Moving states - with rabbits

[dbunni]

Hutch is the home. Often of larger unit ...3-4 feet in any dimension. A carrier is a smaller unit used to travel. Just large enough for the bun to move, but not enough that he/she can injur themselves. I can get up to 14 carriers (english & giants) in my Honda Element. Could not be done with hutches & a van!

Bleow are is a carrier we are selling this weekend. While this is for smaller breeds, the idea is the same. And, oh ... the cute little one was a BIS prize for the EA ... yea, her head could not fit in it, let alone the show coat!

 

[rockdoveranch]

dbunni,

Just curious . . .

Do most show people transport their rabbits inside an air conditioned or heated van, SUV or truck?

What is your opinion of the OP transporting her rabbits in a closed moving van? Do you feel moving vans are okay just as long as adequate fans are being used?

Thanks

 

[goodhors]

You may want to check State laws before moving rabbits from one State to another. This seems to be a general site, and you can click up individual states at the bottom of the page. There is a State Veterinarian under the "Please Note" paragraph for the most current law changes. Since you will be crossing several states, ALL their laws will affect your rabbits.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_states.shtml

Checking Michigan for fun, you are forbidden to import or release live San Juan Rabbits into the State!! Rabbit reference was under Exotic Animals, no header of their own.

I strongly suggest you check out the laws to keep yourself from trouble.

Having driven commercial trucks, a moving van type with cargo box behind is NOT how you want to haul live animals!! Just like a closed car sitting in the heat, the temps go up FAST. It can easily be 100F in less than 20 minutes with sun and road heat. Animals are cooked, literally! You get no fresh air inside until the door is opened. Even driving at night, I would not haul livestock in that kind of vehicle. They are designed for hauling boxed cargo, not live things that breathe and get hot.

Local Pet Shelter put a large thermometer inside a closed car, in the sun, traced how hot and how fast it happened, inside the car. Temps outside were not bad, 80Fs. Inside the car, it was over 100F in a very short time, but kept going on up! Very graphic demo, with a chart to say what happened to animal internally, at what temp. As mentioned, dogs get damaged and die pretty quick in those kind of temps. Cats and rabbits probably go much faster.

http://www.mydogiscool.com/x_car_study.php

Perhaps you could RENT a regular van, with no seats inside to stack cages in. Air conditioning would cool the entire vehicle as you travel. There are cage fans available to buy if some animals are really furry, easily overheated. Perhaps a fan that plugs into the lighter, available at Truck stop places or Semi truck suppliers online or Camper suppliers, would move inside air a bit better for the animals. August is a brutal time to move animals, heat is bad.
Those silver reflective sun screens are pretty effective in reducing sunshine heat coming in windows, could add some shade for side windows while traveling. Mine are foldable fabric with bendy frame, purchased at K-mart, do a good job.

Anyway, check out State laws, because they don't care if you don't know about them when they catch you in the wrong. And avoid the moving truck idea if you want to keep the pets alive.

 

[rockdoveranch]

Great post Goodhors!

It reminded me that individuals can hire drivers to drive regular vehciles, not just for animal transport. My mother-in-law used to hire a driver when she was a snow-bird. She would take a plane, and then pay a driver to move her belongings . . . just clothing for 6 months.

I know there are transport laws for sheep over the age of one; instate and out of state.

Down here in Texas you read horrible stories about people who forget they have babies in their vehicles and come back to find a dead child. This happens year round. Personally, I do not see how that can happen. But that is just me.

One a side note, the law is not equal for all parents. Depending on who they are and their position in life they either got a sad story in the paper or are prosecuted.

 

[goodhors]

"Down here in Texas you read horrible stories about people who forget they have babies in their vehicles and come back to find a dead child. This happens year round. Personally, I do not see how that can happen. But that is just me.

