Title 44, Animals and Animal Husbandry

The commissioner through rules and regulations may establish procedures for the payment of indemnities for animals destroyed under authority of this chapter. Indemnity under this section is not intended to be a full reimbursement but a partial compensation based on, but not limit…

Veterinarians accredited under Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations and licensed by the state board of veterinary medical examiners may be authorized to make necessary inspections, vaccinations, and tests required by this chapter or its regulations.

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Tennessee Garbage Feeding Law.”

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of agriculture;(2) “Garbage” means animal or plant waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking or consumption of foods, including animal and fowl carcasses or par…

This part shall be enforced and administered by the commissioner or the commissioner's designated representative.

(1) It is unlawful for any person to feed garbage to swine except:(1) Any individual who feeds only that person's own household garbage to that person's own swine; or(2) Garbage that has been processed in a manner prescribed and approved by the commissioner. (1) Any individual wh…

The commissioner may promulgate such rules and regulations as, in the commissioner's opinion, are necessary to implement this part.

The commissioner or the commissioner's designated representative may enter upon any premises, public or private, for the purpose of determining if a violation of this part has occurred.

(a) A violation of this part by any person is a Class C misdemeanor. (b) Each illegal feeding of garbage is to be considered a separate offense.

The commissioner, upon determining that any person may have violated any provision of this part, may petition for injunctive relief from further violation. The petition shall be addressed to the chancery court in the county in which the offense occurred or in which the offender's…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Tennessee Commercial Feed Law of 1972.”

This chapter shall be administered by the commissioner of agriculture.

(1) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Brand name” means any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, identifying the commercial feed of a distributor or registrant and distinguishing it from that of others;(2) “Commercial feed” …

(a) Any person who manufactures a commercial feed within the state, who distributes a commercial feed in or into the state, or whose name appears on the label of a commercial feed as guarantor shall obtain a license for each facility from which commercial feed is distributed in o…

(1) A commercial feed shall be labeled as follows:(1) In case of a commercial feed, except a customer-formula feed, it shall be accompanied by a label bearing the following information:(A) The quantity statement;(B) The product name and the brand name, if any, under which the com…

(1) A commercial feed shall be deemed to be misbranded if:(1) Its labeling is false or misleading in any particular;(2) It is distributed under the name of another commercial feed;(3) It is not labeled as required in § 44-6-105;(4) It purports to be or is represented as a commerc…

(1) A commercial feed shall be deemed to be adulterated if:(1) (A) It bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it injurious to health; but in case the substance is not an added substance, the commercial feed shall not be considered adulterated unde…

(1) The following acts and the causing of the following acts within this state are prohibited:(1) The manufacture or distribution of any commercial feed that is adulterated or misbranded;(2) The adulteration or misbranding of any commercial feed;(3) The distribution of agricultur…

(1) The commissioner is authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations for commercial feeds and pet foods as are specifically authorized in this chapter, and such other reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary for the efficient enforcement of this chapter. In the…

(a) For the purpose of enforcement of this chapter, and in order to determine whether its provisions have been complied with, including whether or not any operations may be subject to the provisions, officers or employees duly designated by the commissioner, upon presenting appro…

(a) When the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized agent has reasonable cause to believe any lot of commercial feed is being distributed in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or of any of the prescribed regulations under this chapter, the commissioner or t…

(a) Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this chapter or who impedes, hinders or otherwise prevents, or attempts to prevent, the commissioner or the commissioner's duly authorized agent in performance of that official's duty in connection with this chapter c…

The commissioner may cooperate with and enter into agreements with governmental agencies of this state, other states, agencies of the federal government, and private associations in order to carry out the purpose and provisions of this chapter.

The commissioner shall publish at least annually, in such forms as the commissioner may deem proper, information concerning the sales of commercial feeds, together with such data on their production and use as the commissioner may consider advisable, and a report of the results o…

Any person owning any cattle, hogs, sheep or goats, horses or other animals, running at large, shall have an earmark or brand different from those of that person's neighbors.

Marks or brands shall be recorded in the office of the county clerk of the county in which the animals run; but the same brand or marks shall not be recorded to more than one (1) person in the same county.

When a dispute occurs in regard to a brand or mark, the person first recording the same is entitled thereto.

The owner shall brand all horses, from eighteen (18) months old and upwards, with the same brand, and earmark and brand all the owner's cattle from twelve (12) months old and upwards with the same mark or brand.

If any dispute arise about an earmark or brand, it shall be decided according to entries on the book of the county clerk.

Any person who buys branded neat cattle from another, or acquires same by other lawful means, shall, within eight (8) months, brand the cattle with the person's own proper brand, in the presence of two (2) credible witnesses, a certificate of which shall be signed by the witnesse…

Any person who alters or defaces the mark or brand of another, forfeits for each animal on which the mark or brand is altered or defaced, twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to the owner who sues therefor in six (6) months, and to the owner or any interested third person who sues after …

Any person who misbrands or mismarks any unbranded or unmarked animals not belonging to that person forfeits, as in § 44-7-107, twenty-five dollars ($25.00) over and above the value of the animal, to be recovered in the same way.

The county clerk shall allow all citizens of the county to inspect, without charge, the book in which the marks and brands are recorded; and is entitled to fifty cents (50¢) for each record of a mark or brand.

(a) Every stockyard, slaughterhouse, and packing house licensed to do business under the laws of this state shall maintain for sixty (60) days on file a record of all visible brands on livestock handled or processed on their premises. The list shall be updated every sixty (60) da…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Brand” means any recorded identification mark applied to any position on the hide of a live animal by means of heat, acid or chemical, except tattoo marks in the ear or numbers used to keep production records or…

(a) Any owner who uses a brand to identify cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and other animals belonging to that owner must submit an application to the department to register the owner's brand. (b) The application shall be made on forms prescribed and furnished by the departme…

In all suits at law or in equity, or in any criminal proceedings involving the title or right of possession of branded cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and other animals, a copy of the certificate of the brand registration, verified by the affidavit of the commissioner, shall …

Every five (5) years, all brands shall be reregistered with the department. At least ninety (90) days prior to the date for reregistration of all brands, the department shall notify all persons having brands registered as to the date by which the brand must be reregistered. On or…

The department shall maintain a complete register of all brands, showing the name and address of the owner, and shall, in accordance with the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the state publications committee, publish and distribute copies of the register in booklet …

Every operator of a livestock market where cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and other animals are sold shall keep a copy of the register of brands in that person's place of business where it will be accessible for public inspection.

The commissioner has the authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of this part so as to facilitate the tracing and identification of cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and other animals, and afford protect…

(1) It is unlawful for:(1) Any person to use any brand for branding cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and other animals, unless the brand is registered with the department;(2) Any person to obliterate, alter or deface the brand of any animals; or(3) Any person operating or owni…

A person who violates any of the provisions of this part commits a Class C misdemeanor.

The pedigree of any jack or bull, claimed to be pedigreed livestock and used for public breeding, shall be filed and registered with the county clerk, under oath that the pedigree is genuine, and the county clerk shall record the pedigree in a well-bound book to be kept in county…

The owner of such pedigreed stock shall, during breeding seasons, have posted conspicuously in three (3) different places in the county in which the owner lives, or in which the animal is being used for breeding purposes, a certified copy of the pedigree recorded as provided in §…

Any person who knowingly records or posts any false or fraudulent pedigree commits a Class C misdemeanor.