The U.S. Department of Agriculture's animal identification plan has been put on the fast track for review by the White House. The national identification system is designed to allow government health officials to locate the farms from which sick animals originated so that they can identify and quarantine other potentially infected animals.

The plan's review has been expedited in light of the recent case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow" disease) that was identified in California. The animal identification program would require both dairy farmers and beef cattle farmers to tag and register cattle moved from one state to another.

Image by P. Hellebrand

Beef cattle farmers in the United States are bracing for any potential impact on the beef market resulting from the detection of a case of "mad cow disease" (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in California. The case represents the first incidence of BSE in six years, and only the fourth confirmed case in U.S. history.

Major importers of U.S. beef (such as Mexico, Canada, and Japan) have reassured officials that they plan to continue purchasing American beef products. These assurances seem to have eased fears of a plunge in export sales similar to what occurred in 2003, when beef export revenue decreased by over $3 billion dollars.

Image by M.H. Kramer

The University of Guelph in Canada is offering an online certificate program in equine welfare. This program may be of particular interest to barn managers, riding instructors, and other equine management professionals.

The Equine Welfare Certificate consists of six online courses. The four core courses are Equine Welfare, Global Perspectives in Equine Welfare, Equine Behavior, and Equine Nutrition. The two remaining courses are electives chosen from the following options: Health & Disease Prevention, Equine Industry, Equine Nutrition or Advanced Health through Nutrition, and Advanced Equine Functional Anatomy.

The New York State Senate has passed a bill that is designed to make pet theft a felony offense. Once it goes through the Assembly, the bill will provide much stronger protection for licensed dogs or cats (New York law previously required proof that a felony theft involved an item of property valued at over $1,000).

The American Kennel Club has reported a significant increase in stolen pet reports, up 49 percent from 2010 to 2011.

This new measure is being called the toughest pet theft law in the United States, carrying up to a four year prison sentence upon conviction. Animal rescue groups and responsible breeders are applauding the bill as it will protect pets from being stolen for use in dog-fighting, puppy mills, or other unacceptable purposes.