citation_inspection: 40133

Opie, a four-year-old neutered male corgi dog in good physical condition per the consignor and transporter was accepted for consigned transport at approximately 6:50 PM ET on 30December2022 in Townsend, Delaware. The dog was transported in a crate in the transporter’s minivan. The dog was delivered to the receiver in Jesup, Iowa on Iowa at approximately midmorning on 05January2023. The consignor and receiver had been told by the transporter that the transport would take approximately 2 days. The distance between the two locations is approximately 1040 miles, yet the transport took 5 days. The consignor and the receiver became concerned about the length of time the transporter was taking, as recorded in the detailed Field Service Report generated by the Captain of the Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) Animal Welfare Division, dated 06April2023. The dog was found cold, stiff, and clearly deceased when the transporter and receiver opened the crate together in the transporter’s van in the midmorning of 05January2023. The transporter was unaware that the dog had died while in his possession. This information was verified by the transporter and the Iowa receiver. During a two-hour phone conversation held between the transporter, the Animal Care Transportation Specialist, and the Inspector on 07June2023 at 1 pm ET, the transporter was asked if he had knowledge or records of when he fed and watered the dog during the 5-day transport. The transporter stated that he had no records of when he fed and watered the dog and provided no clear information on the type of food provided and at what frequency food and water were offered. The transporter was also unable to provide a travel itinerary or when/where he stopped during the 5-day transport. Although the transporter stated during the call that he did feed and water the dog (but provided no details or documentation), the necropsy report dated 05January2023 states that the “patient is severely dehydrated, eye are sucken in (sic), and has dark, tarlike stools. Can confirm that patient was not fed or watered during transport due to the severity of malnourishment." During a phone conversation on 15June2023 between the veterinarian who conducted the necropsy on 05January2023 and the Inspector, they stated that "there was no ingesta in the stomach or small colon and only the dark tarry material in the large colon. The dog had been dead for at least 12 hours prior to the necropsy, based on the level of post-mortem changes." Based on the information provided by the veterinarian conducting the necropsy the same morning of the discovered death of the dog, the transporter apparently did not feed the dog at least every 24 hours and water the dog at least every 12 hours, as required by the federal AWA. The transporter was unable to state or document when the dog was last fed or watered. The failure to provide food and water at the required intervals directly contributed to the starvation and dehydration death of this dog. The regulations state that each dog that is 16 weeks of age or more must be offered food at least once every 24 hours. Each dog must be offered palatable water at least once every 12 hours. Correct by 20June2023.