The government is extending NAIS and similar regulations to household pets. Pets are already included in the form of horses, pot bellied pigs, llamas, fish and pet livestock. Some states are expanding the definition beyond the USDA’s original list to include dogs, cats and caged pet birds.
NY Bill A09775 applies to cats & dogs.
PA SB865 applies to any domestic animals.
MD HB709) applies to any domestic birds. Read more in this article.
You can bet good money that within a few years all animals will be included. Soon they will know what you have and where you have it. Every animal will be numbered and accounted for. How long until the government starts telling us we may or may not have certain animals? Oh, wait, they’re already trying to do that with breed restriction laws in many areas…
Just thinking out loud, but as a former bird owner, how would a pet bird, never leaving the inside of the house (much less a cage inside the house), contract or spread bird flu?
Comment b_heart11 — April 21, 2006 @ 5:17 am
Another embarassment for my state, the People’s Republic of Maryland. The two laws were supported by big poultry producers, passed unanimously in the statehouse, and signed by the governor before any of us little folks heard anything about it.
Comment Bkeepr — April 21, 2006 @ 5:28 am
Hi Walter,
Keep up the good work!
An article for you to check out that indicates the word is spreading.
Regards,
Andrew
Comment Andrew — April 21, 2006 @ 6:42 am
Interesting how the PA bill was passed without anyone knowing anything about it. I wonder what they were thinking of when they included the catch all category. Guinea pigs? (must be some type of swine).
Comment Barbara — April 21, 2006 @ 8:05 am
This is as good a place as any to submit the following for your consideration. Recently, a veterinarian wrote to some of us here in PA. He wrote a pro-nais letter filled with all sorts of techno-babble that he used to advance the argument that NAIS was “in the best interest of the public health”.
The following is a response written by Vicki. She gave me her permission to submit her words for your consideration. Vicki writes:
The bioterrorism threat is, of course, real, but so are many facets of terrorism. One scenario, admittedly from a fictitious (Clancy) work, has the terrorists developing a way to spread a highly contagious air-borne disease (bacteria) directly to humans through an aerosol can. This is accomplished by spraying it at a trade show or convention, infecting thousands who easily spread it. Again, I acknowledge this was a work of fiction, but it could easily be as real a threat as an attack on our food supply. We really have no idea where the next attack will occur. How many freedoms are we willing to give up to be safe? Going to conventions, having a small dairy farm, riding our horses, raising a goat for 4-H?
The example of FMD is a classic one. Europe has a system for animal identification, yet they have far more outbreaks of FMD, avian flu, BSE than we do in the US. What does that mean? If we have not had FMD in the US for over 75 years, aren’t we doing something right? As for avian flu, I’ve been in contact with my state representative, David Argall, whose in-laws have a large organic turkey operation. This is a quote from one of his e-mails: “Avian Influenza caused a serious economic threat to our poultry industry in the early 1980s and as a result, we have the most comprehensive AI surveillance program in the world. It has served us well; we have successfully controlled subsequent outbreaks and have prevented devastation of our industry.” So, while I do not know the details of this program, we apparently already have one in place….and it is working. Is the quarantine system working for Vesicular Stomatitis? If so, why is additional action needed?
I also question just how quickly a bureaucracy can move to enact a quarantine. I suspect we would all know about an outbreak of AI via media, internet, telephone, long before we would get a notice from the government. Maryland knew which horses could have been affected during the recent herpes epidemic, yet they failed to act swiftly and stringently enough to prevent the spread to other horses. Also, on BSE again, a report commissioned by the FDA and posted on their website concludes that “United States is highly resistant to any proliferation of BSE, and that measures taken by the U.S. Government and industry make the United States robust against the spread of BSE” I have always been curious to know who is stupid enough to feed animal parts to herbivores anyway.
