345 IAC 9-9.5-1 Antemortem inspection of exotic livestock

Sec. 1. (a) Antemortem inspection of exotic livestock must be conducted according to 9 CFR 309 and subsection (b), (d), or (e). (b) Upon request, the state veterinarian or a division employee may permit field antemortem inspection of exotic livestock if the following requirements are met: (1) The animal's owner provides an area to perform the antemortem inspection and an area to stun or kill, shackle, hoist, stick, and bleed the animal. A division employee must approve a field-designated area and the stunning or kill area prior to the antemortem inspection. (2) The antemortem inspection is performed on the same day as the slaughter and in the field-designated area. (3) The antemortem inspection is conducted in accordance with the humane procedures outlined in 9 CFR 313.2. (4) After the antemortem inspection, the animal is stunned or killed in the approved area. Immediately after an animal is stunned or killed, it must be shackled, hoisted, stuck, and bled in the approved area. (5) The carcass is transported to an official establishment for postmortem inspection as soon as possible, but not later than the end of the day within which the animal was killed. (6) The transport used to move the carcass to the official establishment must be approved by a division employee. A division employee may approve only those transports that are as sanitary as is reasonable and practical under the circumstances and that will not likely result in carcass contamination. (c) The state veterinarian or a division employee may refuse to permit field antemortem inspection under any of the following circumstances: (1) The board is unable to provide qualified persons to conduct the field antemortem inspection at the time or location desired due to commitments to provide inspection services elsewhere in the state. (2) The safety of board personnel would be put at risk by performing the requested field antemortem inspection service. (3) The animal's owner cannot provide a field-designated area that will permit the board to fully evaluate the animal's fitness for slaughter. (4) The animal's owner cannot provide an area for stunning, killing, shackling, hoisting, and bleeding that will minimize the likelihood of carcass contamination. (5) The owner does not or cannot otherwise comply with the requirements of this rule. (d) Antemortem inspection of exotic livestock delivered to an establishment may be performed while the animals remain in the transport vehicle if the following requirements are met: (1) The transport vehicle is constructed so that it will reasonably protect the antemortem inspector from dangers posed by the animals. (2) The transport vehicle and the circumstances surrounding the animal's delivery will reasonably allow the inspector to perform all of the duties required in an antemortem inspection. (e) Antemortem inspection of exotic livestock may be conducted at an official establishment pursuant to the requirements in 9 CFR 309 and this article.