"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...

some of Canadian members seem to be gleeful

I didn't get that impression at all. I sure can understand the feelings of
"what goes around comes around" as far as how Canada was treated like it
had the plague and our officials are pooing pooing our problem and saying
"low/minimal risk". Like excuse me, I possibly ate this GD cow and there
is
no test or cure and the disease is like really awful to die from? Don't be
telling me "low risk, or even very low risk" after I've eaten the dang
thing!!! I like to make a choice when it comes to risky behavior.


On that note, I fully agree!! Micro Chip those doggies, E I E I O!
~ jan

~Keep 'em Wet~
Zone 7a

This is exactly our point up here in Canada Jan.... WHen it happened to us
the US AG dept was all over it spouting the "risks". Now that it's on US
soil its nothing to worry about. As for your microchip comment you don't
know how true that is!!! Here in Canada a cattle health registry was formed
in response to 2 things.The BSE and H&M outbreak in Britain and the EU
demanded that any country that wanted to export to the EU must have one in
place. What this means that in our case here in Canada when an animal leaves
its farm of origin it must be tagged with a registry tag. The tags can only
be bought from authorized dealers and they contain a barcode. When the tag
is put on an animal a stack of paperwork must be filled out with a history
on the animal. That tag stays with the animal right to the packer. If there
is a problem it can quickly and accurately be traced through the system. No
animal can move through an auction or sale without a tag.
Now the US does not have any such program in place. This is due to the
lobbying of the US Cattlemens Assoc. They have been stalling this for at
least 5 years, if not longer. The EU keeps giving the US an extension based
on the bogus word of the Cattlemens Assoc saying that they are "working" on
it. The Canadian program has offered to go down to the US, offered it's
research into tag life, offered it's tracking software... Even gone so far
as to offer to set the damn program up from start to finish and the US
Cattlemen have refused! Why?? Stubborness (sp?) is my best bet. They are
holding on to a century old way of thinking that they know what's best for
the industry, all the while burying their collective heads in the manure
pile...
Janet