TVE Drug & Fitting Policy
All animals that are shown at the TVE shall be drug free at the time the animals are checked in at the TVE grounds, and the animal shall remain drug free during the time such animals are at the TVE livestock show (“show”). Further, no animal may be shown at the TVE that has ever, during its life, been administered any quantity of an unapproved drug. The purpose of this Policy is to protect the food chain and to insure a fair competition among exhibitors. As used in this Policy, the term “drug” shall mean any drug, chemical, medication, or feed additive. The details of the Policy are set forth below:
A: Exhibitor’s Responsibility for Any Drug Use
The use by non-veterinarians* of animal drugs, or other substances, in any manner other than in accord with the labeling approved by the FDA is a violation of federal law. Exhibitor, or exhibitor’s parent and/or guardian, agree that:
1. They are, absolutely, the persons responsible for the care and custody of the exhibitor’s animal;
2. As a condition for participation in the Show, exhibitor agrees to submit his/her animal to any drug test required by the TVE. The TVE shall be entitled to disqualify any exhibitor whose animal tests positive for any drug – even if the exhibitor and the exhibitor’s parents are innocent of any wrongdoing and did not administer the drug and even if the source of the drug is unknown: and
3. The drug test results of the testing laboratory used by TVE shall be final and binding and without recourse by the exhibitor against the TVE, or its Directors, Officers, Managers, Representatives, Agents, or Employees.
*The abuse of extra-label by veterinarians is unethical and is subject to serious consequences such as license revocation.
B: Exhibitor/Animal Disqualification for Drug Use or Unethical Fitting
1. Unapproved Drug Use
An exhibitor is prohibited from showing an animal that has, at any time in its life, been administered any quantity of any unapproved drug, chemical, or medication. Such drugs include, but are not limited to, any diuretic, unapproved growth stimulator, or other unapproved medication. Unapproved means not approved by the FDA and/or USDA for slaughter animals including animals that may be destined for human consumption. All animals shown at the TVE will be subject to random drug testing at check-in as detailed below.
2. Approved Drug Use
All animals that are shown at the TVE shall be drug free at the time the animals are checked in at the TVE grounds (“Grounds”). If prior to check- in , an animal has been administered a drug that is FDA and/or USDA approved for that species, sufficient time must have passed, so that, the animal does not test positive for that drug at check-in at the Grounds. Stated plainly, all animals must be free and clear of all drug and chemical residues at the time the animals are checked in at the Grounds. All animals shown at the TVE will be subject to random drug testing at check-in as detailed below. Please note that elimination time is generally longer than the labeled withdrawal time for most approved drugs. Under this Policy, a drug that is not approved by the FDA and/or USDA for the specific species to which that drug is administered is an unapproved drug. Also, if an approved drug is administered by a route, in a dosage, or for a condition, that is not approved by the FDA and/or USDA, that drug, as so misused, is an unapproved drug.
3. Unethical Fitting
Unethical fitting means any attempt to alter the natural appearance, conformation, musculature, or weight, of an animal by any unnatural means. Unethical fitting includes, but is not limited to, the use of injections, or feeding of any substance not conductive to the health of the animal, or that is detrimental to the safety, or the marketability, of its carcass. Unethical fitting also includes, but is not limited to, artificially filling animals by stomach pumping, injecting the animal with air, bruising, or feeding the animal beer, or other alcoholic beverage. Animals unethically fitted, or showing sighs of unethical fitting, will be disqualified.
C. Drug Testing of Animals
1. Random Drug Testing
At check-in at the Grounds, ten percent (10%) of the number of animals in each market division will be randomly tested for drugs.
2. Drug Testing After Show
Immediately after the Show for a market division, the grand champion and reserve champion of such market division will be tested for drugs.
