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Definitions - 3 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2303

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     § 2303.  Definitions.
        The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
     shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
     context clearly indicates otherwise:
        "Agent."  A person, firm, association, partnership or
     corporation buying or receiving or soliciting or negotiating the
     sale of domestic animals for or on behalf of any dealer or
     transporting domestic animals on behalf of any hauler.
        "Animal."  A living nonhuman organism having sensation and
     the power of voluntary movement and requiring for its existence
     oxygen and organic food.
        "Animal waste."  Superfluous material emanating from domestic
     animal production or keeping, including, but not limited to,
     excrement, offal, eggs, milk, placenta, fetuses, feathers, hair,
     wool, blood and animal parts which are not intended or suitable
     for inclusion in the food chain without special processing.
        "Appraised value."  The current value of a domestic animal at
     the time of appraisal, determined by current market values, age
     of animal, physical condition, condition as to disease, nature
     and extent of disease, breeding value, milk production value,
     salvage value and any other factors which might affect value.
        "Area" or "locality."  A geographical district or portion or
     group thereof.
        "Article" or "property."  Any goods, products, containers or
     materials which are found on the premises where a domestic
     animal is or has been kept or which are used to hold, contain or
     transport a domestic animal.
        "Brand."  A permanent identification mark made on the hide of
     a live animal by dehydrating the superficial and deep layers of
     skin by heat, cold, electric current or another method approved
     by the Department of Agriculture.
        "Cervidae livestock operation."  (Deleted by amendment).
        "Cleanup costs."  The costs of indemnification for cleaning,
     disinfecting or sanitizing domestic animals, domestic animal
     products, equipment, facilities, buildings and other articles,
     including all other costs reasonably related to cleanup, when
     these costs are incurred either:
            (1)  as required by a quarantine order issued by the
        department under authority of this chapter; or
            (2)  as part of an agreement pursuant to which the
        department is paying a depopulation incentive under authority
        of this chapter.
        "Compost."  The biological digestion of dead domestic
     animals, animal waste or other biodegradable materials.
        "Condemned."  The status of a domestic animal, domestic
     animal product, conveyance or other article that has been
     determined by the Department of Agriculture as having been
     exposed to a dangerous transmissible disease or a hazardous
     substance such that destruction of the domestic animal, domestic
     animal product, conveyance or other article is necessary to
     prevent the spread of such disease or contamination, and that is
     subject to a quarantine order issued under this chapter.
        "Conveyance."  An automobile, truck, trailer, wagon or other
     vehicle used in the transportation of live or dead domestic
     animals, animal waste or domestic animal products or by-products
     upon the highways of this Commonwealth.
        "Dangerous transmissible disease."  A transmissible disease
     of domestic animals that has been designated by this chapter or
     by order of the Department of Agriculture as presenting a danger
     to public health, to domestic animal health, to the safety or
     quality of the food supply or to the economic well-being of the
     domestic animal industries. This term shall be construed to mean
     and include the disease agent.
        "Dead domestic animal disposal plant."  A facility where the
     body or parts of the body of a dead domestic animal is received
     and processed for the purpose of salvaging useful material,
     including, but not limited to, hides, bones, fat and proteins.
        "Dealer."  A person that buys, receives, sells, exchanges,
     negotiates or solicits the sale, resale, exchange or transfer of
     domestic animals or dead domestic animals for the purpose of
     transfer of ownership or possession to a third party.
        "Depopulation incentive."  Payment to the owner for a portion
     of the appraised value of any domestic animal or other property
     which is voluntarily slaughtered or destroyed with the prior
     agreement of the Department of Agriculture and in accordance
     with this chapter, upon the Department of Agriculture's
     determination that such action serves to protect public health,
     the safety or quality of the food supply or the economic well-
     being of the domestic animal industry. A depopulation incentive
     may be paid only in situations where the domestic animal or
     other property has not been condemned.
