Importation of Semen to the Republic of Ireland
For you as a breeder the procedure usually starts with the lucky finding of the sire overseas that you want to use. If the semen has been already preserved and is stored somewhere, it has be checked againt the requirements to clarify if it is clear for the importaion straight away or it has to go into quarantine.
These are the requirements taken from the Department of Agriculture generated collection cert:
1. (i) The donor dog was subjected to veterinary examination immediately before and again 6 months after, the collection of the semen and on each occasion showed no clinical signs of any infectious or contagious diseases including rabies. Or
2 (ii) The donor dog was subjected to veterinary examination immediately before the collection of the semen and at that time the donor dog is eligible travel to Ireland in compliance with the provisions of the European Communities (Pet Passport) (Ireland) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 423 of 2004)
3. All equipment, (other than disposable equipment designed for a single use only), used for the collection, processing and packaging of semen for export to Ireland must be cleansed and sterilised before being so used.
4. The semen diluent must be prepared under hygienic conditions and any products of animal origin used in the diluent must be obtained from sources which present no animal health risk or must be so treated prior to use that such risk is prevented (details of diluent used including antibiotics added must be given).
5. The sealed ampoules or straws were stored from the time of collection to dispatch in a flask which has not been previously used or which has been thoroughly cleansed and disinfected since last being used and which does not contain semen, embryos or other material that does not meet the same standards.
6. Semen for export to Ireland will be transported in an officially sealed flask, which has not been previously used, or which has been emptied and thoroughly cleansed and disinfected since any previous use, contains fresh liquid nitrogen not previously used for any other purpose and which contains no other semen.
7. After processing and until despatch to Ireland (which shall not be until after the post-collection health examination of the donor animal in the case of a donor dog not eligible travel to Ireland in compliance with the provisions of the European Communities (Pet Passport) (Ireland) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 423 of 2004) the semen for export was stored in a room away from any other semen not intended for export.
8. Storage took place on premises in which no animals were present and on which no case of rabies has been confirmed during the previous 12 months. (15/06/2010)
from Australia or UK only
Shipping Considerations
There has been a lot of interest in the exports and imports of chilled and frozen semen since we introduced these services to Irish breeders and the main concern of nearly each and every one of them is the shipping costs and the possiblity to reduce the costs.
The semen is shipped in the special vapor shipper, designed for the safe transportation of biological samples at -150 C. Unfortunately, due to the weight of the container itself and its protective case, that is absolutely vital for keeping the shipper upright, the shipping cost can be significant and it can not be avoided.. It has been designed to reduce the costs to the minimum without jeopardising the safety of the contents.
First of all, the container itself is fabricated from durable, lightweight aluminum. It employs an absorbent that contains liquid nitrogen for ‘spill-free’ shipping under the Non Dangerous goods regulations. (Note: Shipping it as Non-Dangerous Goods reduces not only the costs considerably but the documentations involved compared to Dangerous Goods Shipping). Depending on the model and provided the container is handled right, it holds its temperature of -150 C for up to 21 days. At Trade Genetics we only use 14 and 21 day shippers. 14 day shippers are used for shipping within EU, where no clearance delays are expected. 21 day shippers are used for all consignments outside EU, including USA, Australia, NZ, etc. The number of holding days is manufacture’s guarantee for a container in an upright position. If the shipper is turned on its side, even closed, the time is reduced by 65%, if it is turned upside down it is only 5% of its max holding time. (You can find a more detailed description of the shipper at the bottom of the page.)
Therefore, Trade Genetics only use FedEx/DHL for relocating semen. Although the charges are higher, shippers are strapped for inland journeys and hand-carried in the airports ensuring the upright position and safety of the consignment. We ensure the container leaves us in a perfect condition with appropriate weight, locked and labelled. Whatever happens after that is outside our control and having tried a few couriers worldwide, Trade Genetics only ship and recommend to ship semen with FedEx, unless otherwise instructed by the owners of the semen.
Dry Shipper's contents
A Lightweight aluminum design reduces shiping costs
B Locking tab for shipping
C Neck Tube - High strength neck tube reduces liquid nitrogen loss
D Advanced Chemical Vacuum retention System
E Superior hydrophobic absorbent repels moisture & humidity mantain ing a -150 C chamber environment
F Insulation
