Delaware General Assembly

CHAPTER 78.

OF STATE LIVE STOCK SANITARY BOARD.

AN ACT to establish the State Live Stock Sanitary Board of Delaware, and to provide for the control and suppression of dangerous, contagious or infectious diseases of domestic animals.

Whereas, The livestock interests of this State are regarded by this General Assembly as of great importance;

And Whereas, It is manifest that the State of Delaware has among its domestic animals many contagious, infectious and dangerous diseases;

And Whereas, The agricultural interests of Delaware demand a greater and better protection for its domestic animals from such diseases;

And Whereas, The geographical situation of Delaware makes necessary protection from diseased animals from our neighboring States;

Now, Therefore, To more effectually control and eradicate diseases and properly protect the agricultural interests in the most economic way;

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:

Section 1. That a Board is hereby established to be known as "The State Live Stock Sanitary Board." The Board shall consist of the members of the State Board of Agriculture as the said Board is now constituted and it may be constituted hereafter, and a Veterinarian who shall be a competent and qualified person and a graduate of a Veterinary College in good standing, to be appointed by the Governor for the term of three years. The members of said Board shall be paid the sum of five dollars per day and expenses for each day they may be in session.

Section 2. That it shall be the duty of the State Live Stock Sanitary Board to protect the health of the domestic animals of the State, to determine and employ the most efficient and practical means for the prevention, suppression, control or eradication of dangerous, contagious or infectious diseases among the domestic animals, and for these purposes it is hereby authorized and empowered to establish, maintain, enforce and regulate such quarantine and other measures relating to the movements and care of animals and their products, the disinfection of suspected localities and articles and the destruction of animals, as it may deem necessary, and to adopt from time to time all such regulations as may be necessary and proper for carrying out the purposes of this act; provided, however, in the case of any slowly contagious diseases only suspected or diseased animals shall be quarantined.

Section 3. That when it shall be deemed necessary to condemn and kill any animal or animals to prevent the further spread of disease, and an agreement cannot be made with the owners for the value thereof, three appraisers shall be appointed, one by the owner, one by the Board or its authorized agent, and the third by the two so appointed, who shall, under oath or affirmation, appraise the animal or animals, taking into consideration their actual value and condition at the time of appraisement, and such appraised price shall be paid in the same manner as other expenses under this act are provided for; provided, that under such appraisement not more than twenty-five dollars shall be paid for any infected animal of grade or common stock, and not more than fifty dollars for any infected animal of registered stock, nor more than forty dollars for any horse or mule of common or graded stock, and not to exceed fifty per cent of the appraised value of any standard bred registered or imported horse.

Section 4. That the Board or any member thereof, or any of their duly authorized agents, shall at all times have

the right to enter any premises, farms, fields, pens, abbatoirs, slaughter houses, buildings, cars or vessels, where any domestic animal is at the time quartered, or wherever the carcass of one may be, for the purpose of examining it in any way that may be deemed necessary to determine whether they are or were the subjects of any contagious or infectious diseases.

Section 5. That any person or persons willfully violating any of the provisions of this act, or any regulations of the State Live Stock Sanitary Board, or willfully interfering with officers appointed under this act, shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding one month, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Section 6. That the State Live Stock Sanitary Board is hereby empowered to appoint and employ such assistants and agents and to purchase such supplies and materials as may be necessary in carrying out the provisions of this act. The Board and the members thereof are hereby empowered to administer oaths or affirmations to the appraisers appointed under this act. They may order and conduct such examinations into the conditions of the livestock of the State in relation to contagious diseases, including the milk and meat supplies of cities, towns, boroughs and villages, as may seem necessary and to take proper measures to protect such milk and meat supplies from contamination.

Section 7. That all necessary expenses under the provisions of this act shall, after approval in writing by the Governor be paid by the State Treasurer upon the warrant of the Governor.

Section 8. For the purpose of defraying the expenses involved in carrying out the provisions of this act an annual appropriation, not to exceed five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as occasion may require, is hereby made from the funds of this State.

Section 9. That this Act shall take effect ten days after approval by the Governor, and all acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

Approved April 6, A. D. 1911.