When an animal is initially drug tested, the test sample will be split into two samples; such that, if the animal tests positive on the initial drug test, the remainder of the split sample will be available for a confirming drug test (“Confirming Test”). An Exhibitor whose animal tests positive on the initial drug test can request a Confirming Test, provided however, that the Confirming Test will be conducted at the Exhibitor’s expense and at a laboratory chosen by the TVE. The Exhibitor requesting such Confirming Test must pay the TVE for the full cost of such Confirming Test, before the TVE will submit the sample to the laboratory. Presently, the cost for such a Confirming Test is approximately $400.00, but cost is, of course, subject to change.
D. Penalties For Drug Use or Unethical Fitting of Animals
1. Unapproved Drug
Any exhibitor whose animal tests positive for any unapproved drug will be disqualified and shall forfeit all prizes, sale proceeds, and awards. The disqualification of an exhibitor will not alter the placing of the class of animals or the sale order. Further, the disqualified exhibitor, and the immediate family members of the disqualified exhibitor, shall be prohibited from exhibiting in the Show for 3 years.
2. Approved Drug
Any exhibitor whose animal tests positive for any approved drug will be disqualified and shall forfeit all prizes, sale proceeds, and awards. The disqualification of an exhibitor will not alter the placing of the class of animals or the sale order. Further, the Board shall have the discretion as to whether, or not, to forfeit the privilege of the disqualified exhibitor, and the immediate family members of the disqualified exhibitor, to exhibit in the Show for a period not to exceed 3 years.
3. Unethical Fitting of Animals
Any exhibitor found to have unethically fitted an animal shall forfeit all prizes, sale proceeds, and awards. The disqualification of an exhibitor will not alter the placing of the class of animals or the sale order. Further, the Board shall have the discretion as to whether, or not, to forfeit the privilege of the disqualified exhibitor, and the immediate family members of the disqualified exhibitor, to exhibit in the Show fro a period not to exceed 3 years.
4. Emergency Treatment of TVE Grounds
If an animal requires emergency treatment while on the Grounds, the exhibitor shall notify the Livestock Committee Chairman prior to the treatment of the animal, and the Livestock Committee Chairman shall witness such emergency treatment of the animal. Only licensed veterinarian will be allowed to administer any drug, chemical, or feed additive to the animal. If the drug, chemical, or feed additive is administered by the veterinarian prior to the time the animal is shown and judged at the Show, the animal will be disqualified. If the drug, chemical, or feed additive is administered by the veterinarian after the time the animal has been shown and judged in the Show, the animal will not be disqualified, but the animal must be withheld from slaughter for the full elimination time of any such drug, chemical, or feed additive administered to the animal, so that, the animal is drug and chemical free at the time of its slaughter.
E. No Exceptions May Be Granted To This Policy
No Director, Officer, Manager, Livestock Committee Chairman, or any other agent or representative of the TVE, has the authority to grant an exception to this policy. Such persons, therefore, cannot grant an exception of any kind to this Policy, and no alleged exception – even if granted by such person – will be binding upon, or honored by, the TVE, and any such alleged exception will not, in any manner, effect, or excuse, or prevent, the enforcement of this Policy.
Further, no letter of explanation, note, or excuse, from a veterinarian or a vocational agriculture teacher, to an exhibitor, or to the TVE, as to the administering of any drug, chemical, medication, or feed additive to an animal, shall grant an exception to this Drug Policy. No such letter of explanation, note, or excuse from any such person will be honored by the TVE, and any such alleged exception will not, in any manner, effect, or excuse, or prevent, the enforcement of this Policy.
F. The Administration and Enforcement of This Policy
The Livestock Ethics Committee shall implement and administer this Policy; provided, however, the final decisions as to the interpretation of this Policy, and final decisions as to the resolution of any dispute, or question, with respect to this Policy, including, but not limited to, the disqualification of an exhibitor and an animal, rests solely and exclusively with the Board of Directors of the TVE. The Board’s decisions as to this Policy, and its enforcement, including the disqualification of an exhibitor, shall be final.