P.R. Laws tit. 5, § 735
With the purpose of preventing, fighting, controlling or eradicating any epizootia or any infection of ticks and other internal or external parasites that may arise among domestic or wild animals in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Secretary of Agriculture of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is hereby empowered to:
(a) Promulgate regulations to prevent, fight, control or eradicate the spreading of any infectious or contagious disease or any infestation of ticks or other parasites in domestic or wild animals in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(b) Promulgate a quarantine, or quarantines, with respect to any region or place in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which it has been determined that there is epizootia or an outbreak of an infectious or contagious disease in animals in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In such cases, the quarantine may be absolute or regulations may be adopted to prescribe the method and manner under which the animals may be moved or transported from the quarantined areas or places to other areas or places in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(c) Take emergency methods such as the slaughtering, destruction or treatment of the animals affected by or exposed to any infectious or contagious disease, or of animals infested by or exposed to ticks or other internal or external parasites in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(d) Empower the Secretary to establish in the Department of Agriculture a registry and certification of cattle dealers or of persons engaged in the purchase and sale of domestic as well as wild animals. To such effect, the Secretary shall establish a bill of sale or conveyance to be used in the purchase and sale operations, transportation and moving of such animals to and within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(e) Act per se or by means of cooperation agreements with other persons, agencies or instrumentalities of the federal, Commonwealth or municipal governments to carry out the measures needed to eradicate, suppress, control or prevent the introduction or propagation of any infectious or contagious disease, or of any infestation of ticks or other parasites in domestic or wild animals in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(f) Carry out all the legal acts needed to achieve the objectives of §§ 730—739 of this title.
History —June 18, 1957, No. 69, p. 161, § 6; June 8, 1979, No. 68, p. 140, § 3.