Specialized compliance, TRACES-NT documentation, and live animal air freight for registered canine and feline breeders.
Professional dog and cat breeders operate under a distinct legal and regulatory framework compared to private pet owners. When an animal is relocated for sale, transfer of ownership, or commercial breeding purposes, agricultural authorities enforce rigorous commercial trade laws designed to safeguard animal welfare and biosecurity.
NextDay Drop provides certified commercial live animal freight solutions designed specifically for licensed breeders in Germany. We handle the entire documentation and logistics pipeline—from TRACES-NT health certificates and municipal veterinary inspections to IATA-compliant multi-animal crating and buyer tracking.
Verified current as of August 2026
Under EU law, puppies and kittens must be vaccinated against rabies at a minimum age of 12 weeks, followed by a mandatory 21-day post-vaccination waiting period. Therefore, young animals cannot legally cross EU borders before 15 weeks of age.
Under US CDC dog import regulations (effective August 1, 2024), all dogs entering the USA must be at least 6 months of age (24 weeks) at time of entry. Shipments of puppies younger than 6 months are turned back at US ports of entry.
For ground transportation within Germany without border crossings, puppies must be at least 8 weeks of age and weaned from their mother under the German Dog Protection Ordinance (Tierschutz-Hundeverordnung).
When shipping full or partial litters, IATA Live Animals Regulations establish clear co-habitation boundaries to protect animal welfare:
Manage multiple litter shipments, upload pedigree documents, and auto-dispatch real-time tracking links directly to your puppy buyers.
Complete end-to-end digital processing of electronic TRACES certificates and scheduled veterinary inspection coordination with your local Amtstierarzt.
Access our certified IATA crate fleet with pre-installed metal hardware, absorbent fleece bedding, and external watering kits at discounted breeder fleet rates.
Under EU Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (Animal Health Law) and Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, any animal transport involving a transfer of ownership, financial sale, commercial breeding relocation, or more than 5 animals per consignment is legally classified as commercial movement. Commercial movements require electronic registration in TRACES-NT, an official TRACES health certificate issued by an official veterinarian (Amtstierarzt), and pre-notification to the destination border post.
For cross-border commercial movement within the EU, puppies must be at least 15 weeks of age (12 weeks minimum for rabies vaccination plus the mandatory 21-day post-vaccination waiting window). For export to the United States under US CDC rules effective August 1, 2024, all dogs must be at least 6 months (24 weeks) of age. For domestic ground transport within Germany, puppies may travel at 8 weeks with a certified dam or veterinary clearance.
Under IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR), a maximum of two puppies or kittens from the same litter up to 6 months of age and weighing not more than 14 kg each may travel in a single IATA-compliant container, provided they are of compatible temperament and the crate provides adequate space for both animals to stand, turn, and lie down comfortably.
TRACES-NT (Trade Control and Expert System - Next Generation) is the European Commission's mandatory digital certification platform for live animals moving across European borders. NextDay Drop assists registered breeders by preparing digital consignments, verifying establishment registration numbers, coordinating official Amtstierarzt inspections, and routing electronic health certificates to destination authorities.
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