Ohio Code 941.10 – Rules governing importation and movement of animals
(A) The director of agriculture may adopt and enforce rules to govern the importation and movement of animals.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 941.10
- agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
- Animal: means any animal that is a bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, or mammal, other than humans. See Ohio Code 941.01
- Dangerously contagious or infectious disease: means any disease, including any foreign animal disease, or vector, that the director of agriculture, in the director's sound discretion, determines to be of harmful effect on the animal or poultry industry or the public health and to be capable of transmission by any means from a carrier animal to a human or to another animal. See Ohio Code 941.01
- Disease of concern: means any disease, including any foreign animal disease, or vector, that the director determines may have an adverse impact on the animal or poultry industry or to the public health in this state, but that is not a disease that is reportable to the United States department of agriculture. See Ohio Code 941.01
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
(B) Whenever the governor upon receipt of information from the director believes that any condition or disease, including a dangerously contagious or infectious disease or a disease of concern present in any other state, territory, or country, may endanger the health of livestock, animals, or persons of this state, the governor may prohibit or regulate by proclamation, the importation from that other state, territory, or country, of animals of a kind that could carry that disease or condition into this state.
(C) No person shall import, move, sell, or dispose of any animal contrary to a proclamation issued by the governor under division (B) of this section, without first obtaining written permission from the director.
(D) When an animal is moved into the state in violation of any applicable federal or state law, the director or the director’s authorized representative, without prior hearing, may take whichever of the following courses of action regarding the animal as the director or the director’s authorized representative determines is most appropriate:
(1) Quarantine the animal until it is brought into compliance;
(2) Order the animal returned to the point of origin;
(3) Order the animal moved to slaughter.