5C-4.0015. Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Accredited Veterinarian. A veterinarian licensed in the state of origin and accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) to perform certain functions of the federal and cooperative-state-federal programs in accordance with the provisions of Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations 9 CFR §161.1 (JAN 2018), which is hereby incorporated by reference and available online at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-10035.

(2) Animal(s). This term shall include: be as defined in section 585.01(10), F.S., which provides that the term “animal” shall include wild or game animals whenever necessary to effectively control or eradicate dangerour transmissible diseases or pets which threaten the agricultural interests of the state.

(3) Authorized Representative. An employee of the state or federal government, or a licensed veterinarian accredited by the USDA, who is authorized to conduct animal disease control and eradication activities.

(4) Commercial Production Swine. Swine that have been subjected to and found negative on their most recent annual brucellosis and pseudorabies tests and have been continuously managed with adequate facilities and practices to prevent exposure to any transitional or feral swine and so recognized by state animal health officials.

(5) “Domestic animal” shall include any equine or bovine animal, goat, sheep, swine, domestic cat, dog, poultry, ostrich, emu, rhea, or other domesticated beast or bird.

(6) Exhibition. Any premises displaying or presenting livestock to the general public for an animal exhibit or animal show at an event sponsored by the state or county.

(7) Group. One or more Animals maintained on the same premises or in contact with one another.

(8) Horse. Any horse, mule, ass, zebra or other equidae.

(9) Isolation. Separation of individual Animals by a physical barrier in a manner that assures one Animal does not have access to the body, excrement, or discharges of another Animal; does not share a building with a common ventilation system; and is not within ten feet of another Animal.

(10) “Livestock” means grazing animals, such as cattle, horses, sheep, swine, goats, other hoofed animals, ostriches, emus, and rheas which are raised for private use or commercial purposes.

(11) Market Class. An exhibition class consisting of finished fed Animals that are isolated and housed seperately from all Animals not designated for slaughter immediately following the exhibition.

(12) Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI). A legible record or certificate made on an official form from the state of origin or from the USDA, or a Department-approved electronic format, issued and signed by veterinarians licensed and accredited in the state of origin for the purpose of certifying the Official Individual Identification, test requirements, and health status of specific Animals for movement, exhibition, and other designated purposes.

(13) Official Individual Identification. An individual Animal identification that uniquely identifies the Animal, the owner, the premises where the Animal was identified and the state in which the Official Individual Identification was applied and:

(a) For Cattle:

1. Is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture in accordance with 9 C.F.R. §86.4(a)(1) (2013), as incorporated in rule 5C-31.006, F.A.C.; or 

2. Is submitted to and verified by the Department as meeting the requirements for Official Individual Identification such that state officials can determine the herd in which the Animal was officially identified.

(b) For Livestock Other than Cattle:

1. Tattoos and registered brands such as ear, tail-web or flank tattoos, breed registration tattoos when accompanied by breed registration papers; or an official breed registration brand when accompanied by a brand registration certificate;

2. Official leg or wing bands for poultry;

3. Color digital images or notarized color photographs of the Animal, signed by an Accredited Veterinarian; or

4. Implanted electronic chips with a unique number that is recorded in a single, central database.

(14) Official test. A test conducted by a method approved by Department rules for the specific disease and Animal species.

(15) Poultry, Domestic Fowl or Ratites. Chickens, turkeys, quail, pheasants, chukars, peafowl, guineas, ratites (limited to ostriches, emus and rheas) and waterfowl that are propagated or maintained for commercial or breeding purposes.

(16) Segregated. To maintain a Group of Animals separate from another Group of Animals in such a manner as to prevent physical contact between Animals of the two Groups.

Rulemaking Authority 585.002(4), 585.08(2), 585.145(2) FS. Law Implemented 585.08(2)(a), 585.145(1), (2) FS. History–New 1-19-95, Amended 6-4-95, 6-21-06, 2-19-14, 11-21-18.