trouble mailing bovine blood samples

[Malinda]

I draw blood samples on my cows for DNA/TH/PHA and pregnancy checks and mail them to the companies. We have a new postmaster at my local postoffice and he is an overachiever. He told me the last time I sent blood samples that he would never let me do it again until I contacted the Dept of Transportation and got a biohazard label.

Well, that just tells me I need to go to another post office.

But, I was just wondering if any of you have trouble and what protocol you use.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Oh, yes I have contacted the places I ship to and they just laughed.

Malinda

 

[redwingfarm]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, unfortunately the world is full of "overachievers" with nothing better to do.  I've been mailing out blood samples for th and preg tests for several years with no problems, considering the decline in items being mailed today an overachiever that reduces the amount of items being mailed should be fired, drawn and quartered, and banished to Siberia(maybe a little harsh?)  Sounds like a new post office is a good solution

 

[knabe]

i tried to write a message on a package to be delivered at media rate, and the guy said i coulnd't otherwise he'd have to charge me additional postage for a letter.

 

[justintime]

You should try to get blood samples delivered from Canada !!!!!   For several months, US Customs seized all bovine blood samples as they were considered to be possible terrorist threats. Dr Beever had to negotiate a deal with them and now we can ship them providing we have a letter of authorization which is issued by USDA and signed by Beever. This has to be attached to the outside of the container in clear view and accessible by customs officials. Besides this, we have to also attach a letter from the sender in which you state what is being sent, how many samples, why it is being sent , who collected the samples, an declaration that these samples have not been exposed to, or innoculated with infections and/or any zoonotic agents ( whatever a zoonotic is!).This has to be on a letterhead that shows your farm name, your name, and all contact information.

Both of these documents have to be attached to the outside of the shipment , clearly visible to Customs officials. Now, I understand the reasoning of doing this, but try and get this all done with these documents clearly visible, on say a small conatiner with say 8 or 10 blood tubes inside. But rules are rules, so we do it. I know many people drive across the US border and mail them and have never had an issue at the border. If you can do this with no concern, it seems like shipping them by mail or courier should not be any more dangerous.

When I was in Britain, they also said they had issues with some shipments being seized.

 

[inthebarnagain]

Mail them priority.  Go online and print your label, if you can weigh the package you can even pay for it online.  No questions asked. 

 

[Show Heifer]

When they ask (and do NOT volunteer information) tell them it is DNA samples. Most are not smart enough to question it.
OR, better yet, send them UPS instead of regular mail.  UPS is great to deal with and I have had no problems with them, and they are cheaper and more reliable!!

Also, tell your postmaster that his job relies on the number of pieces of mail that office handles. And that if he continues his assinine behavior, you will see to it that most mail will be mailed at another location. Also call your state office and tell them of the problem. If enough people complain the postmaster will hear about it and will get reprimanded. Trust me, we had a total donkey as a mail deliver person and after many complaints and calls, I did get my issues straightened out. Mailman hates me know, but I don't think he was in my fan club to begin with!!

 

[rtnok]

When I sent my sample two years ago the post office refused so I sent it UPS,with no problems at all. roni

 

[Malinda]

Thanks to everyone for their responses/suggestions. Sure glad I'm not trying to ship across the border.

The plot has thickened:

I tried to ship EZ All It's Gone to a customer/friend in Maine today. I did not have a box the correct size, so I decided to go to the UPS/Fed Ex office, get the box and have them do the shipping.

THEY REFUSED TO SEND IT BECAUSE IT IS A LIQUID. Give me a break.

I must look like a terrorist. Maybe I should ask them to ship a pint of bovine pee or a pound of "recycled" grain and hay to the postmaster.

Have a good Monday evening,

Malinda

 

[Malinda]

Just thought of something.

I can make one phone call and have a box of 100 syringes and a box of 50 needles delivered by UPS, no questions ask. But, for the folks that are insulin dependent, they have to have a prescription for the needle/syringes and then sign a form at the pharmacy. Make any sense?

Malinda

 

[justintime]

Malinda, some days I think the entire free world is going mad. I understand the need for security ( both national and local) some of this stuff they come up with is close to insane. Some days I think the bureaucrats who come up with some of these regulations hatched in the shallow end of the gene pool.

