3-1336

3-1336. Inspection of livestock to be
slaughtered, sold or transported; fee; violation;
classification

A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, livestock, other than equines and
livestock inspected at feedlots or dairies pursuant to section 3-1337, shall not be
slaughtered, sold, purchased, driven, transported, shipped or conveyed unless the animals
have been inspected by a livestock officer or inspector for health, brands and marks
before they are slaughtered, sold, purchased, driven, transported, shipped or conveyed
and the inspection fee paid.

B. The owner or agent of the owner of the livestock to be slaughtered, sold,
driven, transported, shipped or conveyed as provided in subsection A of this section
shall notify the nearest livestock officer or inspector of that intention.

C. Equines consigned to either licensed Arizona livestock auctions or other special
auctions approved by the department from out of state or from Indian reservations in this
state or from other state or federal agencies without prior inspection shall be inspected
on delivery at an auction.

D. All livestock other than equines sold at auctions shall be inspected out on an
inspection certificate or auction invoice validated by the department.

E. The owner or producer of livestock excluding equines may slaughter or transport
to another person to slaughter such livestock without having the animal inspected and
without paying the inspection fee or service charge if the meat of such slaughtered
livestock is solely for home consumption by such owner providing that such owner contacts
a livestock officer or inspector within a forty-eight hour period prior to slaughter and
is able to establish proof of ownership either by a prior inspection certificate, by a
recorded brand on the animal or that the animal was raised by said owner, and the hide is
inspected as provided for in section 3-2011. If proof of ownership cannot be established
to the satisfaction of the livestock officer or inspector then the livestock officer or
inspector may require an inspection prior to slaughter.

F. The associate director may waive an inspection for brands and marks before the
slaughter of an animal if a federal or state meat inspector on the premises certifies on
a form provided by the department that, as determined by an antemortem inspection, the
animal is in a distressed condition and for humane reasons should be slaughtered
immediately if it is otherwise fit for slaughter and if the hide, carcass and
certification are segregated and held pending inspection for brands and marks. The
associate director may waive inspections under this subsection only for individual
animals, and a separate certification shall be made for each animal.

G. Livestock officers or inspectors shall not inspect livestock for health before
they are slaughtered at an establishment which is subject to federal meat inspections as
provided under chapter 13 of this title.

H. A person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a class 3
misdemeanor.

I. If a federal governmental entity seizes any privately owned animals subject to
brand inspection pursuant to this chapter, the department or its authorized inspector
shall not issue brand inspection certificates or permits to remove the animals or for the
transfer of ownership of the animals by sale or otherwise unless one of the following
occurs:

1. The department receives consent from the owner.

2. The owner is unknown.

3. Before the seizure, the federal governmental entity obtains approval for the
seizure from a court of competent jurisdiction and submits a copy of the order approving
the seizure to the department or its authorized inspector.

J. This section does not apply to:

1. A feral animal.

2. Wild free-roaming horses and burros, as defined in 16 United States Code section
1332.

3. A stray animal.

4. An animal that is seized by a governmental entity to protect the health and
safety of the public or to prevent cruelty to the animal.