Our Process & Policies

Why do we use an exponential scale of 100, 10, 1, -1, -10, and -100?
There is no limit to the number of policies that a transportation provider can implement. Assigning a linear value to policies would result in a carrier having many policies being rated much more highly or negatively than carriers that simply ban the transportation of animals.

Policy	Linear Scale	Exponential Scale
No mammals	1	10
No poisonous animals	1	1
No wild captured animals	1	1
No infected animals	1	1
Total Points	4	13
No animals accepted	2	100
Total Points	2	100

Using exponential values in a ratings scale can be beneficial for several reasons:

1. Enhanced Sensitivity to Differences: Exponential scales can capture and illustrate large differences between values more effectively than linear scales. This is particularly useful when the range of values is vast, such as measuring earthquake magnitudes or sound intensity levels. A small increase in the rating reflects a significant real-world difference, making it easier to distinguish between high values.
   https://phys.libretexts.org/Courses/Georgia_State_University/GSU-TM-Physics_I_(2211)/02%3A_Vectors/2.07%3A_Math_Review_of_Other_Topics/2.7.14%3A_Exponential_and_Logarithmic_Functions
   https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Applied_Mathematics/Developmental_Math_(NROC)/18%3A_Exponential_and_Logarithmic_Functions/18.04%3A_New_Page/18.4.2%3A_Mathematical_Modeling_with_Exponential_and_Logarithmic_Functions
2. Perception Alignment: Human perception of various phenomena, such as sound and light intensity, tends to be logarithmic. Exponential scales align better with how we perceive changes, making the ratings more intuitive and meaningful. For example, the Richter scale for earthquakes and the decibel scale for sound both use logarithmic principles to correspond to our perception of intensity.
   https://phys.libretexts.org/Courses/Georgia_State_University/GSU-TM-Physics_I_(2211)/02%3A_Vectors/2.07%3A_Math_Review_of_Other_Topics/2.7.14%3A_Exponential_and_Logarithmic_Functions
   https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Applied_Mathematics/Developmental_Math_(NROC)/18%3A_Exponential_and_Logarithmic_Functions/18.04%3A_New_Page/18.4.2%3A_Mathematical_Modeling_with_Exponential_and_Logarithmic_Functions
3. Data Visualization: Exponential scales can improve the visualization of data, making it easier to spot trends and patterns. When plotting data that grows exponentially, a logarithmic scale can turn a steep curve into a straight line, simplifying analysis and interpretation.
   https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ccbcmd-math-1/chapter/graphs-of-exponential-and-logarithmic-functions/

We provide links to carrier websites so that interested users can investigate what the carriers' policies are in their own words.
We also strive for accuracy and transparency. If you find a carrier policy that is out of date or superceded by another policy, please contact us.
Additionally, we do not assign any points for adherence to laws and regulations. For example, many carriers publish their adherence to CITES and IATA in their policies on animal transport. Because these are international regulations, all carriers must abide by it and should not be awarded points for their compliance.

Animals are harmed when they are treated as cargo. This is the central tenet underlying our philosophy. When carriers restrict what type of animals they transport, they are reducing harm.

When we assign points to the level of specificity in a policy, we only make broad decisions on whether it is very specific, very broad, or neither. In this way we are not elevating the treatment of one type of animal over another. For example, excluding poisonous reptiles is as specific as excluding puppies and kittens from transportation. We aim to eliminate speciesism from our methodolody.

We also do not infer whether the animals are transported for purposes that will not end in their death (example: for entertainment purposes) from those that likely will end in their death (example: experimentation or consumption). We aim to be as objective as possible and interpret the policies at face value rather than the outcome after transportation.