One a side note, the law is not equal for all parents. Depending on who they are and their position in life they either got a sad story in the paper or are prosecuted"Quote

Well I have to agree with you on that, HOW can you forget you have a child in the car??? The child is first in, first out, ALWAYS. You come back for groceries after child is safely contained away from the vehicle. Child is NEVER left in the car while you pay for the gas. We had some car-seated children kidnapped when the running vehicle was stolen from the gas station! New laws here say children under certain weight and heights MUST still be riding in carseats or booster seats until larger sized.

Lots more spectator folks willing to call and report pets and children left in cars now. Kids alone even on cold days get reported. Those folks ARE being arrested, prosecuted. Seems to make the local news, so no brushing under the rug even with who you know.

For me, no excuse is worth uttering for leaving a child alone in his carseat in a vehicle. Alone means you are more than 10 ft from the car. You take the time to unbuckle, remove child, take them along if you need to leave the vehicle. No excuse for not doing that.

 

[dewey]

Down here in Texas you read horrible stories about people who forget they have babies in their vehicles and come back to find a dead child. This happens year round. Personally, I do not see how that can happen. But that is just me.

It is such a tragedy. And like you mentioned, it happens in very mild fall and spring temps, when people think it's so cool out, or think if they leave the windows down it'll be ok.

They're even telling people now to put their purses, or briefcases, or cell phones, or other important item, in the backseat with the child so the care giver remembers that a child is there...odd, you'd think the child would be the most important "item".

People call authorities if they see a child left in a car, or an animal if it's warm out. I imagine there's lots of people that would notify authorities if they saw animals being transported in a moving box.

Living in AZ almost 50 years has taught me well that fans only circulate air, not reduce air temp, so moving hot air around in an enclosed box will not lower the temp. (Wish it did, though, since we wouldn't have to pay $300+ a month in cooling costs! LOL)

 

[goodhors]

Living in AZ almost 50 years has taught me well that fans only circulate air, not reduce air temp, so moving hot air around in an enclosed box will not lower the temp. (Wish it did, though, since we wouldn't have to pay $300+ a month in cooling costs! LOL)

You are right!

I was looking at the plug-in fan to better circulate the air condition cooled air, inside a regular van with cages inside. Sometimes just keeping the air moving will help animals from overheating.

Fan would be no help unless air was cooled first. Summer heated temps are just too hot.

 

[dewey]

Living in AZ almost 50 years has taught me well that fans only circulate air, not reduce air temp, so moving hot air around in an enclosed box will not lower the temp. (Wish it did, though, since we wouldn't have to pay $300+ a month in cooling costs! LOL)

You are right!

I was looking at the plug-in fan to better circulate the air condition cooled air, inside a regular van with cages inside. Sometimes just keeping the air moving will help animals from overheating.

Fan would be no help unless air was cooled first. Summer heated temps are just too hot.

So true!

For a human, warm air with a fan blowing it around will help evaporate skin moisture which can help cool the body, only to a point, of course, but since rabbits don't sweat like humans...

Even when I get the vehicle pre-cooled for the rabbits I have concerns for them traveling very far without having the windows covered, since even direct light beaming in on them can really raise their temp, though the overall vehicle is cool. In the summer, wire travel cages are really a must so that they get cool air circulation...when I change directions and know the sun will be on their side, I stop and cover that side so their shaded.

 

[dbunni]

Sorry for the delay. Will write more of a note next week. Just got back from OSRBA (Ohio State Rabbit Convention). This is one of the largest shows in the country (many years ranks second to ARBA Convention). Crazy 3 days with way too many rabbits! Exausted. Time to sleep ... brain dead!

 

[rockdoveranch]

Sorry for the delay. Will write more of a note next week. Just got back from OSRBA (Ohio State Rabbit Convention). This is one of the largest shows in the country (many years ranks second to ARBA Convention). Crazy 3 days with way too many rabbits! Exausted. Time to sleep ... brain dead!

Hoping to get your input on this subject.