January 27, 2013

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has instituted a new program—Animal Disease Traceability Program (ADTP)—to allow livestock (including horses) to be traced in the event of a disease outbreak. ADTP will apply to all interstate transport. How this traceability program will impact the Equine Interstate Event Permit (EIEP) program devised by states in the Southeast to ease the flow of interstate horse traffic is not addressed. The USDA traceability program requires horses to have an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) or other document acceptable to the states involved, but doesn’t specifically address the new EIEP. The ADTP will be administered by the states with federal support. It goes into effect on March 11, 2013, but a transition period is anticipated to allow transporters to get used to the new rules. Posted January 27, 2013

A new permit—the Equine Interstate Event Permit (EIEP)—will allow the transport of horses between states in the Southeast for six-month periods. These permits will serve in lieu of the usual Certificate of Veterinary Inspection which is good for only thirty days. Dr. Richard Wilkes, State veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) said that a database and record-keeping system has been devised, and that the Commonwealth has a Memorandum of Agreement with fourteen states to allow the permits to be issued. Participating states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The state of New York also announced recently that it will also accept the six-month permit. The EIEP may be obtained form an accredited veterinarian. Applicants must fill out an application, present a health certificate for the horse, a negative Coggins test, and either microchip ID or three-view digital photographs of the horse. Owners will also need to demonstrate their ability to perform a simple physical exam and the ability to take the horse’s temperature. This data is to be recorded on the horse’s travel document with each interstate movement. Click for more detailed information from the VDACS or call 804-786-2483. Posted January 27, 2013