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Update on shipping 
live birds thru the PO

How does Horizon ship 
and  how can I minimize 
my  shipping costs?

The following was recently posted 
on The Humane Society of the United States website.
http://www.hsus.org

HUMANElines - Issue 162 - September 18, 2001

AIRLINES SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS AS AIRMAIL:
           The mortality rate for baby chicks who are shipped as ordinary airmail is alarming. While Northwest Airlines estimates that up to 30% are dead on arrival, anecdotal accounts from postal workers put the numbers much higher. Temperature extremes, lack of ventilation, rough handling, and flimsy packaging put baby chicks who are shipped as ordinary airmail at an enormous risk of injury and death. To remedy this situation, Northwest Airlines recently announced that it would no longer ship baby poultry as ordinary airmail (see Humanelines Issue 160). Instead, the airline has asked the US Postal Service (USPS) for a modest price increase (from $1.24 per box to $3.72 per box, each holding more than 100 chicks) to ship chicks as standard cargo, giving them the same temperature, packaging, and handling protections afforded to other live animals shipped on airlines. However, both the USPS and the poultry breeding industries have balked at the proposed changes, unwilling to pay the additional $2.48 per box. They persuaded Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) to introduce S. 1397, a bill that will force Northwest and all other airlines to accept packages of chicks and other animals from the USPS and ship them as ordinary airmail. The bill's sponsors may attempt to pass S. 1397 either as a free-standing bill or as an amendment to a larger bill.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
           Contact your two U.S. Senators and ask them to "OPPOSE the baby chicks legislation--S. 1397--as a free-standing bill or as an amendment to any other bill, such as the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill (which may reach the Senate floor on Wed., 9/19)." You might mention that this bill is especially inappropriate in light of the myriad of other safety and economic issues facing airlines at this time of national crisis. To reach your Senators' offices, call the congressional switchboard at: 202-224-3121 (or call us at 202-955-3666 for their direct line).

I do NOT support the animal rights activists. I simply post "their" thoughts on the matter for everyone to see.  I monetarily and actively support birdshippers.org and will always support them. My thoughts are that if this bill fails, the USPO should consider permitting an increase in rates. Shipping birds at a higher postal rate will always be better than the alternatives, outrageously expensive air cargo, or not at all. But I will put all my effort into S.1937. I would appreciate everyone's active participation in this matter, too.

George