Washington State Veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle signed off on a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) and a permit number Friday, Dec. 20 allowing Santa and his team to move between states to deliver toys on Christmas Eve.

The release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture noted, “A CVI is a special animal health document that certifies that the animals listed ‘are not showing signs of infectious, contagious and/or communicable diseases’ and have met all the required vaccinations and testing requirements.”

For livestock owners who don’t deliver toys across the world in one night with a sleigh and reindeer, a CVI still provides reassurance that livestock are in good health and well cared for.

In addition to a CVI, a biosecurity plan is often discussed when long trips are part of livestock – or toy delivery – route. Biosecurity plans limit the risk of exposure to and spread of highly contagious diseases before, during, and after transport. Santa’s biosecurity plan included the following items:

1. No visitors to the North Pole.
2. Keep a closed reindeer herd.
3. Perform annual lab testing for diseases of concern.
4. Keep a good, working relationship with a herd veterinarian to oversee herd health and vaccinations.
5. Bring your own reindeer grain, hay, and water for the Christmas Eve journey.
6. When traveling, stick to rooftops; they are cleaner.
7. Avoid direct contact with wildlife, domestic animals, and humans.
8. Clean and disinfect the sleigh and boots between rooftops, states, countries, and when returning to the North Pole.
9. Isolate all reindeer after returning from Christmas Eve deliveries for 30 days.
10. Designate specific elves to care for isolated reindeer during 30-day recovery.

Keep your eyes on the sky Christmas Eve! You just might see the Big Man and his team. If things look to cloudy up there, you can track Santa on his delivery route via NORAD’s Santa Tracker. Healthful animal transport isn’t just for Santa, check with the Washington State Department of Agriculture Animal Health Program for more information on livestock health and transportation.