Iran Veterinary Organization

Country's legislation

 Article1- In order to provide health of animals, relevant products and prevention and control of animal diseases, the Veterinary Organization, under the auspices of Ministry of Agriculture is established by virtue of this law to replace Veterinary General Office.

The Veterinary Organization, called Organization hereinafter in this law, is a legal entity, which administrated by a General Director, elected by Minister of Agriculture from holders of DVM degree.

Amendment:  This Organization has an accountant, determined according to Regulations of General Calculations Law.

Article 2 - In this law, animal designated to domestic livestock, poultry, fish, honey bee, silk worm, laboratory animals and zoo animals. Health control means: Inspection and actions, which is necessary for prevention and control of animal diseases and zoonosis. (Common diseases between human being & animals).

Article 3 - Duties of Organization are as follows:

A - To study animal diseases, identification of infected areas and sources and methods of animal diseases, transmission and dissemination.

B - To provide country’s animals health through execution of preventive, quarantine and campaigning measures against contagious animal diseases.

C - To collaborate with Ministry of Health in campaign against zoonosis.

D - To establish quarantine stations in borderlines and throughout the country for prevention of animal diseases, health control and supervision on the import and export of animals and raw animal origin products and the latter transport and issuance of animal health certificate for animals and raw origin products which are to be exported to abroad.

E - Health supervision over pastures, grazing lands, watering troughs, animal premises and also feedstuff production establishments.

F - Health supervision over slaughterhouses and raw animal origin products manufacture and processing establishments.

G - To determine and supervise on manufacturing, import, export and supplying of different kind of drugs, vaccines, serum and biological materials related to animals.

H - To participate in international veterinary conferences and dispatch representative to such conferences within the limit of ratified credits and after confirmation of Minister of Agriculture and exchange and exchange of scientific information with veterinary science centers or scientific authorities.

I - To establish and develop Veterinary Network Offices and also train technical staff in governmental livestock rearing centers.

J - To implement other affairs determined by Minister of Agriculture in Execution of objectives which, were mentioned in article 1 and forwarded to organization for execution.

Article 4 - All holders and owners animals, establishments, factories and raw animal origin products providing and processing centres including persons and institutes, private or governmental companies or those affiliated to government or any other companies or organizations that are active in animal rearing or keeping, providing and processing of raw animal origin products in any mean, shall implement sanitary quarantine instructions.

Article 5 - The organization shall undertake the following measures, after confirmation of Ministry of Agriculture, in order to campaign against animal diseases and hampering of animal diseases transmission and dissemination:

A - To execute animal inoculations and treatments and quarantine and health operations in any place in the country, at its discretion.

B - To prohibit animals and raw animal origin products transport and movement in order to prevent from animal diseases transmission and dissemination. The animal owners or public should be informed prior to above mentioned measures, if required.

C - To destroy sick, suspected or carrier animals and dispatch them to abattoirs for slaughter if diagnosed as consumable and pay compensation according to rules of executive protocol of this Act which will be determined.

In case that all or part of the slaughtered animal is consumable, its price will be deducted from the amount of the after mentioned compensation.

D - To disinfect the contaminated areas, objects and materials, if necessary, or destroy them if they are not liable to be disinfected with reference to executive protocol of this Act, that will be determined after paying compensation.

Article 6 - Those persons who take any action in contradiction with quarantine rules when contagious animal diseases are raised, so that such result in transmission of disease from place to another or hamper. Execution of duties determined in article 5 of this Act, will be prosecuted by law and convicted 3 to 6 months of punitive imprisonment or payment of 5000 to 50000 Rials or both as fine.

Article 7 - Import and export of live animals, embrocated eggs, animal sperm, raw animal origin products, veterinary drugs, vaccines, serum, biological materials, disinfectants and poisons and concentrated feedstuff and complementary feedstuff or required drugs for manufacturing the after mentioned materials, shall be done in agreement with Ministry of Agriculture.

Article 8 - In the case that animals and products mentioned in article 7 cannot be discharged due to diseases or contamination, necessary actions shall be taken in their owners’ expenses and if the contamination can be cleared, discharge permit may be granted by veterinary quarantine officials. Otherwise, animal or after mentioned products shall be returned by the owner. If not so, organization officials will destruct them.

Article 9 - Engagement in supply, combining and sale of simple and compound drugs, vaccines, serums, biological materials, disinfectants, poisons and other materials consumed in veterinary practice, requires receiving licenses from organization. Institutes, companies, factories and establishments, which were established prior to this Act ratification, shall achieve necessary license during 6 months after ratification of this Act.

Article 10 - Establishment of veterinary hospitals and clinics, also involving in to vaccination and treatment of animals requires receiving license from organization. Hospitals and clinics affiliated to universities and higher education and research institutes are not subjected to this Act. Hospital and clinics which were education and research institutes are not subjected to this Act and persons involved in animal vaccination and treatment prior to ratification of this Act are bound to achieve necessary license during 6 months after ratification of this Act.

Article 11- If any person involves in animal vaccination and treatment without receiving license from organization, he shall be prosecuted on the demand of organization and shall be convicted to 3 to 6 months of punitive imprisonment.

Article 12 - If legal or real entities do not implement duties mentioned in articles 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 of this Act, law enforcement units shall take necessary actions on the demand of organization to execute relevant regulations and if organization demands prohibit them to work.

Article 13 - Organization is authorized to purchase technical instruments, drugs, vaccines, serums, biological materials, poisons and disinfectants related to campaign against animal diseases from inside or aboard directly and give them to consumers free of charge of at final cost.

Article 14 - Organization is authorized to receive a proper fee which is appropriate to performed services.

The fund resulted by such service fees, shall be collected in an account opened in Treasury to be applied for expenditures of campaign against animal diseases. Determination of the services and related fees will be in compliance with executive protocol of this Act.

Article 15 - In the case of contagious animal disease occurrence unexpectedly, and if the expenditures are not considered in the organization budget, Ministry of Agriculture shall take immediate campaigning actions utilizing its power and government shall supply the Ministry with necessary credits.

Article 11 - Ministry of finance shall supply organization with credits for relevant costs imposed by prevention and campaigning measures against diseases, ratified in government general budget, in 4 installments at the beginning of each season every year.

Article 17 - From date of this Act ratification, all properties, employees, duties, liabilities and authorities of Veterinary General Office, Ministry of Agriculture are transmitted to organization.

Article 18 - Inspection and health examination of meat in slaughter houses throughout the country is one of the duties of organization and concerned municipalities and organizations shall supply all necessary staff, budget, credit according to executive protocol of this Act to organization.

Article 19 - Ministry of Agriculture shall compile regulations relevant to establishment of animal husbandry order for country during 3 months after ratification of this Act render it to the parliament.

The after mentioned protocol shall be taken in to force after being ratified by concerned comities.

Article 20 - Law for health inspection of animals ratified in 1925 is being revoked.

Article 21 - Necessary protocols for execution of articles of this Act will be prepared by Ministry of Agriculture to be implemented after being ratified by Ministry Council.

The above - mentioned Act, including 21 articles & 1 amendment are ratified by National Consultative Assembly in its meeting dated Sunday, 5 May, 1971 and then by Senate in its meeting dated Monday 14 June, 1971.

Head of Senate