At the risk of sounding like a Pollyanna, I just don’t understand what “catastrophic disease out breaks” we are so worried about. There have been many pandemics throughout history, and there will be more. Viruses mutate even as we watch, and we are ineffective to stop them. Bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, and parasites to dewormers. And I wish someone would define “outbreak” for me. Two or three years ago, when West Nile Virus was a big factor in Pennsylvania, was that an outbreak? Truly, I am not being sarcastic; I am trying to understand who will define that and set the terms as to what constitutes a situation serious enough to kill our animals.
West Nile, as well as some of the diseases on OIE Reportable Disease List are either fly- or mosquito-borne diseases. Does that make them infectious? Certainly to the point that an insect can infect another animal, but not contagious from animal to animal. Are these diseases included as requiring quarantine and slaughter? That won’t stop the insects. I have three horses that were infected with the West Nile virus through natural exposure; not one of them ever had a single symptom, yet they now have lifetime immunity. That seems like a good thing to me, but would they have been tested and taken away from me because they had positive titers? If not, why not? How many animals are exposed to disease, maybe carry a disease, but show no symptoms and still enter the food chain?
A truly huge spread of a contagious disease through our food animals would certainly have a large effect on the economy. However, implementing this program will have as large an effect long term, since many small dairy farms, beef farms, goat farms, etc. will not be able to absorb the additional costs. There will be a lesser need for crops (hay, grains), fewer feed mills. Ag is an integral part of Pennsylvania’s economy; we will take a huge hit. I know that if we have to report all movements of our horse boarders, we will stop boarding. I am not sitting home to fill out paperwork so that Japan can eat healthy horsemeat. Long term, this effect will be much larger since these small farms will be gone for good; on the other hand, animals lost to an outbreak are replaceable, just like trees are a renewable resource. And with the small, local farms gone, are we to believe that our food supply will be safer, better, handled only by the large producers that helped to write the NAIS regulations so that they could profit in international trade? The same producers that load our food with hormones and antibiotics? And alter natural foods via GMO’s? No, thanks!
Frankly, if we really want to concentrate on eliminating something that would boost the economy through additional productivity, someone should find a cure for the common cold. With a concentrated effort, it couldn’t possibly cost more than implementing NAIS.
To put this into perspective - our borders are unsecured, our education system is failing our children, drugs rule our cities and many smaller towns, and we are in the midst of a war….and THIS, NAIS is where we are going to invest our time and money? Who will police this program when we don’t even have enough to guard our borders? Wouldn’t we be safer from terrorists if we had better security?
Finally, in Missouri, one of the largest cattle states in the nation (second, I believe), the state senate has adopted a resolution asking the feds to keep NAIS voluntary. I hope everyone that opposes this program is writing to state and federal representatives and secretaries of agriculture - because discussing it is fine, spreading the word is great, but that will not get it stopped.
I just cannot support this program and think Mike Johanns should be fired….or at least quarantined. Off my soapbox now :)
Vicki Kline
(posted with her permission by Neil W.)
Comment Neil W. — April 21, 2006 @ 8:44 am
Hooray for Vicky, she says it very well. And she is right. We all need to actively fight this not leave it to someone else.
Comment Faith Graichen — April 21, 2006 @ 12:32 pm
Are we being overrun by madmen? Does anyone have any doubt that the next step is microchipping humans? It’s insanity.
Comment Kate S. — April 21, 2006 @ 12:38 pm
Andrew! Great job providing the (above) article link! Everybody needs to use that link and read that article. The arrogance of the USDA spokesperson is not to be believed!
Comment Neil W. — April 21, 2006 @ 1:44 pm
Lions and tigers and bears — OH MY!!!
Minnesota already has registration, acquisition, and breeding restrictions on “exotic species” such as big cats, bears, & non-human primates. Basically, if you are not a zoo, a game farm, or a USDA-approved site, you may not breed these species, and, after 2005, could not acquire them, although if you have them, already, you can keep them if you register ($25 per animal) and pay for a site inspection ($50 per species). Not that I was plannig to keep a gorilla in my garage, but still, this is one more step toward controlling and taxing animal ownership.
