Washington state veterinarian clears Santa’s reindeer for entry
Published 8:33 am Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Santa checks biosecurity list
Santa Claus’ reindeer have the go-ahead, Washington State Veterinarian Amber Itle announced in a Dec. 21 blog post on the state Department of Agriculture website.
“Santa always takes the time to check interstatelivestock.com to meet the interstate animal movement requirements for the United States,” the post states. “All of Santa’s reindeer are required to be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued by an accredited veterinarian and a permit number to move between states for toy delivery.”
The CVI certifies that animals are healthy and have met all required vaccinations and testing requirements, the post states, accompanied by a scan of the certificate for Claus.
“The last thing Santa wants to do when he is delivering gifts is to deliver unwanted viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens to animals around the world or bring disease back to the North Pole,” the post states. “Santa visits millions of homes and farms in a single night and has incorporated biosecurity protocols to avoid inadvertent disease spread, as any professional would. Not only does Santa have lists of “naughty” and “nice,” he also has a biosecurity list!”
The post lists the various ways diseases can be spread, including direct contact from animal to animal and human to animal; indirect contact with tools, equipment or footwear or in aerosolized droplets.
Santa’s safety protocol
The post lists various steps Santa takes to prepare for his global flight Christmas Eve:
• “In the months prior … Santa works with his veterinarian to evaluate the health of his team. He makes sure they are in good body condition with optimal nutrition, up to date on their vaccines and have employed a parasite prevention program to ensure a successful journey. He also checks to make sure he meets the animal health requirements for each country and each state prior to takeoff.”
• “Under Santa’s waterproof jacket are coveralls that are easy to change out and launder. He wears disposable gloves and washes his hands in your sink before he leaves. Santa wears rubber, impervious boots that can be disinfected between farms.”
• “Whenever possible, Santa lands his sleigh on rooftops to avoid contamination of his sled skis but carries a portable pump sprayer and a simple, portable cleaning and disinfection station just in case … The most important thing is to clean manure, dirt, debris first and then wash and disinfect (the) sleigh.
• “Santa is strict about visitors and limits entry to the North Pole to protect animal health.”
• ”Upon return to the North Pole, Santa is sure to keep returning reindeer isolated in a quarantine barn for 30 days for observation prior to reintroducing them into the herd. The elves take and record temperatures on the reindeer twice a day and monitor feed intake. If they show any signs of not feeling good, Santa calls in his veterinarian right away.” Elves caring for the reindeer in isolation do not interact with any other animals at the North Pole, the post states: “Each reindeer has their personalized equipment, buckets and grooming tools and they are not shared between animals.”
The state veterinarian’s office recommends a customized biosecurity plan for farms.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has also issued a transit permit for Santa’s reindeer to enter the U.S.