Animals crossing international borders face inspection delays, handling stress, and health risks. Welfare during border veterinary checks is an often-overlooked aspect of live animal trade.
Border veterinary inspections, while essential for disease control, create welfare pinch points for animals in transit. Extended waits in vehicles or holding pens, often without adequate bedding, feed, water, or veterinary attention, compound the stress of transport. The inspection process itself — unloading, examination, reloading — adds further handling stress. Welfare improvements require investment in well-equipped border inspection facilities with species-appropriate holding areas, and streamlined inspection procedures that prioritise animal welfare alongside biosecurity objectives.