West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 61 - Agriculture › Title 61 - LEGISLATIVE RULE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › Series 61-32 - Equine Rescue Facilities › Section 61-32-2 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
2.1. "APHIS" means
				Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
2.2. "Application" means a request form
				submitted to the Commissioner to open an Equine Rescue Facility.
2.3. "Body condition score" means an industry
				accepted evaluation of an animal's body fat and muscle mass as related to
				skeletal dimension and stage of production.
2.4. "Coggins" means the common name for the
				agar gel immunodiffusion test for diagnosis of Equine Infectious Anemia
				(EIA).
2.5. "Commissioner" means
				the Commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
2.6. "Designated isolation area" means an
				area with no direct equine contact.
2.7. "Emergency situation" means a serious
				unexpected and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action.
2.8. "Equine" means any animal in the Family
				Equidae, including horses, asses, mules, ponies, and zebras.
2.9. "Equine infectious anemia" means an
				infectious disease of equines caused by a lentivirus, equine infectious anemia
				virus (EIAV).
2.10. "Equine rescue
				facility" means a facility that is listed as a nonprofit organization having a
				legitimate and current status under Title
				26 U.S.C.
				501(c)(3) that fosters care
				to unwanted equines due to age, health or other circumstances that deem the
				equines homeless; provided that a nonprofit organization that supervises foster
				care of unwanted equines but does not have a physical location where animals
				are housed is not an equine rescue facility for purpose of West Virginia Code
				§ 19-33-1
2.11. "Equine rescue
				facility license" means a license granted by the Commissioner to an applicant
				to open an equine rescue facility.
2.12. "Henneke body score" means a numerical
				scale used to evaluate the amount of fat on a horse's body, based on both
				visual appraisal and palpable fat cover of the six major points of the horse
				that are most responsive to changes in body fat. It is the scientific method of
				evaluating a horse's body condition regardless of breed, body type, sex or
				age.
2.13. "Humane officer" means a
				person, designated by the sheriff in each county, to prevent the perpetration
				or continuance of any act of cruelty upon any animal and to investigate and,
				upon probable cause, to arrest and assist in the prosecution of any person
				engaging in cruel and forbidden practices.
2.14. "Inspection" means an examination of an
				equine rescue facility to see that the standards of care are met for the
				horses, facility, and premises, conducted by a humane officer or county
				sheriff, in the county that the facility is located.
2.15. "Licensed accredited veterinarian"
				means any veterinarian licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of
				West Virginia and accredited by the State Veterinarian, APHIS and approved by
				the Deputy Administrator of USDA, APHIS, VS (United States Department of
				Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Service) in
				accordance with provisions of Part 161, Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations
				(CFR) and pre-approved to perform certain functions of Federal and cooperative
				State-Federal programs.
2.16.
				"Maintenance" means the preservation and upkeep of the premises of an equine
				rescue facility, as well as the space in which horses are kept.
2.17. "Quarantine area" means a confined
				area, a minimum of 200 yards from any equine and under the direct supervision
				and control of a State or Federal animal health official, who shall establish
				procedures for the accounting of all animals entering or leaving the
				area.
2.18. "Revocation" means the
				withdrawl of a license to operate an equine rescue facility by the
				Commissioner.
2.19. "Seizure" means
				to take possession of the horses that are kept at an equine rescue
				facility.
2.20. "Shelter" means any
				cover man made or natural that gives livestock or poultry protection from the
				elements.
2.21. "USDA" means the
				United States Department of Agriculture.
2.22. "West Virginia Equine Rescue Standards"
				means the American Association of Equine Practitioners Care Guidelines for
				Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities.