We're USDA Certified
Learn what this means for your event
Ensuring Animal Wellness
What does USDA Certified mean?
A USDA certified farm means the animals are happy and healthy. It also means the owners are committed to their animals' welfare above all else.
Before hiring reindeer, always search the USDA APHIS website to verify that a farm has no repeat violations or critical non-compliant items.
Verifying a farm's status ensures you are hiring animals that are well cared for.
How does it work?
How does the USDA ensure animal welfare?
Extensive Guides and Rules
The USDA maintains a massive set of comprehensive rules and guidelines when it comes to animal welfare.
The rules the USDA maintains are meant to ensure animals are not mistreated, neglected, or abused.
Random Farm Inspections
The USDA will conduct random inspections by trained animal care experts to verify the living conditions, enrichment, veterinary care, etc. of the farm.
The inspector will group violations into different categories like "teachable moments", "non-critical", "critical", and "direct".
A farm that has many violations across multiple inspections is a farm to avoid.
Enforceable Action
If a farm is routinely violating USDA rules, the owners can be forced to forfeit their animals.
This is a final measure but it ensures that owners are held liable for the treatement of animals in their care.
Just a Peek at Our Responsibilities
Typical Things Our Farm is Inspected For
Sanitation & Safety
- Is poop reguarly picked up?
- Is the barn regularly washed?
- Are surfaces clean and sanitized?
- Are food/water containers clean?
- Are all cleaning chemicals stored and labeled properly?
- Is there enough flat ground for the animals to lay in multiple areas comfortably?
Living Conditions
- Are the living quarters big enough for all animals to have shelter at the same time?
- Do the animals all have equal access to food and water?
- Is shade available to animals regardless of time of day?
- What extra measures are taken for extreme weather?
- Are fences tight and secure to the ground to prevent predator attacks?
- Is enough enrichment provided for the animals?
Veterinary Care
- Are the animals regularly checked by a veterinarian?
- Are all animals free of untreated injury or disease?
- Are all shots up to date?
- Are all on-hand medications accounted for and unexpired?
- Are multiple vets listed in case of emergency care?
- Are all veterinary plans being followed properly?
Planning & Records
- Are there up to date contingency plans for all forms of emergencies?
- Are all veterinary plans up to date?
- Is all paperwork managed and filed in a manner that an outside person could care for the animals in case of emergency?
- Are all active vets listed?
- Are there multiple backup caretakers in case of emergency?