Staff Updates
Dr. David Contini - Field Veterinarian
Dr. Contini is a graduate of Grove City College and The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After earning a B.S. in biology he worked as a teacher in a treatment program for at-risk youth. Following completion of his veterinary degree he worked in private practice for 11 years before changing his career path to work as a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian for USDA FSIS. He began working for ODA in July and is a field veterinarian for East Central Ohio.
Dr. Tony Forshey Summer Veterinary Internship
For a second summer in a row, the Division of Animal Health hosted a veterinary student intern. This internship was started in honor of the late Dr. Tony Forshey as an opportunity to educate and expose veterinary students to the field of regulatory veterinary medicine. Second-year student Abigail Jensen spent 10 weeks in 4 different areas at ODA:
Division of Animal Health Field Operations
Division of Animal Health Administration
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Division of Meat Inspection Field Operations
Applications are now open for the summer of 2025. If you are a current veterinary student or know a current veterinary student that may be interested, you can reach out to kristy.shaw@agri.ohio.gov. This is a paid, 10 week internship for a current veterinary student for the summer of 2025.
Applications are due January 1, 2025.
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Are you a current college student interested in learning more about the Division of Animal Health and how the work completed at ODA impacts agriculture and animal industry throughout the state?
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For the summer of 2025, the Division of Animal Health is offering a paid summer internship to a current undergraduate (or graduate) college student.
The intern will be working at the ODA main campus in Reynoldsburg. They will assist in data entry and administration of the various programs within the Division including: Fairs and Exhibitions, Animal Disease Traceability, and Animal Health Monitoring and Emergency Management.
If you or someone you know is interested, please contact kristy.shaw@agri.ohio.gov or hr@agri.ohio.gov. Resumes are due January 1, 2025
County Fairs and Exhibitions
As the smell of fair food and the sound of the auctioneer calls at livestock sales wind down for the 2024 exhibition season, the Division of Animal Health would like to take the opportunity to share reminders for livestock exhibitions.
The May of 2024 Ohio Administrative Code rule changes do require all livestock classes (market and breeding) at an exhibition to be Exhibition Drug Residue Legal. One of the qualifications to meet this standard is for all withdrawal times to be met the day of show. This does include all preventative measures like vaccinations and dewormers.
Exhibition year 2024 was the first in which feeder cattle were required to complete the Drug Use Notification Form (DUNF) along with other market livestock species. The DUNF is required to be submitted with accurate information at the beginning of the exhibition. Re-submission of DUNFs will only be accepted when the exhibitor/owner has self-identified an error and immediately re-submits the DUNF. Please remind all exhibitors to complete the DUNF accurately as this could impact their eligibility to compete.
In preparation for the 2025 exhibition season, the Division of Animal Health will further focus on educating stakeholders on the exhibition regulations and working with exhibition sponsors to ensure continuity between requirements. Stay tuned to the Livestock Exhibition website for more information and updated FAQs!
Ohio’s Exhibition Rules including Ohio Administrative Code 901:1-18 and Ohio Administrative Code 901-19 were updated May 23, 2024. Beginning January 1, 2027, all cattle and swine will be required to have official ear tags at exhibitions in Ohio. Official ear tags are USDA approved electronic identification devices that are both visibly and electronically readable (i.e. 840 RFID tag).
Currently, free official RFID ear tags are available from ODA for cattle exhibitors that have a Premises ID. Additionally, official RFID tags can be purchased from vendors and distributors.
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To assist Ohio fairs and exhibitions with the requirement to have RFID ear tags in all swine, ODA has purchased Allflex HDX button RFID ear tags approved for swine. Each fair is eligible for an initial distribution of up to 100 free swine RFID ear tags. To request tags, please contact Cindy Bodie at Cindy.Bodie@agri.ohio.gov or call the ODA office at (614) 728-6220 ext 1.
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Animal Health Board Meetings
The Division of Animal Health has three distinct boards in which public meetings are held throughout the calendar year. They are the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, the Advisory Committee on Livestock Exhibitions, and the Commercial Dog Breeding Advisory Board. All the upcoming Board Meetings are public noticed on the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Events Website.
Upcoming 2024 Board Meetings:
- Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 24 at 1 p.m. in the Bromfield Auditorium.
- Commercial Dog Breeding Advisory Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for November 20 at 1:30 p.m. in the Plant Health Conference Room.
- Advisory Committee on Livestock Exhibitions meeting is scheduled for November 26 from 9-11 a.m. in the ADDL Conference Room.
Farm Science Review (FSR) is an agricultural education and industry exposition held annually in London, Ohio. There is a little something for everyone and the event draws people from all aspects of the agricultural industry; from traditional crop producers, or school groups to new upcoming niche hobby farm enthusiasts. This year more than 100,000 visitors attended the three-day event. With such an array of visitors, FSR gives ODA a chance to connect with a variety of people involved in or interested in agriculture. Animal Health was one of several divisions that occupied a booth at FSR.
This year at the Animal Health table we focused on educating visitors on ADT regulation changes and promoting the use of RFID. Various handouts were available at our table along with several stuffed animals and display boards showcasing the different types of identification used in diverse species of livestock. During the three days we were able to distribute 1,710 RFID tags (1,350 cattle tags and 360 swine tags) directly to producers from 29 different premises.
The USDA published the final Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule on the Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official Identification in Cattle and Bison on May 9, 2024. Beginning November 5, 2024, all official ear tags sold for or applied to cattle and bison must be readable both visually and electronically.
This applies to all sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age and older, all dairy cattle (including dairy-beef crosses), and all rodeo and exhibition cattle moving interstate.
This final rule does not change the categories of animals that are exempted from official identification requirements including beef feeder cattle under 18 months, direct to slaughter cattle (including cull cattle), and cattle or bison that do not move interstate.
Additional Resources:
Animal Health Staff in Action
 Staff working the Market Steer show at the Ohio State Fair
The Ohio Department of Agriculture, USDA Veterinary Services, Ohio Pork Council, and the National Pork Board held a 4-day exercise in August. At this exercise, individuals discussed the activities that would take place during an African Swine Fever (ASF) response.
CWD training for veterinarians will be held on October 29, 2024, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health. This training will certify veterinarians to collect CWD samples as well as review the CWD, Brucellosis and Tuberculosis program requirements for captive cervid producers. For questions or to RSVP, please contact Cindy Bodie at 614-728-6267 or cindy.bodie@agri.ohio.gov.
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Ohio has been hit hard by the drought and The Ohio Department of Agriculture is here as a resource for individuals. For more information on where to go if you have questions, visit the ODA website.
Also if you are looking for hay, ODA has created an Ohio Hay Directory to assist in finding options for purchasing hay for your livestock.
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