Section 10. Definitions  


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  • The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

    "Agricultural animals" means livestock and poultry.

    "Avian" means all domestic and wild members of the class Aves.

    "Cats" means all domestic and wild members of the family Felidae.

    "Cattle" means all domestic and wild members of the genera Bos, Bison, and Bubalus to include domestic cattle, yak, bison, and water buffalo.

    "Certificate of veterinary inspection" means an official document, which may be in an electronic format, issued by a federal, state, tribal, or accredited veterinarian certifying the inspection of animals.

    "Companion animal" means any vertebrate animal excluding ornamental fish not otherwise defined herein as avian, cattle, goat, horse, other ruminant, sheep, swine, or primate.

    "Dairy type" means all cattle of, or primarily of, a dairy or dual-purpose breed of cattle including but not limited to cattle of the Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, or similar breeds to include castrated males of such breeds.

    "Dairying purposes" means the production of milk or milk products, or the production of breeding stock whose progeny are to be used for the production of milk, milk products, or breeding stock.

    "Dogs" means all domestic and wild members of the family Canidae.

    "Free roaming swine" means swine that are not contained within an enclosure by their owner or custodian.

    "Goat" means all domestic and wild members of the genus Capra.

    "Hatching eggs" means all poultry eggs that are intended to be hatched.

    "Horse" means all domestic and wild members of the family Equidae to include, but not be limited to, horses, asses, zebras, and any hybrids of horses, asses, or zebras.

    "Livestock" means all cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, donkeys, mules, camels, llamas, and alpacas.

    "Marketing facility" means a livestock market; stockyard; buying station; auction, consignment, or other sale venue; or other premises including those operating video, web-based, telephone, or other types of electronic sales methods, where livestock from multiple owners are comingled and assembled for sale or exchange in Virginia.

    "Official identification" means a unique identification number issued by a state or federal program or other forms of identification approved by the State Veterinarian.

    "Other ruminants" means all members of the order Artiodactyla not otherwise defined herein as cattle, goats, sheep, or swine to include camelidae and cervidae.

    "Permit" means an official document issued for and prior to the interstate shipment of certain classes of livestock, poultry, companion animals, and other animals or birds into Virginia. This permit is issued at the discretion of the State Veterinarian.

    "Poultry" means all domestic fowl, ratites, and game birds raised in captivity to include, but not be limited to, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, ratites, and game birds such as quail or partridge.

    "Primate" means all nonhuman members of the order Primates.

    "Region" means any premises; political subdivision of a state, country; or other defined geographic area.

    "Sheep" means all domestic and wild members of the genus Ovis.

    "Slaughter establishment" means a livestock slaughter facility that is under inspection by the USDA or the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

    "State Veterinarian" means the State Veterinarian of the Commonwealth of Virginia or his designee.

    "Swine" means all domestic and wild members of the family Suidae.

    "USDA" means the United States Department of Agriculture.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 28, Issue 08, eff. January 18, 2012; amended, Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 03, eff. November 19, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§§ 3.2-5902 and 3.2-6002 of the Code of Virginia.