250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-40-05-1.7

Current through November 7, 2024

Section 250-RICR-40-05-1.7 - Certificates of Veterinary Inspection and Owner Shipper Statements

A. No person shall import, or cause to be imported, any domestic animal unless such animal is accompanied by an official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued no earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the importation of said animal. The Certificate of Veterinary inspection must be physically or digitally signed by a veterinarian who is licensed and federally accredited in the state of origin. The animals for which the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is issued must bear a form of identification that is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. A copy of the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection must be reviewed by the state animal health official in the state of origin.

B. The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection shall:

1. Be on official paper forms of the state of origin, or on an electronic format that is has been approved for use by the Rhode Island State Veterinarian. Paper forms must be multipart with one part being retained by the attending veterinarian who prepared the document, one (1) part being provided to the owner/guardian of the animal(s) being shipped, one (1) copy being sent to the State Animal Health Official of the state of origin, and one (1) copy being sent to the State Animal Health Official of the state of destination after review by the State Animal Health Official of the state of origin. Electronic formats of certificates must be electronically routed or available to the same recipients as paper certificates are. Note: Forms such as the USDA form VS-7001 or similar forms that do not bear a unique serial number are not considered to meet the requirements of this Part.

2. State that all animals listed on the form have been inspected and found free of signs of contagious, infectious, or communicable disease.

3. Contain the date of the veterinary inspection as well as the dates of all required tests and the results of those tests.

4. Describe the animal(s) by species, breed, age, and sex, and record all official identification, i.e., ear tag, registration tattoo, leg band, microchip, physical description (for dogs, cats, and equines only) or any other form of identification that may be approved by the Department.

5. Contain the data for all required tests and vaccinations, including the date, result(s) of test(s), and the name and address of the laboratory that performed the test(s). All tests reported for import purposes must be USDA officially recognized tests approved by the Department and the tests must be conducted at a state or federally approved laboratory.

6. Have complete name and address, both mailing and physical address, of the consignor and consignee. Postal Boxes or P.O. Boxes without a physical address are not acceptable.

7. Contain the signature, whether physically or digitally signed, of the inspecting federally-accredited veterinarian.

8. Contain an import permit number for all shipments of animals that require an import permit.

9. All copies of the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, whether paper or electronic format, must be sent to the State Animal Health Official of the state of origin within ten (10) days of issuance. The veterinarian who prepared the document is responsible for ensuring that the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is sent to the State Animal Health Official of the state of origin.

10. Certificates of Veterinary Inspection are valid for a maximum period of thirty (30) days from issuance unless otherwise noted.

C. Extended Equine Certificates of Veterinary Inspection shall:

1. Satisfy the requirements delineated in §§ 1.7(B)(1) through (9) of this Part.

2. Include, or otherwise be available to the Rl State Veterinarian to review, an itinerary or other such log of the interstate travel of the horse to include, but not be limited to, the address of every location the equine has been in the previous six (6) months and the date the animal(s) was moved to those locations, the date the animal(s) will arrive in Rhode Island, and the complete physical address where the animal(s) will be shipped to in Rhode Island.

3. Be valid for a maximum of six (6) months from the time of original issuance by a federally accredited veterinarian.

4. Be valid for equines only.

D. Certificates of Veterinary Inspection may be disapproved by the Rhode Island State Veterinarian if they are incomplete or otherwise do not satisfy the requirements delineated in § 1.7(B) of this Part. Importation of such animals may result in a violation as delineated under § 1.20 of this Part.

E. Owner Shipper Statements may be used in lieu of a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection only for animals that are shipped for immediate slaughter. Animals imported on an Owner Shipper Statement must either: not be commingled with other animals; or, if commingled, those animals that they were commingled with must also be slaughtered at a state or federally inspected slaughter plant within seventy-two (72) hours of commingling.

F. Owner Shipper Statements must contain the following information (Owner Shipper Statements can be downloaded at the following URL; http://www.dem.ri.gov/proqrams/aqriculture/documents/ownrship.pdf):

1. The date of movement.

2. The street address from which the animals are moved (Postal [P.O.] Boxes are not acceptable).

3. The street address of the destination (Postal [P.O.] Boxes are not acceptable).

4. The business type of the destination such as "livestock market," "slaughter plant," etc.

5. Name and address including both mailing address and physical address if different, of the consignor or shipper.

6. List of the quantity of each species on the shipment.

7. Signature of the owner and/or shipper if different than the owner of the animals.

8. Record of all official identification in compliance with all State and Federal identification requirements.

G. Owner Shipper Statements shall be retained by the approved slaughter market or the state or federally inspected slaughter plant that received the animal for a period of ten (10) years from the day of the receipt of the animal. These documents are to be provided within twenty-four (24) hours of the request of state or federal animal health officials.

H. Any party that is in possession of an animal that was imported on an Owner Shipper Statement, but that does not cause that animal to be immediately slaughtered, is subject to penalty as defined in § 1.20 of this Part.

250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-40-05-1.7

Amended effective 1/30/2020
Amended effective 6/22/2020