USDA question.

[Ldy_Icedragon]

Ok I'm finding a lot of conflicting information about USDA licenses concerning hedgehogs and I am very confused. The USDA website is no help as I'm finding many broken links :( Anyways I've found the below information on one website, but other conflicting information elsewhere.

"USDA licensing is for large-scale breeders -- mostly commercial breeders.* If you sell more than $500 in animals per year, you need to be USDA licensed.* Sales directly to the final pet owner do not count toward this $500.* Only sales to someone else who will then re-sell to pet owners count.* Thus, if you sell more than $500 in animals to pet stores or to pet distributors, you need to be USDA licensed."

Other websites has said that you need a USDA license to sell or even give away hedgehogs and other websites have said that you only need a USDA license if you have 3 or less breeding females.

Could someone here who is USDA licensed fill me in on which statement is true concerning hedgehogs?

~Danielle

[~Chelsey~]

If you have 3 or less breeding females then you don't have to get a license. this is a new thing that they passed not too long ago. Other than that I can't help you too much. I have my license, and I got it before they passed that "amendment". You have to pay different amounts in "dues" depending on how much $$$$ you get in a year from the hedgehogs. Also, I am almost positive that if you recieve money for a hedgehog, regardless of who you sell it to, it counts toward the $500. Just my thoughts, I hope someone will come in and confirm them.

[Ldy_Icedragon]

Thank you for the info. :)

~Danielle

[~Chelsey~]

No problem :) I hope all of it is correct info, but that's how I understood things to be. :)

[bloane]

Previously, it was anyone selling or trading hedgehogs, and some confusion that led to also being interpreted as anyone rehoming hedgehogs. As of Aug. 14thish, this has been changed to anyone possessing 3 breeding female hedgehogs, or selling $500 or more per year worth of babies that they have raised. Notice this is THAT YOU RAISED.... buying hedgehogs and reselling them, or selling hedgehogs that other people have raised is qualified as brokering, and requires a different form of license through the USDA.
Becca

[lathropd]

TRY THE APHIS WEBSITE:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov

) exempts from licensing any person who maintains a total of three or fewer breeding female dogs, cats, and/or small exotic or wild mammals, such as hedgehogs, degus, spiny mice, prairie dogs, flying squirrels, and jerboas, and who sells only the offspring of these dogs, cats, or small exotic or wild ...
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/kitchensink.pdf 07/15/04, 105800 bytes

[hedgiebedgie]

No doubt some individual in a family of four who "owns" twelve breeding females will claim that each family member "maintains" three of the females and try to circumvent the regulation. Who actually "maintains" a hedgehog would be difficult to prove. Notwithstanding the question of whether or not the entire Animal Welfare Act is unconstitutional if applied to purely intrastate transactions (as opposed to interstate transactions), the recent change to the regulation is, in my view, not the least bit helpful. I suspect the whole rationale behind it is the lack of agents to enforce the licensing requirements under the prior regulation; I hope the government does not decide that because it doesn't have enough policemen to catch every murder it should allow each person to kill up to three people without breaking the law.

[Ldy_Icedragon]

I think it's a good idea of the USDA. What if someone just has 2 hedgehog's like me (may not ever breed them) but if I do I would be breeding to learn what it's like to really raise a hedge litter, then decided if I would want to do this all the time with a larger amount of hedgies. If the USDA hadn't changed their rules I would need to first get a liscence, breed my hedgies, then there would be a 1 - 2 year gap between any other litter since I would first have to move. I'm not sure how often USDA liscences have to be updated but that would be a lot of money out of pocket if the person isn't breeding, also regular registering fees can be kind of expensive for someone intending to breed only 1 hedgie pair. In short their new laws may not be a good idea since they make irresponsible people think they can get away with something. But you've also got to think of the flip side, this really helps those with small breeding operations. Anyways I just wanted to share my opinion, I hope it makes sense, I only woke up 20 mins ago..lol

~Danielle

P.S. There will always be people who try to get around the laws and get away with something but they shouldn't be allowed to ruin it for every good responsible person out there.

[orchidofpurple]

The three or more rule as explained to me when I got my permit last month does not just pertain to your hedgies. It also counts toward dogs cats and chins so if you have three or more breedable of any of these at time of permit you will have to include them as well. i.e my chins had to be included in my permit but not my dogs. My boyfriends snakes and monitors did not apply to this act but the department said that birds will be added soon. as for moving you have to be inspected even if you move them to the neighbors house for more than a few days which would mean if you move a new inspection is going to be done or your permit suspended.
Good luck and enjoy

[hedgiebedgie]

Is it "three or more" or "more than three"? I thought it was the latter.