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Importing & Exporting Animals
General Requirements

Contact: Animal Health, 251 Causeway St, Boston, MA 02114 at - 617.626.1795

All livestock, poultry, waterfowl and animals, including cats, dogs and other pets imported into Massachusetts by any person, firm, corporation, except for the purpose of immediate slaughter, shall be accompanied by an official health certificate stating that the animals are healthy, free of symptoms of infectious or transmissible disease and internal and/or external parasites and exposure to any infectious, contagious disease, internal or external parasites.

All cattle, swine, sheep, goats must be identified by either an official eartag, tattoo or registration number.

Certificates of health are valid for 30 days. (All animals transported into Massachusetts for slaughter must be accompanied by USDA approved waybills, back tag certificates and identified by eartags, back tags or other USDA approved identification)

Titers:

No titer resulting from any accepted test for brucellosis shall be accepted for entry. No titers at suspicious or positive levels for any infectious disease of any livestock, animals or poultry shall be accepted for entry.

Note:

Cattle, swine, sheep, goats, llamas or equines entering Massachusetts for the purpose of consignment sale must be listed on individual health certificates. Animals from herds, droves or flocks under quarantine or from areas under quarantine for any disease shall not be accepted for entry.

All species of animals for research under 6 months of age, destined for an official research facility and destined for slaughter or euthanasia after completion of the research are exempt from tests upon permission of the Chief Veterinary Health Officer of Massachusetts.