Chap. 81.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912,
914, 915, 916, 917, 918, 919 and 920 of the Code of Virginia and to add to
said Code a new section to be numbered 920-a, all of which sections relate to
live stock, animals and poultry, the establishment of quarantines and the
eradication of disease among such animals and poultry, and to prohibit persons
other than duly licensed veterinarians and those employed by the State board
of agriculture and immigration, or by the Federal bureau of animal industry,
from possessing or administering serum containing the spores of anthrax
and to prescribe penalties therefor. [S B 73]

Approved February 28, 1930

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections
nine hundred and seven, nine hundred and eight, nine hundred and nine,
nine hundred and ten, nine hundred and eleven, nine hundred and
twelve, nine hundred and fourteen, nine hundred and fifteen, nine hun-
dred and sixteen, nine hundred and seventeen, nine hundred and eigh-
teen, nine hundred and nineteen and nine hundred and twenty of the
Code of Virginia be amended and re-enacted, and that a new section
numbered nine hundred and twenty-a be added to said Code of Vir-
ginia, which sections of the Code and said new section shall read as
follows:

Section 907. It shall be the duty of the State board of agricul-
ture and immigration to protect domestic animals, including poultry. It
shall also be the duty of the said board to co-operate with the live stock
sanitary control officials of other states and with the secretary of agri-
culture of the United States and the United States bureau of animal in-
dustry, establishing such interstate quarantine lines, rules and regula-
tions as to best protect the live stock, including poultry, of this State
against all contagious and infectious diseases.

Section 908. The said board shall employ a qualified veterinarian,
who shall be known as the State veterinarian, whose duty it shall be to
carry out the rules and regulations of the board, and who shall reside
at such point in the State as the board may, from time to time, desig-
nate as most suited to the efficient dispatch of the business of his office.
The board may employ such clerical and other assistants as they may
deem necessary. The board shall have power to carry into effect all
orders given by them, and the expense incurred in the administration
of the preceding section and the following section shall be paid out of
the treasury of the State. ,

Section 909. It shall be the duty of the said board, upon receipt
of reliable information of the existence among domestic animals or
poultry of the State of any malignant or contagious disease, to cause
the State veterinarian to go at once to the place where such disease
is alleged to exist and make a careful examination of the animals or
poultry believed to be affected with such disease, and ascertain, if
possible, what, if any, disease exists among the live stock or poultry
reported to be affected, and whether the same is contagious or infec-
tious; and if said disease is found to be of malignant, contagious or
infectious character they shall direct and enforce such quarantine
lines and sanitary regulations as are necessary to prevent the spread of
any such disease. And no domestic animal or poultry infected with
disease, or capable of communicating the same shall be permitted to
enter or leave the district, premises or grounds so quarantined, except
by authority of said board or its veterinarian.

The said board shall also from time to time give and enforce such
directions and prescribe such rules and regulations as to separating,
feeding and caring for such diseased and exposed animals or poultry
as they shall deem necessary to prevent the animals or poultry so
affected with such disease, or capable of communicating disease, from
coming in contact with other animals or poultry not so affected. And
the said board and its veterinarians are hereby authorized and em-
powered to enter upon any grounds or premises to carry out the pro-
visions of this section. The said board shall give such notice as to it may
seem best to make the quarantine established by it effective.

Section 910. When said board shall have good reason to believe
that the health of the live stock or poultry of the State is endangered
by the existence of contagious and infectious diseases in certain local-
ities in other states, territories or countries, or that there are condi-
tions which render such domestic animals or poultry from such in-
fected districts liable to convey such disease, they shall by proclamation,
prohibit the importation of any live stock or poultry of the kind dis-
eased into the State, unless accompanied by a certificate of health given
by a properly authorized veterinarian, and all such animals or poultrv
arriving in this State shall be examined immediately by a veterinarian
designated by the board ; and if in his opinion there is any danger from
contagion or infection, they shall be placed in close quarantine at the
expense of the owner until such danger of infection or contagion is
passed, when they shall be released by order of the said veterinarian.

Section 911. It shall be the duty of the railway corporations and
navigation companies doing business in the State and of all persons,
firms or corporations using motor vehicles for the transportation of
live stock in and/or through this State to cleanse and disinfect the cars
or motor vehicles used by them in transporting live stock in or through
the State at such times and places, and in such manner as the board
may designate, whenever, in the opinion of the board, any such order
may be necessary to prevent the spread of infectious or contagious dis-
ease. Any such person, firm or corporation violating the provisions
of this section shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred to five hun-
dred dollars for each offense to be recovered in a civil action to be
prosecuted under the direction of the attorney general in the name of
the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Section 912. Any railway company, navigation company, common
carrier or individual firm or corporation transporting live stock in any
manner, who shall knowingly or wilfully violate, disregard or evade
any of the rules or directions of the board or veterinarian, establishing
or governing quarantine, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not
less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars for
each offense, and shall be liable for all damages caused to any live stock
by its failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter.

