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Wisconsin Ag News Headlines
Judge Orders Forfeitures for Illegal Cattle Shipping
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 07/10/2014

A farmer from Grant County and the cattle buyer from Iowa he does business with were both ordered to pay civil forfeitures totaling more than $1,500 for importing cattle into Wisconsin without a valid Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. According to a press release issued by the state's agriculture department this week, Roger Vogt from Glen Haven and Duane VanderVeen, owner of Westview Cattle Company of Harris, Iowa, have agreed to pay forfeitures to the Grant County Court as a result of an investigation.

The DATCP says Michigan agriculture authorities contacted the Minnesota Board of Animal Health when they determined that tuberculosis exposed calves had been shipped from Westview Cattle Company's gathering facility in Reading, Michigan to Minnesota and Iowa. Further investigation by Minnesota revealed that over 660 head of cattle had instead been diverted to Vogt's farm in Wisconsin during July and October of 2012 and held there for several months.

"Any TB affected cattle or cattle from a TB affected herd pose a risk of infecting Wisconsin cattle and since TB is a very costly disease with possible human health risks, we want to keep it out of Wisconsin," said State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw.

Wisconsin law requires that a CVI must be completed prior to interstate shipments of cattle destined for Wisconsin. The cattle were not eligible to enter Wisconsin since they did not have a negative tuberculosis test, official identification and valid CVIs.

McGraw reminds buyers and sellers that animal health laws are in place to protect the livestock industry. He adds that these cattle had already been shipped to their destination farms in Minnesota and Iowa by the time Wisconsin authorities were notified that the cattle had been in Wisconsin for several months. Since then, follow-up TB testing was done on Vogt's remaining cattle and all tests were negative for TB.


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