Animal Transfers
The Animal Transfers module provides a complete system for recording and tracking the movement of animals between carers, organisations, veterinary clinics, and other entities. Every transfer creates an auditable record with full details of the receiving party, authorisation, and reason for the move.
Overview
When an animal needs to be moved -- whether to another carer within your organisation, to a different wildlife group, to a vet for treatment, or out for permanent care placement -- you record that transfer here. The system captures who authorised the move, where the animal is going, and why, giving you a clear chain of custody for compliance reporting.
Transfers are accessible from the Transfers tab on any animal's detail page.
Transfer Types
Each transfer is categorised by type, which determines the validation rules applied and how the animal's status is updated.
| Transfer Type | Description | Animal Status After Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Carer Transfer | Moving an animal between carers within the same organisation | No change (preserves current status) |
| Inter-Organisation Transfer | Transferring an animal to a different wildlife rehabilitation organisation | TRANSFERRED |
| Vet Transfer | Sending an animal to a veterinary clinic for treatment or assessment | TRANSFERRED |
| Permanent Care Placement | Placing an animal into approved permanent care (requires an approved permanent care application) | PERMANENT_CARE |
| Release Transfer | Transferring an animal as part of a release process | TRANSFERRED |
For non-internal transfers, the system also records the transfer date as the animal's outcome date and the reason as the outcome reason.
Recording a Transfer
To record a new transfer, click the Record Transfer button on the Transfers tab. The transfer form captures the following details.
Core Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer Date | Yes | The date the transfer occurred |
| Transfer Type | Yes | One of the five transfer types listed above (defaults to Internal Carer Transfer) |
| Reason for Transfer | Yes | Why the animal is being transferred |
| Authorised By | Yes | Name of the person authorising this transfer |
Receiving Entity Details
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving Entity | Yes | Name of the person, organisation, or facility receiving the animal |
| Entity Type | No | The type of receiving party: Organisation, Zoo / Animal Park, Veterinary Clinic, Individual Carer, or Facility |
| Receiving Authority / Licence Number | Conditional | The receiving party's wildlife licence or authority number. Required for Inter-Organisation and Permanent Care Placement transfers |
| Their Animal ID | No | The receiving organisation's own identifier for the animal, useful for cross-referencing |
Contact Information
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Name | No | Primary contact person at the receiving entity |
| Contact Phone | No | Phone number for the receiving contact |
| Contact Email | No | Email address for the receiving contact |
Address
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving Address | No | Street address of the receiving entity (supports address autocomplete) |
| Suburb | No | Suburb or locality |
| State | No | State (defaults to NSW) |
| Postcode | No | Postal code |
Additional Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Notes | No | Any additional context or notes about the transfer |
Validation Rules
The system enforces several compliance guardrails to ensure transfer records meet regulatory requirements.
General Validation
- Every transfer must include an authorised user, a reason for transfer, and a receiving entity
- The transfer date must be a valid date
- The animal must belong to the current organisation
Transfer Type-Specific Rules
- Inter-Organisation and Permanent Care Placement transfers require a receiving authority/licence number. This ensures the receiving party has proper licensing before the animal is moved
- Permanent Care Placement transfers require an approved permanent care application on file for the animal. You cannot place an animal into permanent care without going through the formal application and NPWS approval process first
Permanent Care Lock
Animals that have been placed in NPWS-approved permanent care (status: PERMANENT_CARE) cannot be transferred. The system blocks all transfer attempts for these animals and displays a warning on the Transfers tab. If a permanent care placement needs to change, it must go through a new NPWS approval process -- contact your coordinator or admin.
Transfer History
The Transfers tab displays all recorded transfers for the animal in reverse chronological order. Each transfer card shows:
- Transfer date and type (colour-coded badge)
- Receiving entity and entity type
- Reason for transfer
- Licence number (if recorded)
- Contact details (if recorded)
- Address (if recorded)
- Authorising person
- Additional notes (if recorded)
Authorised users can delete transfer records if needed.
Permissions
Transfer management is controlled by the compliance:manage_transfers permission.
| Action | Required Permission |
|---|---|
| View transfer history | Any authenticated organisation member |
| Record a new transfer | compliance:manage_transfers |
| Delete a transfer record | compliance:manage_transfers |
Integration with Other Modules
| Module | Integration |
|---|---|
| Animal Record History | Transfer records appear as part of the animal's full history |
| Permanent Care Applications | Permanent care placement transfers require an approved application; approved permanent care animals are locked from further transfers |
| Compliance Readiness Checklist | Transfer records contribute to compliance completeness for outcome tracking |
| Audit Logging | Every transfer creation is logged with the animal ID, transfer type, and resulting animal status |
| Roles & Permissions | The compliance:manage_transfers permission controls who can record and delete transfers |