Section 914. The board of supervisors of each county, whenever
any cases of contagious or infectious diseases are reported to them in
their county, shall immediately investigate the same. The investigation
may be made by the board of supervisors or any member thereof, or
by the employment of a qualified veterinarian ; and should such investi-
gation show a reasonable probability that any domestic animal or
poultry are affected with a contagious or infectious disease, the super-
visors shall immediately establish such temporary quarantine as may
be necessary to prevent the spread of the disease, and report all action
taken to the State board of agriculture and immigration or some mem-
ber thereof; and the acts of the supervisors establishing temporary
quarantine shall have the same force and effect as though established
by the State board of agriculture and immigration itself, until such
time as the said State board of agriculture and immigration shall take
charge of the case, or cases. The board of supervisors of each county
are authorized and empowered to quarantine against any other county
in the State of Virginia on account of any contagious or infectious
disease, under the supervision of the State board of agriculture and
immigration or its veterinarian. Before establishing such county quar-
antine the board of supervisors shall advise with the State board of
agriculture and immigration or its veterinarian, and the county quar-
antine established by the board of supervisors shall conform to the
rules and regulations which may be prescribed by the State board of
agriculture and immigration or its veterinarian. It shall be the duty of
the board of supervisors to rigidly enforce any such quarantine estab-
lished in their county, and all expense incurred by the supervisors in
carrying out such quarantine shall be paid in like manner as other
expenses incurred by said supervisors in the discharge of their official
duties. The board of supervisors shall give such notice as to it shall
seem best to make the quarantine established by it effective.

Section 915. Any person who brings into this State any domestic
animal or poultry which is infected with any contagious or infectious
disease, or any animal or poultry which has been exposed to any con-
tagious or infectious disease, or which bears upon its body fever ticks
or other germs or causes of diseases, or which is carrier of disease, shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall
be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars nor more than
five hundred dollars; provided, however, that in cases involving poultry
only, the minimum fine shall be ten dollars.

When cattle or poultry are brought into this State in violation of a
quarantine established by the State board of agriculture and immi-
eration, the Federal authorities or the board of supervisors acting under
the advice of State authorities, the burden of proof shall be on the
person or corporation bringing them to show that said cattle or poultry
were not conveyors of disease.

Wherever in this chapter the word “cattle” is used it shall be read
and construed as if preceded by the word “neat.”

Section 916. Any person who owns or who is in possession of live
stock which may be affected with any contagious or infectious disease,
or insects which may produce disease, who shall refuse to allow said
board or anyone acting under its orders to examine such stock, or
shall hinder or obstruct the said board or appointee in any examination
of or any attempt to examine such stock, or who shall refuse to assist
the said board or appointee in any examination or attempt to examine
said stock, when called on so to do by said board or appointee shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall
be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars nor more than
five hundred dollars.

Section 917. Any person who shall have in his possession any
domestic animal or poultry infected with any contagious or infectious
disease or fever ticks, knowing such animal or poultry to be affected,
who shall permit such animals or poultry to run at large, or who shall
keep such animals or poultry where other domestic animals or poultry
not affected by or previously exposed to such disease may be exposed
to its infection or contagion, or who shall ship, drive, sell, trade or
give away such diseased animal, animals or poultry which have been
exposed to such infection or contagion, or who shall move or drive anv
domestic animal or poultry in violation of any direction, rule, regula-
tion or order of the State board of agriculture and immigration, estab-
lishing and regulating live stock or poultry quarantine, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined
in any sum not less than ten dollars, nor more than one hundred
dollars, for each of such exposed or diseased domestic animals or poul-
try which he shall permit to run at large or sell, ship, drive, trade or
give away in violation of the provisions of this chapter : but, the owner
of any domestic animals or poultry which have been affected with or
exposed to any contagious or infectious disease may dispose of same
after having obtained from the said board or its veterinarian a bill of
health for such animal, animals, or poultry.

Section 918. The State board of agriculture and immigration shall
have power to call upon any sheriff or deputy sheriff or constable to
execute their orders, and such officers shall obey the orders of the said
board, and the officer or officers performing these duties shall each be
entitled to ten dollars per day for himself and automobile, which pay-
ment shall be made upon his sworn account, approved by the said board ;
but, expenses under this section shall not exceed in any event one
thousand dollars per annum.

Section 919. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision of
this chapter, any person who shall violate, disregard, evade, or attempt
to violate, disregard, or evade any of its provisions; or who shall
violate, disregard or evade, or attempt to violate, disregard or evade
any of the rules, regulations, orders or directions of the State board
of agriculture and immigration establishing and governing quarantine,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars nor more than one
hundred dollars.

Section 920. The diseases known as tuberculosis, foot and mouth
disease, anthrax, Bang’s abortion disease, hemorrhagic septicemia,
Texas fever, hog cholera, cattle scab, sheep scab, pullorin disease and all
such other diseases of live stock and poultry whether of similar char-
acter or not as may be found to be of a contagious and infectious nature,
shall be classed as contagious and infectious diseases of live stock and
poultry, and such measures shall be taken by the board and its author-
ized veterinarian, as-to them may seem necessary to eradicate and pre-
vent the spread of the said diseases.

Section 920-a. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or cor-
poration to sell or dispense any product or other biological preparation
containing attenuated or unattenuated spores of germs of anthrax pre-
pared as a preventative or a remedy for said disease of anthrax affect-
ing live stock or fowls, except on a regular prescription of a regularly
licensed veterinarian or veterinarian employed by the State board of
agriculture, State college of agriculture, or by the United States bureau
of animal industry.

Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and punished accordingly.