West Virginia Code Chapter 19. Agriculture § 19-2A-14. Testing and inspection of livestock for infectious diseases; fees; records

For the purpose of preventing the spread of infectious disease among livestock and poultry when and where the same is sold at a public market the commissioner shall have authority and shall establish and define an area surrounding a public market inside of which area, so defined, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation to buy or sell to, or exchange with, another, unless such person, firm, association, partnership or corporation shall comply with all the provisions of this article and the rules and regulations as provided in this article.

At any public market where livestock is received, sold, offered or exposed for sale for purposes other than slaughter, the same shall be inspected for livestock diseases by a licensed and accredited veterinarian or by a livestock inspector approved by the commissioner and working under the direct supervision of the veterinary director of the animal health division, which veterinarian and livestock inspector shall be employed by the commissioner of agriculture and shall have authority to carry out the provisions of this section and enforce the provisions of article nine, chapter nineteen of the Code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one.

The management of such market shall collect a fee of fifty cents per head for cattle when tested for Bang's disease, and ten cents per head for hogs when treated for the prevention of cholera. In addition thereto they shall collect from the purchaser the actual cost of vaccines or biological products used in the testing of such animals. Such vaccines or biological products shall be approved by the commissioner.

It shall be the duty of each veterinarian or livestock inspector to keep a record of all animals tested by him on forms furnished by the commissioner; such records shall be made in duplicate, the original to be forwarded to the commissioner, and the duplicate to be furnished to the public market at which such testing was done.

On the first day of each month the public market shall forward to the commissioner all moneys due for testing done during the previous month.