Samples for various feline projects can be sent to Dr. Lyons at UCDavis from abroad, but a specific letter to US Customs must be attached. Certain countries are very difficult to ship from, thus Dr. Lyons has contacts in Sweden, The Netherlands, Australia and England, who will collect and save the samples until proper shipment to the USA can be arranged. Please contact Dr. Lyons before collecting samples for shipment from abroad so that proper procedures can be determined.

Sample Letter for the importation of domestic cat sample to the USA

This type of letter must accompany all sample shipments, with or without a courier.

Two (2) copies of the letter should be attached to the container. One stays with the container, the other can be retained by US Customs.

Use letterhead when possible!

DNA samples can be sent at room temperature but should be maintained on ice if delayed more than 24 hrs. Samples should be boxed.

Frozen samples must remain frozen and will generally be on dry ice. These samples must be in a stryofoam container inside of a box.

Samples shipped in a liquid nitrogen "dry shipper" will generally stay frozen for 2 weeks. This requires a special metal cylinder.

Sample letter begins here.....................

Date

Attention:United States Customs

(Name of entering airport)

Dear USDA and US Customs Service,

On (date here), I will be entering the United States from (departure citty) on (Airline, flight number, time). I will be carrying with me blood samples from domestic cats for delivery to Dr. Leslie Lyons at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Below is the information required in accordance with USDA Guideline # 1102.

1. The samples are whole blood samples of domestic cats from the (area here).

2. These samples do not contain any other animal-derived products, particularly of agricultural concern, such as fetal calf serum. They are domestic cat products only.

3. The samples are not derived from cats that have or have been exposed to agents that are infectious or contagious agents to human beings or of agricultural concern.

4. These samples have no commercial value, they are for research purposes only.

If this information is not sufficient, please contact Dr. Leslie Lyons at the UCDavis School of Veterinary Medicine; phone: (530)754-5546 or (530 752-7127, E-mail: lalyons@ucdavis.edu.

If these samples are detained by US Customs, please maintain the samples (on ice or frozen) until the samples can be released.

Sincerely,

(your name, full address and contacts numbers here)