Are you moving house or simply looking for a stress-free way to transport your pet to a holiday destination? You may even be an animal breeder or welfare group looking for a way to move animals safely. If you need to transport live a live animal, you will require an animal courier. This is a specialist courier service that provides couriers who are experienced in handling animals. If the journey will take more than eight hours, an animal courier must be government-authorised with a vehicle that is regularly inspected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Courier services that transport animals must plan the journey properly, ensuring that travel time is kept to a minimum. The animal must be fit to travel, and the courier handling the animal must be trained or competent in the task. Consequently, animals must be checked beforehand, and their needs must be met during the journey. Government guidelines state that an animal courier must never use methods likely to cause unnecessary fear, injury or suffering. This means that water, food and rest must be provided to the animal as needed, and the vehicle has to have sufficient floor space and height. Check with the courier company if you have any questions about the methods they use to transport animals.
Many standard courier companies will not take animals, so you must specify that you are looking for an animal courier when getting quotes. Relocating an animal does not need to be stressful. An experienced animal courier should do everything they can to reassure you about their qualifications and methods of transportation.
