APHIS Factsheet

Veterinary Services March 2007

The New York Animal 

Import Center

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

is responsible for safeguarding American agriculture 

from foreign pests and animal diseases. Through its 

Veterinary Services (VS) program, APHIS works to 

keep foreign animal diseases out of the country and 

to eliminate or control domestic animal diseases and 

prevent their spread. 

 VS regulates the importation of animals and 

animal-derived materials to ensure that exotic animal and poultry diseases are not introduced into the 

United States. Animals that are susceptible to or 

are capable of carrying diseases or pests that could 

seriously endanger U.S. domestic livestock or poultry 

must be imported through a U.S. animal import center.

Quarantine: A Crucial Part of the Animal Import 

Process

What do kudus, bongos, dikdiks, and blackbacked 

duikers have in common? Besides being African 

mammals, representatives of each type have, at one 

time or another, moved through ports in New York 

and New Jersey and been quarantined at APHIS’ 

New York Animal Import Center in Newburgh, NY. 

Located at Stewart International Airport, the 20-acre 

site operated by VS opened in March 1980, and is 

guarded and located in a secure, fenced area.

 The quarantine of livestock—at the Newburgh 

facility and other U.S. animal import centers—is an 

important part of our Nation’s animal import process. 

Other key activities APHIS officials carry out in this 

process include: developing import protocols with 

exporting countries; monitoring disease prevalence 

and occurrence internationally; reviewing and issuing 

import permits; establishing transportation and quarantine requirements; conducting applicable diagnostic 

tests, and notifying those States receiving animals 

released from quarantine.

A Parade of Animals

From October 1, 2005, through September 20, 2006, 

approximately 4,000 horses, nearly 2,300 birds, as 

well as many other animals, passed through the New 

York Animal Import Center. When entering the United 

States, animals, poultry, and other birds must have an 

import permit and health certificate. The permit 

shows what types of animals are being imported, their 

country of origin, who is exporting them, who is importing them, their ports of embarkation and arrival, their 

route, their mode of travel, and the purpose for which 

they are being imported. 

 This information is important because it allows 

import center employees to identify each animal and 

track it through the import process. Accompanying 

health certificates show that the imported animals 

were inspected before they left their country of origin 

and that they received the proper diagnostic examination and treatment for entry into the United States. 

 When an animal shipment arrives either by plane 

or ship at the ports of New York or New Jersey, an 

APHIS port veterinarian conducts a preliminary examination. The veterinarian also checks the identification 

of the animals, the health certificates, and permits. 

The animals then are transferred to a truck that takes 

them directly to the New York Animal Import Center. 

If any information is lacking—such as residence, 

health documentation, and pre-export history—the 

animals are refused entry and held at the Center until 

the problem is corrected. If the problem cannot be 

corrected, the animals are returned to their country of 

origin. 

 At the Center, veterinarians again check the 

animals’ identification and various papers. Animals 

receive a thorough examination and are sprayed to 

eliminate external parasites. Finally, the animals are 

isolated and begin their quarantine. Depending upon 

their origin and their species, animals are quarantined 

for a period of 3, 7, 30, or 60 days. The quarantine 

period allows APHIS staff to observe the animals for 

signs of disease and to conduct diagnostic procedures. For example, birds are held in isolation for 

a period of 30 days. If, at the end of that time, they 

show no signs of disease, meet all requirements of the 

import protocol, and pass diagnostic testing, they are 

released to the importer or a designated agent.

Housing Animals

The New York Animal Import Center consists of 18 

buildings, 14 animal barns, and a fenced compound. 

Cattle, horses, birds, waterfowl, and zoo animals are 

each housed in different barns designed specifically 

for them. The barns are separated by 100 feet of 

open space, and each barn is equipped with a 

ventilation system that prevents the spread of airborne 

infection. The largest horse barns can accommodate 

38 horses; the Center can accommodate a total of 125 

horses. 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital 

status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part 

of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons 

with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice 

and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. , 

Washington , D.C. 20250–9410 , or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or 

(202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 

employer. 

Biosecurity is a Top Priority

Once animals are admitted to the quarantine building, 

they remain within a biologically secure unit. 

Visitors are generally restricted access to only office 

and grounds areas and are prohibited from entering 

biologically secure areas. In order to ensure biosecurity, all persons who are permitted entry into a secure 

area must shower first, wear government-issued 

clothing, and shower again upon exiting. Persons 

entering several different quarantine areas must wash 

their boots in a chemical footbath and change coveralls prior to entering and leaving the different areas. 

Depending on which barns they are entering, they 

may also be required to shower again before entering 

a different barn. 

Import Permits

To obtain an import permit for the port of New York 

and to reserve space at the New York Animal Import 

Center, applicants must complete form VS 17–129 

and return it with the appropriate reservation fee. The 

reservation fee equals the full total of all anticipated 

quarantine charges. A list of fees as well as the necessary forms are available and may be obtained from 

the Center. 

 To make arrangements to import animals through 

the New York Animal Import Center or to obtain a list 

of user fees, contact: 

USDA, APHIS, VS

New York Animal Import Center

200 Drury Lane

Rock Tavern, NY 12575

Phone: (845) 564–2950

Fax: (845) 564–1075 or visit the VS

Web site at <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs>.