Tennessee horse owners now have a new resource to protect the health of their livestock. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is offering the Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (EECVI), which provides real-time tracking and better disease traceability for horses being transported across state lines.
“As we work to keep Tennessee horses safe and healthy, it is important that we are aware of the equines entering and exiting our state,” Interim State Veterinarian Doug Balthaser, D.V.M. said. “The EECVI will be available to owners 24 hours a day and will be accepted in more states than our current permit. Additionally, if the worst happens and there is a disease outbreak, real-time tracking will enable state animal health officials to notify horse owners much more quickly.”
In order to transport a horse, mule, donkey, pony, zebra, or other equine across state lines, a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) and negative test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is required. The CVI shows that a veterinarian has inspected each equine for signs of disease to ensure that it appears healthy for movement.
The EECVI extends the CVI date of expiration from 30 days to 6 months, and it eases travel to multiple states with different requirements. The EECVI offers travel itineraries in a digital format that horse owners complete and upload to the online system prior to the time of transport.
The current movement permit offered, the Tennessee Equine Interstate Event Permit (Equine Passport), will no longer be available through TDA starting June 30, 2019. TDA partnered with other states more than a decade ago to provide the Equine Passport program. However, all of the original partner states have decided to stop using the Equine Passport program and to transition to EECVI.
For more information about the Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, contact the State Veterinarian’s office at (615) 837-5120 or visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/animals/animal-health/equine-passport.html.
