Animal Transportation and Show Requirements from GIRCom
Are you planning to transport your alpacas to an AOA show or to another state?
If so, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, will probably be required. A CVI is an official document issued by a veterinarian certifying that the animals identified on the document have been inspected and were found to satisfy the regulations pertaining to their intended movement. These requirements help to ensure that the alpacas being moved do not carry illnesses or external parasites that could be harmful to those in the destination area or that are participating in the show.
In addition to meeting various physical health criteria, the alpacas being transported may need to have certain tests or procedures done, or a specific type of microchip, depending on the event and/or the destination location.
Transport to all AOA certified shows requires submission of a copy of a CVI which includes each alpaca’s name, microchip ID number, location of the microchip, and BVDV information. The CVI must be completed not more than 30 days prior to the last date of the show. The identification of each alpaca must be accomplished by microchip or official USDA approved ear tags embedded with a microchip. Alpacas must be tested for BVDV using the PCR test, with the result written on the CVI with the date of the test, the lab that performed it, and the testing method.
Each state has their own livestock importation requirements. Before moving animals to another state, you should always check with the state-of-destination for that state's specific requirements well before anticipated travel.
For example:
- Camelids over six months of age being transported to Nebraska must be tested and found to be negative for brucellosis and TB within sixty days prior to entry.
- With the outbreak of vesicular stomatitis (VS), although it has not been reported in camelids, some states require livestock to be examined for VS within forty-eight hours of importation.
- There are also new microchip requirements in some states. Official identification microchips for Michigan must consist of 15 digits and be ISO 11784 and 11785 compliant (ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 are international standards that regulate the radio-frequency identification (RFID) of animals, which is usually accomplished by implanting, introducing, or attaching a transponder containing a microchip to an animal).
- Indiana has several identification options, but electronic identification must comply with ISO 11784/11785 if applied to the animal after January 1, 2015. Additional identification options for Indiana will be listed for those transporting alpacas to the AOA National Alpaca Show in March 2020.
For more information visit www.usaha.org/saho for a list of state animal health officials.
With travel requirements subject to change, it is important to talk your veterinarian well in advance of anticipated interstate travel.
