citation_inspection: 3433

Many animal transport enclosures did not have projecting rims, adequate ventilation, or handles. For example, two chinchillas (tag 4545 and 4544) were in wood and wire enclosures that lacked handles and projecting rims. Three foxes (tag 7702, 7701, 7700) did not have adequate space to turn around and make normal postural adjustments. A fox (tag 7871) was contained in a wire crate that did not have handles or protruding rims. A juvenile opossum (tag 7870) was contained in a crate that only had ventilation openings on the top. Numerous hedgehogs were contained in wood and wire transport enclosures that did not have protruding rims or handles. A lack of appropriate openings, adequate space and ventilation, projecting rims, and handholds on primary transport enclosures can make it difficult to remove the animal in the case of an emergency, allow for inadequate ventilation particularly when the cages are stacked when placed on the cart to move between the auction floor and holding area, and can cause unintentional contact between the handler and the animal during transport. Correct by ensuring that all primary transport enclosures for subpart F animals contain openings that are always easily accessible for emergency removal of live animals, contain projecting rims or other devices on the exterior walls to prevent obstruction of the ventilation, provide the animals with adequate space and ventilation openings on the sides of the enclosures, and provide adequate handholds for lifting animals without tilting or risk of contact with the animal.