Dead on Arrival (DOA) Policy

Every animal we ship travels under our Live Arrival Guarantee. In the rare event that livestock arrives dead on arrival (DOA), we will put it right — provided the conditions below are met. Please read this policy in full before your order is dispatched, as it forms part of your purchase agreement.

What “Dead on Arrival” means

An animal is considered DOA if it is confirmed dead within the arrival window described below, or if it arrives so critically compromised that it dies within that window despite correct handling. Livestock that dies later than this window — for example after acclimation, feeding or rehousing — falls outside DOA cover, as we can no longer verify the cause. This guarantee covers the animal only; it does not cover live food or feeder cultures.

The 24-hour rule

You must contact us within 24 hours of delivery to make a DOA claim. The clock starts at the time your courier records the parcel as delivered.

• Claims raised after 24 hours cannot be accepted, without exception.
• If your parcel is delivered to a neighbour, a safe place or a collection point, the 24 hours still runs from that recorded delivery time — please plan to be available to receive live animals.
• Open and inspect every animal as soon as it arrives, even if you cannot house it immediately.

Evidence we require

To process a DOA claim fairly we need clear proof of the loss. Please provide all of the following:

• An unbroken unboxing video is strongly preferred and, for higher-value livestock, required. Film continuously from the sealed, undamaged parcel through to opening the deceased animal’s container — no cuts or edits.
• Clear photographs of: the outer packaging and shipping label, the internal packaging and heat/cool pack, and the deceased animal in its original container.
• The order number and the name the order was placed under.

Blurred images, edited footage, or photos of an animal already removed from its packaging may result in a claim being declined.

Please do not…

• Discard anything. Keep the animal, all packaging, heat/cool packs and the box until your claim is resolved — we may ask you to retain them.
• Freeze, bury or dispose of the animal before we have confirmed the outcome.
• Assume an unresponsive animal is dead. Many invertebrates and reptiles are simply cold, dormant or in shock after transit. Allow the animal to reach room temperature slowly in a quiet, dark space before concluding it is DOA — and photograph it as found first.

How to make a claim

1. Photograph and film the animal and packaging exactly as they arrived.
2. Contact us within 24 hours with your order number and the words “DOA claim” in your message.
3. Send us your video and photographs when we reply, along with any details we request.
4. We aim to review every claim within 2 working days and will confirm the outcome in writing.

Resolution

Where a DOA claim is accepted, we will offer a replacement on the next suitable shipping day or a refund for the affected animal, at your preference. Replacement postage is covered by us. Refunds are issued to your original payment method and apply to the animal only, not to shipping already used, unless the entire order is affected.

Weather & carrier conditions

Live animals are shipped only when conditions are safe. During extreme heat or cold we may hold your order until the forecast improves, and we may require a delivery method that keeps the parcel out of a hot vehicle or a cold doorstep. If you choose an unsuitable delivery option, ask us to ship against our weather advice, or are unavailable to receive the parcel on the first delivery attempt, DOA cover may not apply.

Your statutory rights

This guarantee is offered in addition to and does not affect your legal rights as a consumer. If anything here is unclear, please get in touch before you order — we would always rather answer a question up front than resolve a problem later.