I would NOT recommend overnight shipping or any other kind of postal
shipping, period.
You DO REALIZE that if you are caught you could be looking at hundreds if
not thousands of dollars in fines and a criminal record, federal criminal if
shipping crosses state lines? (Yes people have been caught) The animals
involved can also be confiscated. You may or may NOT get them back
depending on the authorities involved. They can if they want to give them
to a shelter where they will be adopted by someone else or euthanized.
You DO REALIZE that goodness forbid your postally shipped gerbils are in any
sort of accident or become ill or even KILLED due to boxes being CRUSHED,
left in too hot or cold of a location, or packed in such a way that not
enough air gets in to them, that you can not in any way report it, collect
damages or otherwise hold the postal office liable for animal neglect?
Do you know that I know (personally) fanciers who have postal shipped
animals (mostly rats) who arrived DEAD? Soem of them arrived in a crushed
box, with one of them having a BROKEN JAW witht he bone protruding from the
side of the face (this animal had to be put down). This could not be
reported because to do so would expose that they illegally shipped mammals
and instead of their collecting damages from the office THEY would be paying
fines for a criminal offense.
LEGAL ways to ship: set up a carpool/relay; meet buyers half way; Or if you
can, ship by air. (all of these methods have dangers as well, but the
difference is, you will not be riskign a federal criminal record, and if the
animals are injured or killed you have legal recourse to collect damages or
file suit for neglect. Always insure any animals shipped to the greatest
amount permissible.
My personal prefference for shipping is fancier car relays. You KNOW that a
person experienced with the species is in the vehicle witht he animals
giving them the best possible care through the trip. If anythign happens
(eg: animals start to fight, an animal looks ill etc.) they can pull over
and give appropiate intervention.
I rarely ship by air, only when its out of the country or to the west coast
since thats such a far distance its rare to be able to set up a relay to
there.
I NEVER EVER postal ship.
and by the way, although i dont postal ship and rarely ship by air (done so
like only 3 times over the past uhm 6 or 7 yrs now,), I still have gotten
animals from washington state, wisconsin, california, iowa, michigan, new
york, penselvania, florida, minnesota, massachutes, virginia, ohio (and I
live in Illinois) and I have sent animals to all the above mentioned states,
iowa, idahao, kentucky, plus, most of the rest of the east coast and the
Netherlands and there are animals of mine in britian. None, zero, zip
nadda, of my animals have ever been hurt or killed in transport.
~A.G.
www.rodentfancy.com
>From: Donna Anastasi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: Donna Anastasi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: shipping gerbils
>Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 07:07:25 -0400
>
>I've learned quite a bit about shipping gerbils from a couple of past
>threads on the topic. But have not found too many detailed web site
>descriptions on the topic. For starters, you could check out the GML
>archive:
>From February...
>http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/thrd13.html
>From March...
>http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/thrd9.html
>
>I've had three gerbils shipped in so far -- I'd recommend the overnight
>versus the two day shipping as the less stressful (well on me for
>starters!) method. In overnight -- the gerbils are shipped out 10:00am
>one day and arrive by 3:00 the next.
>
>Shipped in gerbils have very different behavior early-on than their true
>personalities and it is very dependent on the individual:
>#1 -- took to catapulting in the air when I came near him
>#2 -- was relaxed and climbing into my hand right away
>#3 -- just wanted to hide under a box all day.
>
>Within a week of handling and with introduction to cage mates all of
>these are relaxed, active, friendly with no signs of the earlier
>post-shipping behavior.
>
>I have not tried shipping out a gerbil.
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