Post by Admin on Jan 6, 2009 20:17:54 GMT -5
www.walesonline.co.uk/countryside-farming-news/countryside-news/2009/01/06/each-horse-will-have-a-unique-number-for-life-91466-22612463/
Each horse will have a unique number for life
Jan 6 2009 by Steve Dube, Western Mail
The Horse Passports (Wales) Regulations have been in force since 2005 to ensure that the UK has effective food safety controls in order to enable the continued export of horse meat to other Member States. It means owners can sell their horse or pony for slaughter at the end of its useful life rather than pay expensive disposal costs, which can be up to £1,000.
All owners must obtain a passport for each horse, pony or donkeys. Without one, owners cannot sell, export, slaughter for human consumption or use the animal for competition or breeding.
At present the identification of horses is by means of a completed silhouette – diagram showing the distinguishing marks of a horse – which is completed by a veterinary surgeon or other “competent” person.
The aim of the new EC regulation (504/2008 of June 6, 2008) is to improve and build on the existing system by linking the passport to the animal by an electronic microchip and setting up a central database with a unique life number for each animal.
The regulation makes it an offence to “keep” a horse that is not correctly identified. All full livery yards, welfare organisations, transporters and other premises responsible for the primary care of a horse will be required to check that a horse has been issued with a passport before agreeing to care for or transport the animal.
All animals must be identified by December 31, 2009
Each horse will have a unique number for life
Jan 6 2009 by Steve Dube, Western Mail
The Horse Passports (Wales) Regulations have been in force since 2005 to ensure that the UK has effective food safety controls in order to enable the continued export of horse meat to other Member States. It means owners can sell their horse or pony for slaughter at the end of its useful life rather than pay expensive disposal costs, which can be up to £1,000.
All owners must obtain a passport for each horse, pony or donkeys. Without one, owners cannot sell, export, slaughter for human consumption or use the animal for competition or breeding.
At present the identification of horses is by means of a completed silhouette – diagram showing the distinguishing marks of a horse – which is completed by a veterinary surgeon or other “competent” person.
The aim of the new EC regulation (504/2008 of June 6, 2008) is to improve and build on the existing system by linking the passport to the animal by an electronic microchip and setting up a central database with a unique life number for each animal.
The regulation makes it an offence to “keep” a horse that is not correctly identified. All full livery yards, welfare organisations, transporters and other premises responsible for the primary care of a horse will be required to check that a horse has been issued with a passport before agreeing to care for or transport the animal.
All animals must be identified by December 31, 2009