. I'm not sure how to avert that problem the next time
we ship but we'll figure something out.

The health certificates were somewhat of a joke. I paid $30 for an
office visit and $18 for each health certificate. The vet weighed the
rabbits, looked at their teeth, ran her hand over their bodies, and
listened to their heartbeat. That was it. Then she completed the
certificate. At the time, I was thinking that this was a waste of time
and money, but it is a requirement for shipping, especially to Hawaii.

The girls school LOVES the rabbits. They say that Asher is such a
cuddle bug (and he IS). I sent Lily to Hawaii bred to Rhubarb so
they'll have a larger gene pool.

This has been a great learning experience for Franco and I. We'd ship
again without any hesitation. Now that we know what we're doing


Have a good day!
Franco & Tracy Rios

 

[trinityoaks]

Through flypets.com, the flight on American Airlines is $199. To ship them out of Sacramento it would've been $300.

Was that fare price for each rabbit, or for all combined? Still, that's pretty steep (of course, to Hawaii, you really don't have any other choice). I'm sure it's gone up since 2004, IF they still do it.

 

[rabbitgeek]

That was the price for all three combined. We've shipped rabbits to other locations around USA, average is $199 to $299 per shipment. We can get 3 or 4 adult rabbits in a shipment. I know some people who have sent 10 to 12 rabbits at a time, usually dwarf breeds.

The shipping charges depend on weight and dimensions of the shipment. Call American Airlines for prices. They have been easy for us to work with and they serve most airports. So if you ship you should try to send more than one rabbit so you can divide the shipping charges among the rabbits.

Usually the rabbit buyer pays for all related expenses such as freight, vet certificates, and the shipping cage. Since they wanted the rabbit shipped it is reasonable for them to pay all the expenses. Have the buyer pay everything in advance. Some buyers want to borrow a travel cage and say they would ship it back. Don't do it. A lot of people who mean well don't get around to actually shipping it back so you would be out the cost of a cage. If you can round up a used travel cage and give them a discount that's up to you.

If the buyer says that is too much money for shipping you just say "Okay. I'll keep my rabbit. Thank you for your time." And no deal. As a seller you should not lose money on a sale that involves shipping.

Have a good day!

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

The rabbits are actually less stressed on a flight because the time involved is much shorter for the trip than if it was by car.

 

[rabbitgeek]

The rabbits are actually less stressed on a flight because the time involved is much shorter for the trip than if it was by car.

That is a very good point.

I would also encourage taking the rabbits for a couple of rides in their carriers before putting them on the airplane. Just to accustom the animals to riding in carrier cages. Carrier cages with some hay stuffed in them is a nice cozy hole to hide in, which is a good thing to a rabbit.

Have a good day!

 

[devinemarko]

I sent a load of rabbit from time to time I went to school and my parents bought a plane ticket which will not allow them in the cabin, and never will be again. Paid more than $ 500 vet bills. He sat on the tarmac outside, while they were loading and unloading of luggage, overheated, had been sought by engine noise etc. cargo, and had the vet because it was almost like a reaction when I took it.

 

[PulpFaction]

I haven't done it yet, but for a "shipment" of rabbits (average of 3 yo 4 standard size breeds, fewer giants, more dwarfs,) I am told I can send rabbits anywhere Frontier Airlines flies for $150, plus the $10 per rabbit health cert. The breeders I talked to said they have the buyer purchase the lightweight travel carriers and have it shipped directly to her, then she takes care of things.

Of course, here in AK we are limited to shipping between May and October, and most places out of the state we can't ship to in the high parts of summer, so we have narrow windows to work with.

If it's really worthwhile animals, I don't think $150 bucks for shipping is a bad price. Depending on the distance, I would likely end up spending that much or more if I drove (If I lived down south,) especially if I ended up needing a hotel room, eating out, etc.

 

[KentuckyHare]

Hello - Just found this relay group on Yahoo.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rabb ... =287481820

From what I've read - They have stations that hold or transport the rabbits from state to state. Still reading about costs/etc. - Anybody ever use them? Thanks, Mike

 

[Shara]

Yeah, I am a member of that group, but there doesn't seem to be much relaying on it. Although there is a guy who is starting a business transporting them. Also rabbit-related chats.

 

[trinityoaks]

From what I've read - They have stations that hold or transport the rabbits from state to state. Still reading about costs/etc.

I'm on that group, too. So far, I haven't seen anyone actually able to transport through the group, but I haven't been on there all that long. I think that a lot of the relaying is tied to the various shows. Not much availability outside of the shows, it seems, except for the guy who's starting his own animal transport business. Costs vary by transporter.

 

[Jack]

You can ship with the airlines, it is more expensive than a pet/baggage fee
the only issue you might/will encounter is the TSA, if shipping inter (from one state to another) you may fall under unknown-shipper, which is a bunch of bureaucratic paperwork...

Oh and you have to pay, live animal handling (yeah and they don't even pet them.. JK) special hold in the aircraft (heated, pressurized) etc.

 

[avdpas77]

I guess from my point of view, if a rabbit has such value that one would pay over $250 to ship, then the rabbit likely cost a pretty penny in the first place. If I am going to spend $400-or more to obtain a rabbit, then most likely it would be worth my driving a good distance to transport him myself and not to trust him to the airlines. Both Trinity-O and myself have made those kind of trips, and if we though the airlines were even a remote posibility we would have used them. We were informed by the breeder that only one national airline would transport them any more, that we would have to use a certain cage and provide food and water (although she had never seen any sign that the rabbits were ever fed or watered) and that if we cared much for the animals we would never send them anyplace other than "nonstop". With the costs and effort of each of us driving to the airports, it was a no-win situation.

If the rabbit was inmportant enough, and the airport locations and timing was right, I guess it might be cost efficient for a special animal. (obviously I am speeking here of the continent, Alaska and Hawaii are a different story)

 

[Shara]

Speaking of Alaska, CAN you drive rabbits there, or do you HAVE to fly them? That would really suck. We may end up moving there some year, and wondered this. If it comes to that, I may just buy stock from Jack and PulpFaction.

 

[Jack]

YOU can drive them
YOU can take them on the ferry (ship)...

Or you pay to fly them to the lower 48, or to the bush, many places in Alaska are accessible only by airplane or ferry

you can drive some places, but even them with the roads in winter, many prefer to fly.

Oh, if you are buying from us, I hope you like Thriantas....
there are alot of breeds, most come up with friends, family, other breeders coming back with a light load from the lower 48, the you just chip in on what it cost them. My wife had a friend pick up 3 polish for her foundation stock from this last convention.

 

[Shara]

I LOVE Thriantas, and am only jealous I don't see any in my current area .

But if I can drive them....

And yet, that is a musing for YEARS in the future.

 

[marladenis]

I have used Air Canada several times to send the rabbits. The rule is to use cat crates with max 2 rabbits in each crate. It would cost you at least $ 60 for a short flight up to about $ 150, and that's a onr cat crate. It is not cheap, but hey if you don't want to drive it's well worth it.