Animal Transport
Transportation of pets, livestock and other animals
Animal transportation is a business in its own right. Animals do not like to be transported. This type of transport must therefore be made as pleasant as possible for the animal. The right expertise is indispensable here. You want your favorite animal to arrive safely at its destination. You can easily arrange animal transport through us by placing an online request or finding companies in our business directory.
Laws and regulations governing animal transportation.
There are strict rules in Europe (for good reason) regarding the transportation of animals. These rules are contained in Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005. This legislation includes requirements for all kinds of different animals in order to be allowed to transport that animal. Think about the maximum continuous transport duration, agreed rest periods, space for the animal, sufficient drinking and eating facilities for the animal, floor on which the animal must stand, presence of sufficient bedding, etc.
In the Netherlands, this is controlled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, or NVWA (part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality). NVWA inspectors check whether animals are allowed to be transported and whether this is done correctly. In addition, the NVWA issues permits to transport animals. If a transporter never performs transports of more than 65 kilometers, he does not need a permit (of course, he must comply with the legislation). There are two types of permits issued for transporting animals:
- Type I: For transport less than 8 hours, including loading and unloading (example permit type I: source )
- Type II: For transport longer than 8 hours (example authorization type II: source)
Transportscanner checks every company for available permits to transport animals. Therefore, always check every company in our business directory for available permits.
The animal passport
Veterinarians can issue a European pet passport. This pet passport is required to take dogs, cats and ferrets across the border. This passport includes the details of the pet and owner (and their contact information)as well as a photo, the species, sex, breed, external characteristics and identification chip number and proof of vaccination against rabies. The rules surrounding the animal passport can be found on the European Union site.
For animals other than dogs, cats and ferrets, there is no European animal passport but the rules vary by country. Think of birds, ornamental fish, reptiles, rodents and rabbits. Always consult the national regulations for each country.
Sometimes the graft book of a rabbit, for example, is also called the rabbit's passport but this is factually incorrect. However, there is also the Dutch horse passport. This is a proof of identification (not proof of ownership) for horses. All horses older than six months (temporary nine due to corona measures) should have a horse passport. Look below for more info.
Pet Transport
When it comes to transporting your pet, you want everything taken care of. Many people have a close relationship with their pet. Therefore, transporting your pet should be safe and ensure proper care for the animal. Whether it is a short pet cab ride or an international flight!
Cat and dog transport
By law, stops should be made every 8 hours so dogs and cats can drink and every 24 hours to feed. In addition, dogs and cats under 8 weeks of age should not be transported without a mother. Clear instructions should also be present for feeding and drinking. In practice, many transporters stop much more often to release a dog for a while.
Cats and small dogs can often be transported in a transport basket or transport box. Larger dogs often go in the back of a pet cab. These are specially equipped cars in which the pet can be comfortably transported. Proper air circulation and temperature are taken into account so that the animal can get fresh air and does not get excessively hot.
Internationally, dogs can also be transported by air. International pet transport involves a few things. The pet must be examined by a recognized doctor before it can be transported. The animals must also have the proper vaccinations. Of course, companies that specialize in pet transportation can help you with this. Make sure you always make proper arrangements with the carrier about the transportation of your dog or cat.
In addition, we strongly recommend contacting the animal transport company well in advance to ensure that all vaccinations and health certifications are in order on time. Dogs and cats can often travel on KLM flights as well. Check their website for their policies around transporting pets.
To bring a dog or cat from abroad, the NVWA has prepared an excellent checklist. If you want to take your pet on vacation abroad, there are different import requirements for each country. The Landelijk InformatieCentrum Gezelschapsdieren (LICG) has listed import requirements for each country. Both import requirements for European countries and import requirements outside Europe can be found on their site.
Livestock Transport
In the Netherlands, the transport of Livestock is also strictly controlled by the NVWA. The rules vary by type of animal and the distance to be covered, and are contained in the aforementioned EU Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005. Official doctors (ODs) check the welfare of the animals during transport. They do this on the basis of Working Instructions on Welfare during Transport of Vertebrate Animals. This explains what is checked and is supplemented by several annexes with specific rules for cloven-hoofed animals, cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, poultry, dogs and cats, and other animals. There are different checkpoints for cattle, pigs, horses, sheep and goats. These posts can also be found on the NVWA site.
Livestock transport is done with specially conditioned wagons. Often these wagons can adjust the temperature. In addition, these wagons usually have drinking water systems to water the animals en route.
Horse Transport
Transport involves many things. For example, a horse needs a horse passport. In addition, there are strict requirements for both the private transport of horses and the professional transport of horses. In our article on horse transport we discuss this in detail.
What does animal transport cost?
What it costs to transport live animals depends on the type of animal, the distance and any other issues that make transport complex. If a single horse trailer is sufficient the cost will not be too bad, but transporting an entire livestock is of a different order.
Furthermore, animal transport costs will vary between companies. Professional animal transport companies have their paperwork in order: permits and insurance are really a must. A company without the proper transport permits and insurance can easily offer cheaper animal transports, but may not do so. So pay close attention to this. In our business directory, each company shows what transports they are allowed to perform.
View previous animal transport prices below:
| Transport | Kosten |
|---|---|
| 2 katten en hond van noord Holland naar Zuid-Denemarken | 750 |
| Kitten van Nederland naar Frankrijk | 300 |
| Kat vervoeren vanuit Gronau bij Enschede | 125 |
| 2 vogels op halen in munchen | 395 |
| Hond (12kg) van Haarlem naar Aalborg Denemarken | 625 |
| 2 ara papegaaien transporteren van Gravenstein Oostenrijk naar Hasselt België | 1250 |
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Previously posted animal transports
Affiliated transportation companies specializing in animal transportation:
At the bottom of each company page you will find our verification of the permits of the company in question. This also states whether the company has the above-mentioned licenses issued by the NVWA (type I and type II). We therefore strongly advise everyone to always check in the company directory whether the company has the correct permits to carry out the transport in question.
