Press Release Equine Placement Network epn@epix.net April 2, 2000
On January 17, 2000 a horse
in Wayne County PA tested positive to EIA. This horse had previously tested
negative in October and November 1999. This horse became positive AFTER
November 1999. This horse is from one of the two camp horse herds where
EIA was discovered last year.
The PA Department of Agriculture assured people that the "killing frosts"
would prevent further spread of EIA.
On March 4, 2000 a horse was sold through the Front Royal, VA sale. Blood
was drawn for a Coggins Test at the sale. The horse was then transported
to Fayette County, PA in violation of PA law. PA law
requires a negative Coggins Test for horses imported into the Commonwealth.
NO PENDING TESTS are allowed. The test results came back POSITIVE.
Unconfirmed reports trace this horse back to a PA horse dealer connected
with the 1999 EIA outbreak. Unconfirmed reports also suggest other horses
connected with this horse are also positive.
Since PA law was broken when this horse was imported into PA, is anyone
going to be charged?
If this person is a dealer/hauler, are they licensed?
If not, is the PDA going to issue them a license?
Part of the PDA's job is to protect animal health. Unless people are cited
for breaking the law, people will not obey the law. Until it becomes known
in the horse world that you better have your health &
Coggins papers in order to come into PA because you will be cited if you
do not, people will continue to transport untested and positive horses
into and through PA, putting PA horses at risk of contracting EIA and
other contagious diseases. It is the law.
Other states take a much stronger position and undertake more enforcement
efforts than the PA Department of Agriculture to protect their horse industry
from disease outbreaks. PA ranks sixth in the
country in the number of horses. PA is also one of the most heavily traveled
states, in other words there are a lot of horses passing through PA
PA's number one industry is agriculture. The horse industry ranks second
only to the dairy industry in PA's number one industry. The horse industry,
except for horse racing, which only received the exemption in 1996, unlike
the dairy, beef, sheep, hog or poultry industries, pays
state sales on feed, and associated products. In other words, the horse
industry puts a lot of tax revenue into PA State coffers. Yet the PDA
states that they, "do not have the manpower or the money" to have PA
Department of Ag inspectors at weekly or monthly horse auctions to inspect
for the required health certificates or Coggins Tests. It is the PA Dept.
of Ag's job to protect animal health. Why are they not doing it at PA
horse auctions? 29 horses positive in one year has not motivated the PA
Dept. of Ag to be at horse auctions doing their job. The revenue from the fines imposed
on people who do not have the required paperwork would more than pay for an inspector to be at these
horse auctions.
Has the PDA ever issued a citation to anyone for bringing a horse into the Commonwealth without
a Coggins Test or Health Certificate as required by PA law?
Whether we agree or disagree with the law does not give us the right to
break the law.
For more information on the EIA outbreak in PA: http://members.tripod.com/~EPN/preia.htm
