You shipped a dog to a PO Box? Or are you just talking about the health certificate address requires a street address rather than a PO Box? Also how is Washington State even involved? When I have shipped dogs it was just between me and the airline with the health cert filled out by my vet. I did use my street address as thats all I had.

OK, I just called my vet and you are correct, Montana requires a street address destination for the pup so it doesn't get sent to a post office box. In my case the health certificate would have the destination street address in California for example, and my home street address in case the dog had to be returned. We always drop and pick up the dog at the airport so it really doesn't matter.

John

 

Makes sense to me but I'm not sure I understand what the big deal about writing a physical address on a health certificate is; dogs don't ship to PO boxes. The fact of the matter is that small animal health certificates are rarely enforced or examined and my guess is that no one checked the certificates before.

Here is a link that links to all state requirements for importing animals:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_states.shtml

 

dogs don't ship to PO boxes. The fact of the matter is that small animal health certificates are rarely enforced or examined and my guess is that no one checked the certificates before.

Keep in mind, this is the airlines you are talking about.....

 

No, she shipped a dog FROM WA using her PO Box as an address, now MT wants her physical address.


Since the dog is already there, my thinking would be the same--maybe they have medical information/concerns about an area of WA.

 

The purpose of a health certificate is not only to ensure the animal is healthy, but also to be able to track the animals movements to ascertain if it has been exposed to a disease as well as prevent it from being a risk to other animals, if it had been exposed.

 

If there was a need to track animal movement, which IS the whole purpose of health certificates, they would want to know where the animal went not where the owner received mail. As far as airlines are concerned, they have no health concerns or jurisdiction concerning imports, it is just a CYA to know that the animal was "healthy" at the time of travel to reduce the chance of a lawsuit.

 

Technically, health certificates are pending, final approval is required by the state veternarians office. The states allow the animals to travel following examination by the attending vet to keep commerce moving. The lag you experience was because it took time to mail and cross the state vets desk. Copies of all health certificates have to be mailed to state vet within 30 days of issuance.

 

We shipped a puppy to Montana a few weeks back and our vet told us he couldn't issue us the health certificate until he called Montana and got a permit number to allow the dog into the state. He told us he had recently just been fined by Montana for not getting a permit from the state. I though it was strange that Montana could fine an Idaho Vet. He said the all dogs entering Montana had to have a permit to do so. He showed us the letter. Vet has to call 406-444-2976 . They asked the vet a bunch of questions then issued him a permit number that had to be written on the health certificate.

 

Every state has its own regulations, Montana being one that requires a permit # to go on the health cert. All the numbers are on the back for each state, it is a good idea for vet offices to call each state to find out what they require as far as shipping into them when doing a HC, some find out the hard way that they didn't meet the requirements, my own vet included the first time I shipped a pup to Montana years ago without a permit number.

 

What's the BIG deal? Physical address required by MT for our horses and dogs as we are leaving in 3 wks --most states want same info--State can't go to PO box to check dog.

 

You ship and receive a lot of animals do you?

Well I do and I've never had the state come and check out anything. And who is to say that the person still lives at the address should there be an issue?

At least when a person normally changes mailing addresses they have their mail forwarded.

The "big deal" is, that it hasn't been an issue until now. I wanted to know why.

WRL

 

One of the reasons sometimes that we see these "changes" is that a protocol or person changes in the state where the health certificate was issued from. So, we find out about "new" rules of other states, not because they have actually changed, but because someone is our state is being more diligent in checking them. You will find states cracking down on rules more when there have been talk of outbreaks such as canine influenza, etc.

 

That is what I figured. Its more of a "political" move than an actual reason.

I mean I understand if there is an outbreak of something (IS there one??) but its really such small potatoes......

It also could be more ways to regulate individuals that breed or sell animals. (ie Peta pushing bills etc.)

WRL

 

With regulatory medicine/public health, they have to assume that every individual shipped of any species could be the start of an outbreak. They try to be on the offensive and have a paper trail so that if something gets started, the theory is they wouldn't have to do as much backtracking in the event of an outbreak.

 

Not to change the subject, but I applaud states actually enforcing these import requirements that they have set up, most don't. Movement of animals has become so lackadaisical that when the real outbreak occurs no one will be able to manage. I sat through a discussion about a year ago put on by a military veterinarian about bioterrorism. His comments if I remember correctly were that anthrax or another agent placed in the water at a local sale barn would be in 17 states within 48 hours. A very scary thought that would be so easy for anyone with half an education and the desire to threaten this country. There is truly a reason for import requirements rather than to inconvenience the dog breeders.

 

Agreed but in Wisc and maybe other states- import of Horses controled by one Dept. import of game animals by another and and actual running of Game farms by third. makes enforcement very loose- EX we came here from AK thorugh Canada--never had horses or dogs checked although we had all papers-horses were never checked-and loose rules enforcement most likely led to Wi. CWD outbreaks.
Going to MT in 2 wks for 3 mos and have already had horses checked and in 5 days will get our import paperts- when we reach destination we have to get brand Inspection and MT checks- last time we went there we got nabbed on Fri PM in Lewistown-almost had to spend weekend in quarantine BUT found a Vet who gave us papers etc-cost a few bucks but we got to hunt on time.