Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 23 - Domestic Animals
Section 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.
"Agricultural biosecurity area." Any of the following areas which has been identified by posted notice as an agricultural biosecurity area and for which the owner or other authorized person has established procedures to inhibit the transference of transmissible disease or hazardous substance:
(1) Agricultural or other open lands as defined under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3503(b.2)(3)(relating to criminal trespass).
(2) A building or animal or plant containment area fenced or enclosed in a manner manifestly designed and constructed to exclude trespassers or to confine domestic animals or plants used in research or agricultural activity or farming as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3309 (relating to agricultural vandalism).
"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.
"Posted notice." Notice posted in a manner which is reasonably likely to come to the attention of a person.
"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; Nov. 23, 2010, P.L.1360, No.125, eff. imd.)

2010 Amendment. Act 125 added the defs. of "agricultural biosecurity area" and "posted notice."
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, 11102 of this title; sections 3311, 3503 of Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses).

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes