Committee approves rules, penalties for livestock care

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Rules for putting sick livestock to death and civil penalties for violators cleared a key legislative committee Wednesday.

Action by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review addressed some of the issues from an agreement reached in June between Ohio agriculture businesses, the Humane Society of the United States and Gov. Ted Strickland. The governor brokered the agreement in which the Humane Society agreed to abandon a fall ballot issue against animal cruelty in exchange for livestock care standards.

The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board created by voters last year has been working for months to develop standards governing the care and well-being of farm animals and penalties for violating those standards.

Approved penalties for the euthanasia rules cleared Wednesday, and other care standards still being developed range from $500 for minor offenses to $10,000 for repeat major ones. Some of the care standards still being developed deal with areas like housing and overall management of livestock.