Livestock board votes on Ohio's first set of euthanasia rules

Columbus, Ohio — The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, created through a ballot initiative in November 2009, proposed new rules that may become the state's first set of livestock euthanasia standards.

The rules, proposed unanimously by the board Oct. 5, would require that any injectable agents used for euthanasia be administered by or under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

Physical methods of euthanasia permitted under the new rules would include penetrating and nonpenetrating captive bolts, blunt-force trauma, gunshot, cervical dislocation, decapitation, electrocution, foam, maceration or exsanguination. Only penetrating captive bolt, gunshot and barbiturates are listed as acceptable methods of equine euthanasia. Other specific standards are set for other forms of livestock.

"As chairman of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, I am proud of the hard work the board has put forth to craft our state's first livestock care standards," says Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Robert Boggs. "Through an open and deliberative process, the board has created standards that address acceptable methods of euthanasia for all livestock that are clear and practical for Ohio's livestock producers."

The proposed rules are available for review at www.ohiolivestockcarestandardsboard.org.

The board unanimously voted Oct. 12 to move the proposal to the E-notification and Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) to begin the Ohio Revised Code Chapter 119 administrative rule process.

The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board also voted Oct. 19 on proposed civil penalty rules that will be used to enforce the new standards. The proposed penalties for each livestock care standard violation will be based on major and minor violations of Ohio Administrative Code, with a major violation resulting in a civil penalty of $1,000 to $5,000 for a first offense and $5,000 to $10,000 for additional offenses. A minor violation could result in a penalty of $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for each additional offense.

Veal calf standards were approved 7-4 Nov. 2 by the board, which now requires calves under 10 weeks of age to be able to turn around.

The board also voted unanimously to require that calves older than 10 weeks be required to be housed in groups of at least two animals per pen, with enough space for each to turn around.