Mortality and risk transfer
Version 2026-07-v1 · Last updated 29 July 2026
This policy is under final legal review
The movement of live animals carries inherent risk, and responsibility for that risk shifts at a defined point in every order. Until an animal is handed into your care, it remains our responsibility; from that moment, it becomes yours. What follows explains where that line falls, the position should an animal be injured or lost before it, and what we ask of you on delivery.
When responsibility passes to you
Responsibility for an animal passes to you when the animal is handed over: at the point of collection, where you collect, or on delivery and acceptance, where we deliver. Up to that point, the animal remains at our risk. The table below sets out how that principle applies at each stage of an order.
| Stage of the order | Where responsibility lies | What is asked of you |
|---|---|---|
| Before the animal is handed over | With The Cattle Exchange | Nothing; the animal remains in our care. |
| In transit, where we arrange delivery | With The Cattle Exchange, until you accept the animal | Examine the animal on arrival and tell us at once of any concern. |
| On collection, or on delivery and acceptance | With you | Satisfy yourself as to the animal’s condition before you accept it; from that point, the risk is yours. |
If an animal is injured or lost in our care
Should an animal that we are delivering be injured or die before you have accepted it, please notify us within twenty-four hours of delivery, or of the intended delivery, together with any photographs you are able to provide. We will investigate the matter with the transporter concerned and put it right, whether by refund or by replacement. The precise terms on which such losses are covered, including any insurance and its conditions, are being confirmed and will be set out here.