        "Disease."  Any deviation from or interruption of the normal
     structure of any part, organ or system of the body of a living
     domestic animal.
        "Disposal costs."  The costs of indemnification for disposing
     of domestic animals, domestic animal products, equipment and
     other articles, including the cost of transportation for
     disposal and all other costs reasonably related to disposal,
     when these costs are incurred either:
            (1)  as required by a quarantine order issued by the
        department under authority of this chapter; or
            (2)  as part of an agreement pursuant to which the
        department is paying a depopulation incentive under authority
        of this chapter.
        "Domestic animal."  An animal maintained in captivity. The
     term also includes the germ plasm, embryos and fertile ova of
     such animals.
        "Domestic animal feed."  Any substance or mixture which is
     intended for use as food for domestic animals and which is
     intended for use as a substantial source of nutrients in the
     diet of domestic animals and is not limited to a substance or
     mixture intended to be the sole ration of the domestic animal.
        "Domestic animal product."  A part of a domestic animal or
     any food, material or article containing any part of a domestic
     animal.
        "Exotic disease."  A disease which is not or is no longer
     native or indigenous to the United States, including those
     diseases so designated by the United States Department of
     Agriculture.
        "Garbage."  All waste or residuals resulting from the
     handling, preparation, cooking or consumption of food derived in
     whole or in part from the meat of any animal, including poultry
     and fish, or other animal material and other refuse of any
     character that has been associated with the meat of any animal
     or other animal material. The term does not include waste from
     ordinary household operations that is fed directly to swine on
     the same premises where the household is located.
        "General quarantine."  A quarantine order published in at
     least one newspaper that restricts the movement of animals and
     materials, including conveyance into, within or from a
     designated area or locality.
        "Group of domestic animals."  Those domestic animals that are
     maintained on common ground for any purpose or two or more
     geographically separated concentrations of domestic animals
     which have an interchange or movement of animals or articles
     that may carry dangerous transmissible disease or contamination
     without regard to health status.
        "Hauler."  A person responsible for the transportation of
     domestic animals or dead domestic animals into, within or from
     this Commonwealth, but the term shall not be construed to mean
     any of the following:
            (1)  A person who transports a domestic animal which he
        owns or raises under contract on behalf of a third party
        between farms which that person owns or operates.
            (2)  A person who transports a domestic animal from a
        farm which he owns or operates to a location where ownership
        or possession is to be transferred to another.
            (3)  A person who transports a domestic animal which he
        has purchased or taken possession of at another location from
        the point of purchase or possession to a farm which that
        person owns or operates.
            (4)  A person who transports a domestic animal which he
        owns or raises under contract on behalf of a third party to
        and from places of exhibition.
            (5)  A person who transports a domestic animal which he
        owns or raises under contract on behalf of a third party to a
        slaughter or processing facility.
        "Hazardous substance."  Any element, compound or material
     which threatens the health of domestic animals or humans.
        "Heritable disease."  A domestic animal disease resulting
     from an inherited flaw in tissue, organ or other body structure.
        "Humane method of slaughter."  Either:
            (1)  a method of rendering a domestic animal insensible
        to pain by mechanical, electrical, chemical or other means
        that is rapid and effective before being handled for
        slaughter; or
            (2)  a method of ritual slaughter.
        "Incineration."  The reduction of domestic animals or
     articles to ashes by burning at temperatures and for durations
     sufficient to render the material noninfectious.
        "Indemnity."  Payment to the owner for a portion of the
     appraised value of condemned domestic animals, domestic animal
     products and other condemned articles that are slaughtered or
     destroyed by order of the Department of Agriculture to eradicate
     or prevent the spread of dangerous transmissible disease or the
     spread of contamination by a hazardous substance.
        "Interstate" or "international quarantine."  An order of
     quarantine issued by the Department of Agriculture which may
     cover any domestic animal or class of domestic animals, or
     conveyances, goods, products, materials or articles, regulating
     or forbidding their entry into this Commonwealth from another
     state, territory of the United States or foreign country.
