Animal Health Rules
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Agricultural
Resources
In addition to complying with all laws and regulations governing animal
health issues (M.G.L. C. 129 §§14D, 14E, 44 and 330 CMR 4.03, 4.07, 16.03), all
fairs must adopt and enforce the following rules for governance of the fair:
2009 Fairs Animal Health Rules
NO animal will be admitted to the fairgrounds unless it meets the
requirements below. NO animal is to be unloaded or enter a barn or tie-out stall
until the animal and its paperwork has been inspected and approved for entry.
A. General Rules for All Animals
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1. All animals must be in proper physical condition, be properly identified
and free of visual evidence of infectious, contagious or parasitic disease at
time of arrival. Specific diseases and conditions which will disqualify an
animal for entry are identified for each species in the following sections of
the rules. Animals of any species with open or draining wounds will not be
approved for entry.
2. Evidence of infectious, contagious or parasitic disease or failure to
produce the necessary documents for health certification, vaccination or testing
will result in the animal's rejection for entry. THE INSPECTOR'S DECISION IS
FINAL.
3. REMINDER: ALL sheep and goats of any age or sex brought to show or
exhibition from either out of state or within state must possess a USDA approved
individual identification tag, tattoo, or electronic implant consistent with the
requirements of the Federal Scrapie Eradication Program and the Massachusetts
Emergency Order 1-AHO-06. Information on approved tags, tattoos and electronic
implants is available from the USDA APHIS office in Sutton, MA at 508-363-2290.
4. All livestock must have proper ID. For animals identified by microchip,
readers must be available to the Inspectors.
5. SEE INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH SPECIES LISTED BELOW.
B. Out of State Animals
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1. All animals entering a Massachusetts fairground from out of state must be
accompanied by a valid health certificate signed by an accredited veterinarian
certifying that the animals are clinically free of infectious or contagious
disease and exposure from such disease. Documents of health certification must
be written on relevant state or federal health forms only. These certificates
must be available upon request to fair inspectors.
2. Health certificates must be dated January 1, 2009 or later. These
documents will be acceptable for the entire fair season in Massachusetts. TB and
Brucellosis testing is not required for animals from TB-Accredited and
Brucellosis-Free States. Current brucellosis and TB status in the exhibitor’s
state can be obtained from the state veterinarian’s office in each state. If the
exhibitor’s state is not TB-Accredited or Brucellosis-Free, then the exhibitor
must call the Massachusetts Bureau of Animal Health for entry requirements
(617-626-1795).
1. No poultry will be admitted to a fairground until it has been
individually inspected.
2. All poultry must be free of visual evidence of the following diseases:
infectious bronchitis, coryza, pullorum-typhoid, fowl-pox, external parasites
and laryngotracheitis.
3. Each bird must be accompanied by written proof (ID card or test report)
that the breeding flock was blood-tested negative for pullorum-typhoid within
one year prior to entry date.
4. Birds from quarantined states will not be permitted entry.
5. All birds over 16 weeks of age as of January 1, 2009 shall be
individually leg banded with a state leg band. This includes out of state
exhibitors.
6. No bird vaccinated for laryngotracheitis within thirty days of the fair
will be admitted.
D. Cattle, Goats and Camelids (Llamas, Alpacas, etc.)
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1. All animals entering a Massachusetts fairground from out of State or
within the state must be accompanied by a valid health certificate signed by an
accredited veterinarian certifying that the animals are clinically free of
infectious or contagious disease and exposure from such disease. Cattle and
Camelids must be identified by either ear tag, tattoo, registration or
microchip. Note that all goats and kids presented, regardless of age, must be
individually listed and identified on the health certificate. These certificates
must be available upon request to fair inspectors. Documents of health
certification for out of state animals must be written on relevant state or
federal health forms only. In-state animals may be accompanied by a certificate
of examination on a veterinarian’s letterhead stationery which clearly
identifies the contact information for the veterinarian signing the
certification. Certificates written on plain paper are not acceptable. Health
Certificates must be dated January 1, 2009 or later. These documents will be
accepted for the entire fair season in Massachusetts.
2. All of the above animals must be free of visual evidence of the following
diseases and conditions: foot rot, mange, pink-eye, ringworm, warts, cow-pox and
open or draining wounds.
3. In addition, all Goats must also be free of sore mouth and scrapie
exposure. Based on the Federal Scrapie Eradication Program (FSEP), goats of any
age or sex brought to show or exhibition from either out of state or within
state must possess a USDA approved individual identification tag, tattoo, or
electronic implant consistent with the requirements of the FSEP and the
Massachusetts Emergency Order 1-AHO-06. Information on approved tags, tattoos,
and electronic implants is available from the USDA-APHIS office in Sutton, MA at
508-363-2290.