The full info on the law
Good thing they specified not to breed “non-human” primates — otherwise the Human race would be in big trouble. Not that we aren’t already…
Comment rooster-lover — April 21, 2006 @ 2:45 pm
The guise in which this NAIS crap is being hidden, as supposedly a means in which to fight against Terrorist’s Threats? Well it seems perfect clear to me that the problem Isn’t our Farm Animals,the food chain, or our house hold pets, but rather those idiots being housed in the confines of the White House!!!!claiming to be looking out for our best interests.We’re not a third World Country,heck so many of the people in those so called third World Countries are coming here to live.)Our diease prevention methods thus far are working and are in place. So what the Heck do we need with more/duplicate rules and regulations to mess of a system that is already working? Guess our Government Officials again had to much time on there hands In Washington and had to let yet another foolish/stupit bill get its ugly head in the door.
Possibly a little kick back cash under the table too, form some of the big business interests who stand to benefit form this and who also don’t care that once again they are
sticking it so us, the little
people. Please, things that don’t need fixing don’t need to be fixed! Fix those things that aren’t working, like The border partrol,Drugs being sold to children and stupid adults on our streets,too high gas prices etc.Those things might help the country and its people. NAIS is a pure waste of Time,Money and effort. Like one of our elected Officials said ” Just say no to Drugs” Well, I’m asking you to just “Say no to “Nais”!!!
Comment Larry Hammond — April 22, 2006 @ 10:49 am
I am one of those poor souls living in the miserable state of MD - even worse _ on the Eastern shore. Developers own half of the Delmarva & Perdue the other. I saw an article in the Delmarva Farmer newspaper today that further enforces the B$hit that backyard flocks are the “big danger”. Almost all of the crop farmers around here are too beholden to “big chicken” as it is pretty much our only market. We need ETHANOL plants to broaden the grain markets. I refuse to register until I have a gun pointed at my head. I love the way this became “LAW” without asking ANYONE except “big poultry” for their opinion.
Comment Nancy W — April 25, 2006 @ 1:29 pm
I tell you you don’t have to worry about this so much. The authorities have proposed garbage like this before. Then they realize how much it will cost and it gets shot down in budget meetings. NAIS is dead in the water.
Trackback davidhowe — May 3, 2006 @ 4:42 pm
There is no way they can find everyone.
I won’t comply.
It won’t fly.
Dumb.
Trackback Sandra — May 5, 2006 @ 4:38 am
I don’t like the idea of the government having so much control over our food supply. If they have to much then they could use that to force compliance of people who are opposing them.
Trackback Dugh — May 5, 2006 @ 2:12 pm
I say follow the money trail. That always leads to the culprits. The RFID companes are making a lot of money off of this. Big factory farms are making a lot of money with this. Who else?
Trackback Henry Higgins — May 5, 2006 @ 2:23 pm
Reading about this makes me angry and sick. The government and big boys have NO business telling us how to live our lives. Seatbelt laws are bad enough. Helmet laws too. Government needs to get real and get out of our lives. Look what has happened over in europe with their too heavy governments that are stifling creativeity and destroying the work ethic. Everyone ends up on the dole and the best and the brightest leave the country. Do we want that happening here in America? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trackback nathan — May 13, 2006 @ 2:12 am
Local paper had an article on how this is going to destroy the local produce and livestock production. No liink unfortuantely.
Comment Cliff S. — June 12, 2006 @ 12:23 am
There was a article in our local paoper about this that said it was a good thing. but someone write a ltter to the editor and gve this web site. Ive read a lot of your pages here. I don’t think nais is good. They should not be spending my tax money to make it easier for the big corporations to make more money and hurting small farmers. That is corporate welfare. If they too the billions of dollars that this is going to cost and put them into education and feeding the hungry that would be far better.
Comment Shelia — June 12, 2006 @ 12:24 am
You have a amazing amount of great info. The governmt is spreading lies. we need more people like you to counter their lies with the truth. If the gove does not stop this then they will have revolt on their hands and blood. King Gorge beware!
Comment AdamNotoso — June 12, 2006 @ 12:48 am