I always smile when I ship a dry shipper with semen or embryos on the bus or by courier. It is illegal to ship a semen tank with liquid nitrogen in it as it is a hazardous product. They never question my dry shipper, even though I always fill it full of liquid nitrogen ( I had one go dry once when it got left at a bus depot, so I don't want to take any more chances ). I guess what they don't know doesn't hurt them.

Here is some other cattle related goof ball regulations that some Einstein thought made some sense:

(1) I can only import semen to Canada from an American bull provided he has gone through the quarantine and succession of tests with negative test results. It is legal for me to take my donor across the US border, inseminate her with unqualified semen, and then bring her back across the border again. Does this make any sense to anyone??? My federal vet suggested I do this when I asked about bringing some semen across for flushing. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't. I have done it on two occasions. In order to do this, I have to get health papers made up, and have them signed by my local vet and then by a federal vet. The local vet charges about $100 to fill out the health paper. The federal vet charges $75 just to sign his name on the health paper. Then you have to go through a wide array of broker manifests, and security checks that all cost an arm and a leg. Quite frankly, it is easier to get a cow across the border than it is a truck and trailer which is going to carry the cattle.( At the same time, I Have taken my truck and trailer into the US a couple weeks recently,  and bought some panels and gates. No one looked in the truck or trailer when I entered the US. No one looked in the truck or trailer when I came back into Canada. I could have had most any illegal substance in the truck and/or trailer either time and they would have had no idea.)..... DUMB

2)  I cannot import embryos from the US unless they are Trysin washed before they are frozen, and they have to have been collected by a certified embryologist who is a licenced veterinarian.The donor cow must have been tested for Brucellosis, TB, Anaplasmosis, and Bluetongue within a certain time period prior to being flushed ( rules vary with each state) I then have to get an export permit from USDA, which is usually about $100.  It is perfectly legal for me to buy some commercial heifers or cows in the US, implant the embryos and bring the pregnant recips across with non of the above requirements. If these recips are located in some states, I do not even have to test the recips to get them into Canada.... they just require a health paper. ..... DOUBLE DUMB

There are just as many DUMB regulations on the US side as well. To get cattle into some states, the health papers MUST be in a brown envelope when the exporter hands them to him/her. I know of one case a few months ago where a load of purebred cattle were turned back because the health papers were in a white envelope. The guy drove to the closest town, bought a brown legal size envelope, and returned to the US border again. This time he had no problems and sailed through with his cattle..... TRIPLE DUMB!!

All of this is just more evidence of how our lives are becoming over regulated. We have far too many bureaucrats who have lost every ounce of common sense they were born with. The city of Toronto, has hired 50 extra employees, whose job for the next 3 months is to do a " Shade audit" on every public park in the city. Any park or public area that does not meet the minimum level of shade, will be closed until an adequate amount of shade is provided. Does this strike anyone else as being really DUMB? What's next... a group of city officials who drive around the city and ticket people who do not come inside when it is raining?

Maybe it is just me, but where I live, most of the people I know are smart enough to figure out when the sun gets too hot, you move to a shady area, without having to be told. Maybe that is not the case in Toronto.......

 

[luannv8]

my local postmaster used to tell me the same thing -- referred to it as 'biohazard'....

i told her that the only HAZARD involved had already taken place -- when i pulled the blood  ;D

she eventually came around and put labels, stickers, and a special handling bag and they go through fine now.

 

[jnm]

I was honest once when I sent blood for pregnacy testing; it got part way there and then they wouldn't put it on the plane. A week later I got it back. Since then when they ask me if it is hazardous or liquid, I just say no. The biopryn site gives shipping instructions but I don't trust the locals to know the regulations enough to allow it to go

 

[oakview]

Another loan officer at our bank returned from a trip to Canada and customs discovered a left over piece of pizza in his car.  He was told he could not bring it into the U.S., I suppose it could have been contaminated by a mad cow.  So he ate it, got in his car and drove away.  So far, he is no goofier than normal.

I have only had trouble mailing blood samples once and have not returned to that post office.  I try to use the don't ask, don't tell method.