Animal transport has gotten more and more complicated, with a patchwork of state regulations that are difficult to find, USDA's newest requirement for contingency plans, and many airlines dropping live shipments altogether.  Making sure that shipments are safe and compliant with local, State, and Federal law is a source of stress for many registrars.  

The Transport Task Force was established in 2023 to develop expertise in animal transport while providing resources for registrars to plan and carry out animal shipments in a manner that adheres to all regulations and supports animal welfare.  Their first main project was to create a state agency contact directory.  This directory provides contacts to each state's point of contact for wildlife importation and/or transit.  It is a living document that will be constantly changing as the rules and personnel evolve.  Please reach out to Ian Shelley if you would like to see a copy of this directory.

The next project is a directory of vendors for transport related services - haulers, brokers, crate suppliers, etc.

Task Force Chair : Ian Shelley, Registrar at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Task Force Members:

• Heather Terrell, Registrar at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
• Amie Bialo, Registrar at the Seattle Aquarium
• Krista Adelhart, Animal Management Registrar at the Woodland Park Zoo
• Maria Korte, Zoological Registrar at SeaWorld San Diego

If you are interested in helping out, please reach out to Ian!