Division of Animal Health and Dairy Services

Animal Health home

• Animal Imports/Exports

• Animal Inspectors in Massachusetts Towns

• Equine Activities

• Pet Shops

• Rabies

• Reportable Diseases

• Legal Resources
  • Laws
  • Regulations

All sheep and goats except for immediate slaughter shipped or in any way transported into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from any point outside thereof must be accompanied by a health certificate approved by the livestock official of the state of origin, except for immediate slaughter, and shall be:

1. Free of scabies, lice, foot-rot, sore mouth, and have not been exposed to scrapie.
2. Additional requirements for goats:
   1. Must be negative to an official Brucellosis test within 30 days, if over 6 months of age
   2. From Accredited Free State for TB – No TB test required
3. From States Not Accredited Free for TB – Must be negative to Tuberculosis test within 60 days.

Under the new USDA Scrapie Eradication Program that began in November of 2001, most categories of sheep and goats entering Massachusetts will have to have official scrapie ID tags. These tags, and further information about the categories of sheep and goats which will require the tags for interstate movement, can be obtained from state or regional USDA/APHIS Veterinary Services Offices, or by calling the scrapie eradication program information line USDA APHIS VS at 866 873 2824.

The health certificate must show the status of herd for TB and Brucellosis