        "Market value."  The current worth of a domestic animal,
     domestic animal product or other article in markets where such
     animals, products and other articles are commonly bought and
     sold.
        "Metabolic disease."  A domestic animal disease resulting
     from a physiological dysfunction of an animal tissue or organ.
        "Neoplastic disease."  A domestic animal disease resulting
     from an uncontrolled and progressive abnormal growth of tissue.
        "Owner."  A person owning, possessing or harboring any
     domestic animal. The term shall also include any person who
     allows a domestic animal habitually to remain about the premises
     inhabited, managed or owned by such person.
        "Packer."  A person engaged in the business of slaughtering,
     manufacturing or preparing meat, meat products or domestic
     animal products for sale, whether by such person or others.
        "Premises."  A definite portion of real estate; land with its
     appurtenances, including any structure erected thereon; and any
     vehicle or vessel used in transporting passengers, goods,
     domestic animals or domestic animal products by land, air or by
     water. As used in this chapter, the term shall be taken in its
     widest sense.
        "Quarantine."  Restrictions upon the use, movement or other
     disposition of domestic animals, domestic animal products,
     equipment, facilities, vehicles, buildings and other articles
     required to eradicate, contain or otherwise control a dangerous
     transmissible disease or to control or prevent contamination by
     hazardous substances.
        "Rendering."  The cooking or heating of dead domestic animals
     or parts of such dead animals until all such cooked or heated
     material is incapable of transmitting dangerous transmissible
     disease.
        "Ritual slaughter."  A humane method of slaughter which is in
     accordance with the ritual requirements of the Jewish faith or
     any other religious faith whereby the domestic animal suffers a
     loss of consciousness by anoxia or hypoxia of the brain caused
     by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid
     arteries with a sharp instrument.
        "Salvage."  The net proceeds an owner of a domestic animal
     realizes from the sale of the live domestic animal or the
     carcass, hide and offal.
        "Slaughter."  The killing and processing of domestic animals
     for food production purposes.
        "Slaughterer."  A person regularly engaged in the commercial
     slaughter of domestic animals.
        "Special quarantine."  An order of quarantine issued by the
     Department of Agriculture covering a single premises or a single
     domestic animal or any number of domestic animals when confined
     or contained in or on the same premises and any conveyances,
     goods, products, materials, containers or articles which may
     carry disease or contamination by a hazardous substance.
        "Stockyard."  A place, establishment or facility owned or
     operated by a domestic animal dealer, consisting of pens or
     other enclosures and their appurtenances for the handling,
     keeping or holding of domestic animals for the purpose of sale
     or shipment.
        "Tattoo."  A permanent identification mark made on the hide
     of a live domestic animal by inserting pigment into the deep
     layers of the skin.
        "Transmissible disease."  A disease of a domestic animal
     which can be transferred, reproduced or established in a
     domestic animal or human by direct or indirect means.
        "USDA-APHIS-VS."  The United States Department of
     Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary
     Services.
     (Mar. 24, 1998, P.L.217, No.39, eff. imd.; Dec. 9, 2002,
     P.L.1495, No.190, eff. imd.; June 29, 2006, P.L.206, No.51, eff.
     60 days)

        2006 Amendment.  Act 51 deleted the def. of "cervidae
     livestock operation. See the preamble to Act 51 in the appendix
     to this title for special provisions relating to legislative
     intent.
        2002 Amendment.  Act 190 added the defs. of "cervidae
     livestock operation," "cleanup costs" and "disposal costs."
     Section 7 of Act 190 provided that the amendment shall apply to
     cleanup costs and disposal costs incurred on or after October 1,
     2001.
        1998 Amendment.  Act 39 amended the def. of "garbage."
        Cross References.  Section 2303 is referred to in sections
     2331, 2332 of this title.
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Last modified: November 27, 2007