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Administration

Dr. C. Carter Black, III
State Veterinarian & Asst. Commissioner
19 MLK, Jr. Drive, Room 106
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Tele: 404-656-3671
Fax: 404-657-1357

Animal agriculture is the largest sector of agriculture, contributing over $5.8 billion to Georgia's farm gate value. Assuring that the livestock and poultry sectors remain healthy and productive is one of the top priorities of the Animal Industry Division.

The Animal Industry Division consists of veterinarians, field inspectors, laboratory technicians, program managers and support staff, all diligently working to ensure the continued protection of animal and public health, food safety, animal welfare and successful livestock production. The State Veterinarian and Assistant Commissioner of Animal Industry directs the Division organized in Sections of Animal Health, Equine Health, Livestock Poultry Field Forces, Meat Inspection, and Livestock and Poultry Market News.

The Animal Industry Division is responsible for monitoring, detecting, and controlling over 100 animal diseases that can have a significant impact on the agricultural economy and trade, or that can be contagious to both animals and people (i.e. zoonoses). The Division maintains extensive surveillance programs for foreign animal diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease in poultry, and foot-and-mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (i.e. mad cow disease) in cattle. Animal diseases that are endemic to the area are also monitored, such as Johnes disease in ruminants, equine infectious anemia in equine, and scrapie in sheep and goats. To this end, animals are inspected and samples collected by Department staff at livestock markets, slaughter facilities, equine sales establishments, flea markets, and animal exhibitions for testing by the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network and the Athens-Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. The Division also regulates the transportation of animals, disposal of animal carcasses, and the rendering of animal tissues into animal feeds, all of which are vital components of an overall animal health program.

Georgia Poultry Diagnostic Laboratories