E- Source An electronic newsletter highlighting veterinary issues for Illinois veterinarians
October 11, 2004 Volume II, Number 13
In This Issue · Illinois Begins Licensing Humane Euthanasia Agencies & Technicians · Illinois Dept. of Agriculture Begins Work on Animal Identification System · Dr. Roger Mahr Receives Distinguished Alumni Award · Mississippi Valley VMA Annual Meeting Nears Contact Us peter@isvma.org	Illinois Begins Licensing Humane Euthanasia Agencies and Euthanasia Technicians SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) made available on September 16, 2004 licensing applications for Humane Euthanasia Agencies and Humane Euthanasia Technicians. “Euthanasia Agency” means an entity licensed by IDFPR for the purpose of animal euthanasia that holds an animal control facility or animal shelter license under the Animal Welfare Act. “Euthanasia Technician” means a person employed by an euthanasia agency or working under the direct supervision of a veterinarian and who is certified by IDFPR to administer euthanasia drugs for animals. “This legislation ensures that only certified euthanasia technicians or licensed veterinarians perform euthanasia of animals,” said Acting Director Daniel E. Bluthardt, Division of Professional Regulation. “Additionally, this legislation establishes requirements for the purchasing and storage of drugs used to euthanize animals.” Applications are available at www.idfpr.com, calling (217) 782-8556 or by writing to: IDFPR, Division of Professional Regulation ATTN: Forms Unit 320 West Washington Street Springfield, IL 62786 FAX: (217) 557-8073 Humane Euthanasia Agencies are eligible for licensure if they hold an active, unencumbered license under the Animal Welfare Act as an animal control facility or animal shelter. Humane Euthanasia Technicians may be eligible for licensure if the following requirements are met: § Be at least 18 years of age § Submit a criminal background check and provide verification of fingerprint processing from a designated agent. § Must hold a current license or certification from one of the following organizations issued within three (3) years preceding the date of application: o American Humane Association o National Animal Control Association o Illinois Federation of Humane Societies o Humane Society of the United States Until March 1, 2005 the IDFPR may issue a license to an applicant who holds a license or certification from one of the above four organizations issued after January 1, 1997. Illinois Department of Agriculture Starts Work on Animal Identification System SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an ongoing effort to ensure safety in the food supply, the state Department of Agriculture has begun the difficult, but important task of identifying every farm, feedlot, sales barn and slaughter facility in Illinois that handles food animals. It is the first step toward the implementation of a national animal identification system that will enable livestock and poultry to be rapidly traced from the farm to the dinner fork. “Time is a critical factor in containing animal disease outbreaks and preventing food-borne illnesses,” Dr. Colleen O’Keefe, the department’s division manager of Food Safety and Animal Protection, said. “The rapid identification of infected animals and contaminated food products minimizes farmers’ financial losses and protects human lives. This system, when fully operational, will enable animals and premises that have been exposed to a disease to be identified within 48 hours of the disease’s discovery.” The department has established an online registration process to identify food animal facilities. It takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and consists of a short application that asks for a facility’s street and mailing addresses, its phone number, a description of its operation and the animal species it handles. Menus are provided to ease the process and ensure similar facilities are categorized the same way. After the form is submitted, the facility will be issued a federal premise identification number. The online application is posted on the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s website at www.agr.state.il.us. Mail and telephone registration also are available. Applicants should either write to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Health, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield, Ill., 62794, or call toll-free (800) 273-4763. “Strong collaboration among farmers, farm organizations, meat packers and state animal health officials will be required to meet our goal of identifying every food animal facility by Sept. 1, 2005,” Dr. O’Keefe said. “We’ve been working closely with industry groups to create this system, and plan to meet Sept. 16 to discuss outreach efforts that they can make to encourage their members to apply.” Illinois is part of a five-state consortium that will develop and implement the national animal identification system in the Great Lakes region. Other participating states are Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. A $130,000 grant from the USDA is paying for the registration of livestock and poultry premises in Illinois. Dr. Roger Mahr Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from Iowa State University Ames, Iowa – Dr. Roger K. Mahr, St. Charles, Illinois, was recognized with Iowa State University’s highest honor awarded to alumni of its College of Veterinary Medicine. He returned to Iowa State for special ceremonies held October 8 and 9 to recognize the university’s most accomplished alumni in all fields. The Stange Award in Veterinary Medicine is named in memory of a long-time alumnus in recognition of outstanding professional achievements in veterinary education, research, government service, or private practice. Dr. Mahr, a small animal practitioner, received his veterinary degree in 1971 from Iowa State University. Following graduation, he practiced in the Chicago suburbs of Morton Grove and Evanston. Since 1974, he has owned and operated the Meadow View Veterinary Clinic in Geneva, Illinois. For over 30 years, Dr. Mahr has been committed to advancing the veterinary profession at the local, regional and national levels. He is currently the Chair of the Executive Board of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a professional association of more than 71,000 member veterinarians. “Our veterinary medical profession is extremely fortunate to have talented and committed members like Dr. Mahr to provide coordinated leadership for our national association, the AVMA,” said Dr. John U. Thomson, dean of the veterinary college at Iowa State University, during the award presentation. Dr. Mahr has also held leadership positions in the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association and the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, receiving numerous awards for his dedication and service. An active community leader, Dr. Mahr is a member of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce; Geneva Lions Club, serving as president in 1987; the Delnor Community Hospital Men’s Foundation. He served as a member and president of the Board of Education of the St. Charles Community Unit School District. He is also a member of the United Methodist Church of Geneva. Dr. Mahr and his wife, Marilyn, reside in St. Charles, Illinois, and have two children. They have a daughter and son-in-law, Deanna and Keenan Baker, and a son, David. Have You Registered for the Mississippi Valley VMA Annual Meeting (November 2-4, 2004)? A brochure was mailed last week with the schedule, speaker information and registration form for the Mississippi Valley VMA Annual Meeting. You can also find the information online at http://www.isvma.org/region4.htm. The MVVMA has put together an entertaining and educational program. The registration deadline is October 25, 2004 and the PAR-A-DICE Hotel is accepting reservations through October 17, 2004.