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Can I ship live animals with Pirate Ship?

Pirate Ship does not support shipping live animals, and these shipments require you to ship in person at the Post Office or The UPS Store®

Updated over a week ago

Pirate Ship does not support shipping live animals, so you'll need to go to the Post Office or The UPS Store®

Sorry we can't help you with these shipments 😢

While Pirate Ship doesn't support shipping live animals on our platform, here are some workarounds for shipping with USPS or UPS directly.

Shipping Live Animals with USPS

If you need to ship live animals with USPS, we suggest:

  • Buying Labels at the Post Office: To make sure your animals remain safe, visit your local Post Office to purchase your shipping label and obtain the proper instructions to follow.

  • Asking for Special Handling: When you go to the Post Office, we suggest purchasing Special Handling service for shipment.

    • Pirate Ship Doesn't Offer Special Handling: While USPS allows for the shipment of certain live animals like bees and day-old chicks, Pirate Ship doesn't offer the Special Handling services you need to ship them in accordance with USPS policy 😔

Shipping Live Animals with UPS

While UPS allows you to send certain types of live animals, you can't use Pirate Ship to purchase UPS labels for these shipments 🙈

  • Sending Animals with UPS on Pirate Ship is Prohibited: Due to our contract with UPS, sending live animals through Pirate Ship will void any liability coverage and may get your account restricted.

  • Create a UPS Account: If you need to send a live animal shipment with UPS, we recommend creating an account with UPS and contacting them directly in regards to any special handling your shipment may require 👍

    • Once you obtain and comply with any instructions from UPS, you'll need to buy your label at The UPS Store.

  • UPS Carrier Liability Excludes Live Animals: UPS carrier liability does not cover shipments containing live animals, since UPS considers them perishable commodities.

    • UPS says the following regarding coverage exclusions for live animal shipments, which you can read here:

      • "Any package containing a live animal shall be considered a perishable commodity and will be accepted for transportation solely at the shipper´s risk for any damage or loss arising from the perishable nature of the item. UPS shall not be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages."

Additional Resources

Have any questions? Feel free to chat with our support crew for a helping hook 😎

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