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NATIONAL
ANIMAL
IDENTIFICATION
SYSTEM
(NAIS)
Updated:
January
23,
2006
By
Ray
Hoyt
In
the
Summer
2005
issue
of
Memo,
I
ran
an
article
entitled
“National
Animal
Identification
System.”
The
USDA
officially
recognized
this
program
on
11/8/04.
The
following
livestock
species
are
affected:
camelids
(llamas
&
alpacas),
cattle
&
bison,
cervids
(deer
&
elk),
equine,
goats,
poultry,
sheep
and
swine.
The
system
comprises
three
key
components,
to
be
sequentially
established
over
time:
•
Premises
Identification
•
Animal
Identification
•
Animal
Tracking
from
Premises
to
Premises
Premises
Identification,
already
underway,
is
done
through
state
veterinarians,
who
have
been
trained
by
USDA
in
a
standardized
registration
system.
THIS
IS
NOT
THE
SAME
AS
THE
SCRAPIE
PREMISES
REGISTRATION.
This
Premises
Identification
system
registers
premises
with
a
seven-character
number
which
will
be
integrated
into
a
nationwide
database.
The
second
phase
of
this
system
is
the
Animal
Identification
portion.
USDA
has
been
saying,
through
all
of
this,
that
“industry”
will
determine
which
type
of
identification
method
works
best
for
each
species.
These
methods
could
include
radio
frequency
identification
tags
(microchips),
retinal
scans,
DNA,
tattoos,
eartags,
or
others.
The
troubling
aspect
of
this
is
that
USDA
is
attempting
to
move
to
a
standard
way
to
identify
animals.
Their
ultimate
goal
is
to
create
an
effective,
uniform
system,
that,
they
say,
will
help
maintain
the
health
of
U.S.
herds
and
flocks.
For
purposes
of
“industry”
participation
in
developing
the
identification
system,
“working
groups”
have
been
established
for
each
species.
For
goats,
the
Goat
Working
Group
(GWG)
is
operational,
chaired
by
Linda
Campbell
(representing
ADGA)
from
Luray,
VA.
I
am
a
member
of
this
group;
I
have
been
designated
by
the
NPGA
Board
of
Directors
to
represent
the
interests
of
our
national
membership.
There
are
20
members
of
the
GWG.
I
have
the
latest
roster
with
where
they
are
from,
email
addresses,
and
whom
they
represent.
At
the
outset,
USDA
said
that
participation
in
this
entire
system
is
voluntary.
Word
continues
to
circulate
that,
at
some
point,
compulsory
will
likely
replace
voluntary
with
respect
to
regulations
that
USDA
might
impose.
Neil
Hammerschmidt,
a
USDA
representative
has
said,
just
a
few
weeks
ago,
that
the
Secretary
of
Agriculture
had
no
intention
of
moving
beyond
the
voluntary
phase
of
this
plan.
Can
we
take
that
to
the
bank?
There
are
a
number
of
developments
of
which
our
members
should
be
aware:
1)
The
website
(www.animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais)
provides
much
information
promulgated
by
USDA
on
the
whole
program.
2)
The
United
Animal
Owners
Alliance
is
circulating
an
online
petition
addressed
to
both
the
Congress
and
USDA,
claiming
that
the
NAIS,
including
USAIP
&
NAID,
is
an
unconstitutional
invasion
of
privacy,
among
other
things.
The
petition
can
be
found
at:
www.unitedanimalownersalliance.com/petitions.html.
On
the
UAOA
homepage,
click
on
Petitions;
and
then
on
Stop
Animal
Identification
Now.
3)
A
brand
new
organization
-
United
States
Animal
Identification
Organization
-
has
been
formed
which
claims
to
be
working
with
every
segment
of
the
animal
industry
and
the
animal
health
authorities,
and
seeks
to
manage
the
industry-led
animal
identification
movement
database
as
prescribed
by
NAIS.
USAIO
has
already
submitted
a
Memorandum
of
Understanding
to
USDA
presuming
to
develop
and
operate
the
database
on
industry’s
behalf!
The
obvious
questions
that
surface:
-
Is
USDA
complicit
in
forming
USAIO?
-
Is
the
cattle
industry
behind
USAIO
because
they
object
to
USDA
maintaining
any
database
due
to
Freedom
of
Information
Act
(FOIA)
reasons?
-
How
can
USAIO
presume
to
represent
industry
with
whom
they
do
not
interface?
4)
A
Goat
Working
Group
chat
group
is
operational
where
we,
as
GWG
members,
can
exchange
information,
opinions,
etc.
with
each
other.
A
number
of
GWG
members
have
already
weighed
in
on
their
total
nonsupport
of
any
eartag
requirement
for
goats.
5)
The
Goat
Working
Group
has
a
new
website
(usanimalid.com)
to
provide
information
of
general
interest
on
the
NAIS.
Comments
that
are
generated
from
this
website
are
forwarded
to
all
GWG
members.
I
receive
and
read
all
of
these
email
comments.
New
additions
to
the
website
are
added
almost
daily
as
more
GWG
members
submit
their
contributions.
I
am
submitting
photos
and
current
NPGA
tattoo
and
microchip
requirements
for
inclusion
on
this
site.
6)
One
of
our
GWG
members
from
Oklahoma
has
recently
reported
that
the
Oklahoma
Department
of
Agriculture
is
saying
that
USDA
will
approve
a
radio
frequency
identification
device
in
a
button
eartag
“in
a
few
weeks”
for
some
species,
including
goats.
No
one
can
confirm
or
deny
this
information.
PLEASE
SEND
ME
YOUR
FEEDBACK
ON
NAIS.
IT
WILL
HELP
ME
REPRESENT
YOU
BETTER.
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