Full Site | Mobile Site
Specimen Drop-off Procedure

The New Jersey Public Health, Environmental, and Agricultural Laboratory (NJ PHEAL) facility is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory clients. The facility is located in the NJ State Police Division Headquarters Directions to PHEAL.  Clients must adhere to the following procedure to drop off specimens.

The specimen drop-off vestibule is located in the rear of the PHEAL building. There is a sign over the entrance, "Agricultural Loading Dock Animal and Plant Submissions." The drop off vestibule is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. After hours, weekends, and on holidays, please call the guard using number posted on vestibule door to gain access to the vestibule. 

Specimen Drop-Off:

  • Please place specimens in refrigerator in the vestibule and sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook.
  • If dropping off specimens during business hours (8:45 AM to 4:45 PM, Monday through Friday), please inform the receiving staff of specimen delivery via the vestibule telephone, following posted instructions.

Animal Carcass Drop-Off:

Business Days (Monday through Friday except State holidays):

If dropping off carcass during business hours of 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM: Please inform the receiving staff of animal delivery via the vestibule telephone, following posted instructions.

  • For smaller size animal carcasses (e.g. puppies, small dogs, pocket pets, cats etc.), please place in refrigerator in the vestibule and sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook.
  • For medium size animal carcasses (e.g. sheep, goats, pigs, large dogs, deer, large animal head etc.), please place in the outside refrigerator (gray color walk-in style) to the right of the drop-off vestibule. Sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook inside the drop-off vestibule.
  • For large size animal carcasses, please inform the receiving staff for assistance via the vestibule telephone, following posted instructions.

If dropping off carcass after 4:45 pm:

  • For smaller size animal carcasses (e.g. puppies, small dogs, pocket pets, cats etc.), please place in refrigerator in the vestibule and sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook.
  • For medium size animal carcasses (e.g. sheep, goats, pigs, large dogs, deer, large animal head etc.), please place in the outside refrigerator (gray color walk-in style) to the right of the drop-off vestibule. Sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook inside the drop-off vestibule.
  • For large size animal carcasses, please contact the laboratory during business hours to arrange for delivery after 4:45 pm.

Weekends and holidays: Please leave message prior to delivering animals on weekends and holidays by calling (609) 671-4797.

  • For smaller size animal carcasses (e.g. puppies, small dogs, pocket pets, cats etc.), please place in refrigerator in the vestibule and sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook.
  • For medium size animal carcasses (e.g. sheep, goats, pigs, large dogs, deer, large animal head etc.), please place in the outside refrigerator (gray color walk-in style) to the right of the drop-off vestibule. Sign the "Specimen Delivery" logbook inside the drop-off vestibule.
  • For large size animal carcasses, please leave message to coordinate drop-off by calling (609)671-4797.
  • If the carcass submitted is part of a herd health outbreak, or if a potential zoonotic pathogen is suspected by submitting veterinarian as the cause of clinical signs, please leave message by calling (609)671-4797 to alert laboratory of the case.