National Animal Identification
System: Premise Registration
The
National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is a program being implemented, on
a voluntary basis, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) intended to
identify animals and record their movements throughout their lives. The ultimate goal of this identification
system is to create an effective, uniform national animal tracking system that
will help maintain the health of
In order to track animals, their place of birth and
places they are moved to need to be recorded.
The starting point for the NAIS is to identify these locations that
manage or hold animals, which are referred to as premises. Each premise will be identified with a unique
seven-character identifier called a premises identification number.
Certain pieces of information entered into the premises
registration system will be sent electronically to the National Premises
Information Repository. This is done to
make sure the key pieces of information will be available in the case of a
disease trace back. The information that
will be stored in the national premise system include: Premise ID Number, Name
of Entity, Owner or Appropriate Contact Person, Street Address, City, State,
Zip/Postal Code, Contact Phone Number, Operation type, Date Activated, Date
Retired and Reason Retired.
As of late April, 47 states and 5 tribes have premise
registration systems up and running in accordance with NAIS standards, with
72,750 premises registered as of mid May. The goal is to have all 50 states on
board by July 2005. Many states are
offering registration services through their Web sites, either through direct
online registration or by posting downloadable forms. These websites can be found through the NAIS
website listed below.
It
is advantageous for premise owners to register their property, for this system
will ensure an easier reestablishment of equine commerce and movement in the
event of a disease outbreak. It is the
first step to protecting horses and the industry against the effects of major
disease outbreaks. For more information
on NAIS and Premise Registration, please visit www.usda.gov/nais. You can also visit the Equine Species Working
Group website at www.horsecouncil.org/equineid.htm
for information about the horse industry’s involvement in the NAIS.