Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Office of Communications
404-656-3689
Georgia Advances Adoption of EECVI
Effective July 1, 2019, the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDA) Animal Industry Division will only offer the Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (EECVI). Georgia joins several states in transitioning from the current Six (6) Month Equine Event Permit (EEP) to the EECVI. Additional states plan to participate but are awaiting legislative rule changes.
“In this digital era, the adoption of the EECVI seeks to benefit owners and veterinarians, alike,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Robert M. Cobb Jr. “This new industry standard improves the accessibility of records during the transportation of equids and enhances the traceability of animal diseases for Georgia’s animal industry.”
Benefits of the EECVI include:
- 24/7 access to digital documents and updates.
- More states will accept the EECVI than the current EEP with more than 20 states actively participating, and more expected to join.
- Health certificates last up to six months
Across the nation, a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) and a negative test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is required for interstate transport of equines. Using the EECVI, veterinarians will inspect the horse and verify health status, then enter that information and EIA test results into the database. Then before each transport, the owner or agent must access the database and obtain an EECVI Health Declaration and Movement Permit. Like the current EEP, the new EECVI will be valid for six months or until the current EIA test expires. The cost associated with the EECVI is determined by a veterinarian and paid for by the owner.
Georgia will continue issuing EEP’s until June 30, 2019, and states will continue to accept the EEP until they expire. Effective January 1, 2020, Georgia will only offer and accept the EECVI. To see participating states, please visit globalvetlink.com/products/eecvi/. For more information, please visit agr.georgia.gov/extended-equine-cvi.aspx.
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