163.1 Powers of department.

The department shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted by the department pursuant to this chapter. In administering the provisions of this chapter, the department shall have power to do all of the following:

1. Adopt any necessary rule for the control of an infectious or contagious disease affecting animals within the state.

2. Provide for quarantining animals afflicted with an infectious or contagious disease, or that have been exposed to such disease, whether within or without the state.

3. Determine and employ the most efficient and practical means for the control of an infectious or contagious disease afflicting animals.

4. Establish, maintain, enforce, and regulate quarantine and other measures relating to the movement and care of animals that may be exposed or afflicted with an infectious or contagious disease.

5. Provide for the disinfection of suspected yards, buildings, or articles, and for the destruction of animals as may be deemed necessary by the department.

6. Enter any place where any animal is at the time located, or where it has been kept, or where the carcass of such animal may be, for the purpose of examining it in any way that may be necessary to determine whether it was or is exposed to or afflicted with an infectious or contagious disease.

7. Regulate or prohibit the arrival in, departure from, and passage through the state of animals exposed to or afflicted with an infectious or contagious disease; and in case of a violation of any such regulation or prohibition, to detain any animal at the owner’s expense.

8. Regulate or prohibit the movement of animals into the state which, in the department’s determination, for any reason, may be detrimental to the health of animals in the state.

9. Cooperate with and arrange for assistance from the United States department of agriculture in performing its duties under this chapter.

10. Impose civil penalties as provided in this chapter. The department may refer cases for prosecution to the attorney general.

[S13, §2538-s; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §2643; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §163.1]

91 Acts, ch 32, §1; 2001 Acts, ch 136, §1; 2004 Acts, ch 1163, §1