SHIPMENT OF LIVE ANIMALS

This is the method successfully used at DOGWOOD ACRES

1. Upon receipt of payment we begin by completely filling out the shipping label, including the day-time & home phone numbers of the purchasers so the USPS can immediately reach them when their shipment arrives. NOTEWe only ship during good conditions and on Mondays or Tuesdays to ensure the animals have the BEST oppurtunities to arrive in the quickest amount of time & under the best conditions. We will NOT jeopardize our pets health & safety for impatient customers. We would rather cancel/refund an order & have a customer upset because we acted RESPONSIBLY than to ship under adverse conditions & take the chance of harming or killing an animal to meet a deadline.
2. We catch the birds to be shipped & move them to a "shipping pen" at east one-two weeks BEFORE they are scheduled to be shipped, as this reduces the stress for them on shipping day.
3. We have them blood tested, vet checked & the facilities inspected so we can have the neccessary health papers filed to legally ship into other state, as required by the interstate movement of animals.
4. These animals are checked daily for stress, illness & etc. They are also supplied with feed "free choice" 24 x 7 and are supplied with fresh drinking & bathing water, as are all our animals.
5. Our local USPS is notified as to how many packages we will be shipping out today so they can have adequate staff up front for a quick & efficient "check in" just before the "hot truck" comes through.
6. The proper size USPS approved shipping containers are selected for each shipment & are made ready for shipment by placing bedding, food & moisture in them for the animals about to be shipped.
7. The proper paperwork, including the shipping label is placed on each box.
8. Animals are caught as quickly & with a minimum of stress & placed into their appropriate containers no MORE than 1- 1 1/2 hours BEFORE going to the airport on the "hot truck".
9. Animals are taken directly to the USPS for a polite but speedy check in & placed on the "hot truck" for delivery at the airport.
10. Purchasers are notified that their critters are on their way & we supply the tracking number & the time the package is guaranteed to be delivered by. We request they contact us upon the packages' arrival to let us know how long their trip was & that they arrived in good condition.