(A) The owner shall burn the body of an animal that has died of, or been destroyed because of, a dangerously infectious or contagious disease, bury it not less than four feet under the surface of the ground, dissolve it by alkaline hydrolysis, remove it in a watertight tank to a rendering establishment, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with section 939.04 or 953.26 of the Revised Code within twenty-four hours after knowledge thereof or after notice in writing from the department of agriculture.

Terms Used In Ohio Code 941.14

  • 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
  • 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
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59

(B) The owner of premises that contain a dead animal shall burn the body of the animal, bury it not less than four feet beneath the surface of the ground, dissolve it by alkaline hydrolysis, remove it in a watertight tank to a rendering establishment, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with section 939.04 or 953.26 of the Revised Code within a reasonable time after knowledge thereof or after notice in writing from the department or from the township trustees of the township in which the owner’s premises are located.

(C) The director of agriculture may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code establishing requirements and procedures governing the disposal of the body of an animal that has died of, or been destroyed because of, a disease of concern.

(D) Notwithstanding division (A) or (B) of this section or rules adopted under division (C) of this section, the director, in written notice sent to the owner of a dead animal, may require the owner to employ a specific method of disposition of the body, including burning, burying, rendering, composting, or alkaline hydrolysis, when that method does not conflict with any law or rule governing the disposal of infectious wastes and, in the director’s judgment, is necessary for purposes of animal disease control. No person shall fail to employ the method of disposition required under this division.

(E) The director, in written notice sent to the owner of a dead animal, may prohibit the owner from transporting the body of the dead animal on any street or highway if that prohibition does not conflict with any law or rule governing the transportation of infectious wastes and, in the director’s judgment, is necessary for purposes of animal disease control. No person shall fail to comply with a prohibition issued under this division.

(F) As used in this section, “infectious wastes” has the same meaning as in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code, and “street” or “highway” has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.

The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.