NAIS at this stage is still voluntary, but as of 2009 it will not be. What NAIS stands for is National Animal Identification System.
 
Large farmers and ranchers are all for this as it allows for easy identification of their stock with a capability of a 48 hour track back. BUT the large farmers/ranchers are allowed to have one premise ID and one animal registration lot number per lot of animals. But grandma down the road, you, me and the 4H kid next door will be required to not only register each and every one of our ranch animals (goats, chickens, bison, emus, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, deer, cows, pigs, llamas, HORSES) with a microchip or tag. Simple enough? Well think about this. At who's expense is all this tagging and chipping going to be with? And what of the forms that you must fill out each and EVERY time you take that animal to a fair at of course a small fee. Lets see. Want to take that mare to a breeder? Got to file a report. So does the Stallion owner that a mare has came onto his property. Want to take Billy to that 4H show? Nope. Got to file that report and pay. Need to take the horse to the vet? Not without the report you aren't. Want to go on a trail ride and join friends?(this is considered co mingling)  Nope. Not without that report and fee.
 
This is the biggest invasion of privacy I have ever encountered and even though I  also see that without that chip no one will be able to sell or trade livestock without it. All in the name of safety. Their excuse? If terrorist were to attack our food sources. I would think that a hot spot for that would be the big feed lot not granny's chickens. It would cost a terrorist far to much to do all these little farms scattered around the US. Oh! But wait! Lets put them ALL into a national data base system with as much safety as the veterns had with their personal information shall we? And needless to say a horse in our country is NOT part of the food chain.
 
Also they will be incorporating vets to report anyone not in compliance. Ohhhh that is not playing fair now is it? For more information feel free to look at the following

www.nonais.org 

 http://www.rddavis.org/equitation/freedom-vs-id.html#naisnazi the yahoo group www.americansagainstnais@yahoogroups.com

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml  the usda site at

Oof course you can do a search and type in the key words of department of agriculture nais your state.... this will get you also up to the minute what each and every state is doing and what point they are too.

 
All in all this program warrants careful monoriting and knowledge. It is not about prevention of horse theft as many have been fed. Read the facts. Please.
How Animal ID Will Hurt Us All
This is a one page handout that explains why the National Animal Identification is dangrous, how it will hurt us and what people can do about it. There is a link at the end to the actual flier in PDF format.

 

Vera
topsecretmoon@yahoo.com
RocknCFarms
www.nonais.org 
floridiansagainstnais@yahoo.com