Santa Claus won’t have any issues delivering goodies on his sleigh to U.S. children come Christmas Eve.
The Department of Agriculture has granted Mr. S. Nicholas Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited, a movement permit.
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“With a growing world population, Mr. Claus will have his busiest Christmas yet. At USDA, we want to ensure we are not hindering Mr. Claus’ important work of spreading Christmas Cheer for all to hear,” said former Georgia governor and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in a news release. “Ease of access into the United States for Mr. Claus and his nine reindeer will ensure that children all over the country — including my own fourteen grandchildren — will wake up on Christmas morning with joy and filled with the spirit of the season. USDA issued this permit in advance and waived all applicable fees to help ensure a smooth trip on Christmas Eve night.”
With the permit, Kris Kringle’s reindeer will be allowed to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 7 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 7 a.m. Dec. 25. The time zone was not specified, but the magical caribou will be able to come to the country through or over any U.S. border port. Ms. Claus provided a list of items port personnel can expect, too. They are all items that won’t pose a threat to U.S. plant or animal health.
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Normal disease testing is required of the reindeer, but they’ll also undergo additional tests to ensure they will be able to safely handle significant changes in altitude and temperature throughout their journey. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph will also be tested to ensure they’re fit for landing on rooftops. Purdue also verified the reindeer have been vaccinated against any diseases they could come across on their trip around the globe.
This year’s health certificate saw the veterinarian note that Rudolph was positive for “red nose syndrome.” But there’s no cause for alarm. It was explained that this is normal for him and not a concern for animal health. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service also completed a courtesy welfare and humane treatment inspection of the reindeer facility at Mr. and Mrs. Clause’s request. They passed with no issues.
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As Santa and his reindeer head to the port, the sleigh will be cleaned and disinfected. Santa will also wash his hands and have his boots disinfected. The goal is to prevent the spreading of any livestock diseases the Christmas crew may encounter in their worldwide trip into the U.S.
“It would be a disaster for Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited, if my reindeer were to unintentionally bring in foot and mouth disease along with all the gifts,” Mr. Claus said in a press release. “Why, something like that could put me out of business. That’s why we work all year to keep the reindeer healthy and take all possible precautions before and during our trip.”
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