4. Blue Tongue testing is required for Camelids originating from outside the
Commonwealth. Exception: Animals from a USDA declared "Low Incident State" are
exempt. Note: New England and New York are low incident states.
5. While not required, it is strongly recommended that all cattle be
currently vaccinated for rabies.
1. All swine entering a Massachusetts fairground must be accompanied by a
valid health certificate signed by an accredited veterinarian certifying that
the animals are clinically free of infectious or contagious disease and exposure
to such disease. Documents of health certification for out of state animals must
be written on relevant state or federal health forms only. In-state animals may
be accompanied by a certificate of examination on a veterinarian’s letterhead
stationery which clearly identifies the contact information for the veterinarian
signing the certification. Certificates written on plain paper are not
acceptable. These certificates must be available upon request to fair
inspectors. Health certificates must be dated January 1, 2009 or later. These
documents will be accepted for the entire fair season in Massachusetts. All
swine must be identified by an official ear tag or registration.
2. Swine must be free of visual evidence of the following diseases and
conditions: erysipelas, atrophic rhinitis, mange and open or draining wounds.
3. No person shall import into Massachusetts from outside the state any
swine which have been pseudorabies vaccinated. M.G.L. c. 129 §14E.
4. No person shall import into Massachusetts swine from Stage l or Stage ll
Pseudorabies States.
5. All swine shall originate from qualified pseudorabies-free herds, or
monitored herds in qualified pseudorabies free States only. The pseudorabies
status of the exhibitor’s state can be obtained from the state veterinarian’s
office in each state.
1. Sheep entering a Massachusetts fairground must have a valid health
certificate signed by an accredited veterinarian certifying that the animals are
clinically free of infectious or contagious disease and exposure from such
disease. Documents of health certification for out of state animals must be
written on relevant state or federal health forms only. In-state animals may be
accompanied by a certificate of examination on a veterinarian’s letterhead
stationery which clearly identifies the contact information for the veterinarian
signing the certification. Certificates written on plain paper are not
acceptable. These certificates must be available upon request to fair
inspectors. Health certificates must be dated January 1, 2009 or later. These
documents will be acceptable for the entire fair season.
2. No sheep will be allowed entry from flocks in which Scrapie has been
diagnosed or in which animals are under surveillance for Scrapie during the
previous eighteen months. Based on the Federal Scrapie Eradication Program (FSEP)
and the Massachusetts Emergency Order 1-AHO-06, sheep of any age or sex brought
to show or exhibition from either out of state or within the state must possess
a USDA approved individual identification tag, tattoo, or electronic implant
consistent with requirements of the FSEP. Information on approved tags, tattoos,
and electronic implants is available from the USDA APHIS office in Sutton, MA at
508-363-2290.
3. No sheep will be permitted entry from flocks in which Soremouth has
existed or in which Soremouth Vaccine has been administered in the previous
sixty days.
4. Sheep must be free from visual evidence of foot rot, sore mouth, pink
eye, ringworm, and open and draining wounds.
5. While not required, it is strongly recommended that sheep be currently
vaccinated against rabies.
1. All equines entering a Massachusetts fairground must have a valid health
certificate signed by an accredited veterinarian certifying that the animals are
clinically free of infectious or contagious disease and exposure from such
disease. Documents of health certification for out of state animals must be
written on relevant state or federal health forms only. In-state animals may be
accompanied by a certificate of examination on a veterinarian’s letterhead
stationery which clearly identifies the contact information for the veterinarian
signing the certification. Certificates written on plain paper are not
acceptable. These certificates must be available upon request to fair
inspectors. Health certificates must be dated January 1, 2009 or later. These
documents will be acceptable for the entire fair season.
2. All equines must be free of visual evidence of the following diseases and
conditions: mange, ringworm, soring, strangles, and open or draining wounds.
3. All equines originating from within and outside of the Commonwealth must
have a negative USDA-approved EIA test (i.e., Coggins test or ELISA test) dated
within twelve months of entry.
* 4. While not required, it is strongly recommended that all equines be
vaccinated for rabies, tetanus and EEE within one year of the fair.
1. Rabbits must be free of visual evidence of the following diseases:
snuffles, wet tail, skin and ear infections.
1. All dogs and cats must be free of visual evidence of the following
diseases: kennel cough, distemper, hepatitis, parvo, ringworm and mange.
2. All Massachusetts dogs and cats and those originating from out of this
State must have a valid and current vaccination certificate for rabies.
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