Animal Shipping

Please contact the appropriate shipping email for your campus. Our shipping coordinators will contact the external institution to exchange health reports and facility information necessary for import or export approvals.

Inclement weather and quarantine space availability are the major limiting factors of most shipments. During transport in the winter and summer months, temperature is monitored closely to prevent any transport on days below 35 F or exceeding 85 F. Please be aware that during these months, shipments may be delayed based on the extreme temperatures. Our quarantine space availability is generally based on order of shipment requests; however, we are happy to work with time-sensitive shipments to meet your research needs.

If an MTA is required, an import cannot be processed until the MTA is approved and completed. If you need assistance with this, please contact Corporate Contracts.

Once an import or export is fully completed, shipment fees will be charged to your per diem account unless otherwise specified on the shipment forms. The following charges may include, but are not limited to:

IMPORTS:

• Shipment fees include time for preparing documents, coordinating shipment, and time spent collecting samples for testing once rodents have arrived into quarantine.
• If your Rutgers lab is covering the cost for the import, courier services are provided by CMR and will be billed back to your per diems once the shipment is complete. 
• Quarantine testing fees will also be charged back to your account. Please note that the number of samples required for submission may vary depending on the number of cages that were imported.

EXPORTS:

• Shipment fees include time preparing documents and coordinating the shipment.
• Materials including shipping crates, dividers, special hydro gels or diet gels are included in the shipping charges.
• If your Rutgers lab is covering the cost for the export, courier services are provided by CMR and will be billed back to your per diems once the shipment is complete.

• STRAIN: Approved strain on protocol: The strain being received during an import must be approved prior to approval of shipment. If the strain is not on your protocol, please place an IACUC amendment immediately so as not to delay your shipment.
• HEALTH REPORTS: Our veterinarian will review health reports and other documentation provided by the sending institution to determine whether the mice being shipped are of appropriate health status to enter certain colonies. Please note, if the mice you are receiving do not meet our health standards, additional testing may be required. It is also possible that certain shipments be denied.
• PCR TESTING: Rutgers requires sending institutions to perform routine PCR testing as part of their health monitoring program for parasitology. Exceptions can be made at the designation of the Rutgers veterinarian.

To request internal transfer of animals within Rutgers use ACFC to facilitate the request. Paper forms are no longer accepted.

Step-by-Step instructions for transfers between protocols or within same protocols is available on the ACFC website FAQ section

1. Animals that are approved for import will arrive to one of our quarantine locations. Locations can depend on space availability at the time or current health status of the mice being received. 
2. Upon arrival into quarantine, rodents are unpacked and housed in sterile cages. After approximately 1 week of acclimation, non-invasive samples are collected and submitted to an external lab for Quarantine Screen PCR panel.
3. If previously agreed upon, additional testing will also be completed.
4. Once these results return and are confirmed negative, we will release your cages to your colony room.
5. Please note that the total quarantine time can take between 2.5-3 weeks presuming negative results.

If you wish to ship or receive animals, our animal shipping coordinators are here to help you. We have shipping coordinators specific to the New Brunswick/Piscataway and the Newark facilities.

For researchers located in New Brunswick/Piscataway, please contact Animal Shipping New Brunswick.

For researchers located in Newark, please contact Animal Shipping Newark.

If you wish to import animals to your lab from an external institution, please email your animal shipping coordinator with your request. Your request will be reviewed by a veterinarian and we will notify you of the approval status. Researchers are not permitted to coordinate transfers independently.

If you wish to export animals from your lab to an external institution, please email your campus-specific animal shipping coordinator with your request. Once the receiving institution has approved the request, we will coordinate a shipment date to transport your animals. Researchers are not permitted to coordinate transfers independently.

To request internal transfer of animals within Rutgers use ACFC to facilitate the request. Paper forms are no longer accepted.  Instructions for transfers between protocols or within the same protocols can be found on the ACFC website FAQ section.