Wildlife Diseases - Authority & Jurisdiction - Tennessee

(b) The executive director or the executive director's designees may use any chemical, biological substance, poison or device under controlled conditions to capture or kill any bird or animal for scientific, propagating, enforcement, humane or rescue purposes or when it is considered necessary by the executive director to reduce or control any species that may be detrimental to human safety, health or property. No action on the part of the executive director, directed to the control of rabies or other diseases spread from wildlife to human beings, shall be taken until the following conditions have been met: (1) The county board of health in the affected county shall have met in open session and, by appropriate resolution, declared that a condition detrimental to the human safety, health or property exists within the affected county(,) (2) An official quarantine by the county board of health has been established on all dogs, cats and pets in the county(,) and (3) An official request has been made by the county board of health, through and with the concurrence of the commissioner of health, to the executive director to take such action as is necessary by the executive director or the executive director's designees and by such means as are authorized in this section to bring the disease under control in the affected county. This subsection (b) is effective in every county in this state.; (a) As used in this title, unless the context otherwise indicates, the definitions and rules of construction in this section shall govern the construction of this title, and proclamations and rules and regulations made or adopted by the commission: (8) “Commission” means the Tennessee fish and wildlife commission, and “commissioner” means a member of the fish and wildlife commission(,) (11) “Executive director” means the executive director of the wildlife resources agency; The Commissioner and the state veterinarian have the general supervision of all animals within or that may be in transit through the state, and they are empowered to: . . . (2) enter any premises in which animals are likely kept for the purpose of examining, inspecting or testing for the purpose of disease control(,) . . . (5) order the destruction and sanitary disposition of any animal, whenever, in the opinion of the state veterinarian, the interests of the state are best served by the destruction of that animal. This destruction may be ordered only for control of any animal disease for which the state has a control program, or for any animal disease not known to exist in the United States . . . (7) stop and inspect or examine vehicles likely to be hauling animals for the purposes of disease control and determining compliance with this chapter(,) (8) order the cleaning and disinfection of any premises, vehicle or equipment for the purpose of animal disease control;

Citation:  T. C. A. § 70-4-113; T. C. A. § 70-1-101; T. C. A. § 44-2-102;