Buyer Beware for livestock purchases

Any purchase sight-unseen carries risk, and that’s especially true for livestock. Tennessee’s State Veterinarian is advising livestock buyers of best practices and legal requirements before purchasing animals for import into Tennessee.

“Emerging diseases and parasites have been introduced into Tennessee this year through infected livestock purchased without the buyer seeing the animals in advance,” State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty said. “I recommend buyers visualize animals in person before money changes hands to help minimize the risk of moving disease onto their farm or into their estab...