NORTH AMERICAN BABYDOLL SOUTHDOWN SHEEP ASSOCIATION & REGISTRY
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The mission of this committee is to support the NABSSAR and educate its membership in an effort to identify and control sheep diseases in the Babydoll Southdown breed.

The purpose of this committee is to provide the NABSSAR membership with resources and educational links to better understand various sheep diseases, and provide our membership with a percentage reimbursement for testing their flocks with accredited laboratories.

The goal is to educate our members. We hope to prevent the spread of diseases affecting our Babydoll Southdowns. Diseases are often preventable, but are still found in many flocks across the United States. By educating and providing support, we are making members more aware of sheep health issues in the industry as a whole.

By testing your Babydoll Southdowns, you are educating yourself on the health of your flock, and in so doing, helping members make better breeding choices, while increasing the value of your flock through longevity. The intent of this committee is not to pay for 100% of testing but to offset a portion of the costs in an effort to improve the overall health of the breed, thereby, improving the breed’s future.

Requirements to qualify for any percentage reimbursement:

• Members must have been an active member (paid membership dues & not owe any fees) for the previous year and the year they are requesting percentage reimbursement.
• Sheep must be registered with the NABSSAR and the member submitting for percentage reimbursement must own the sheep per the registrar's approval on the animal's CoR and in the NABSSAR's official records.
• Only accredited testing laboratories may be used.
• Percentage reimbursement will be made for the actual cost of the tests, based on the labs used fee schedule. A member will not be receive any reimbursement for vet fees, supplies, shipping of samples, taxes, surcharges, or other fees charged by veterinarians and/or labs.
• To be considered for initial percentage reimbursement for a sheep's testing, the sheep must have been tested for BOTH OPP & Johne's. Additional tests qualifying for percentage reimbursement are CL, Q-Fever, & Brucellosis. ^[1] At this time no other testing will be reimbursed. If the sheep has been tested for OPP & Johne's and those results have been submitted, results for the remaining three tests may be submitted in conjunction or at a later date. Sheep need to be over 12 months old for OPP testing ^[2] and over 18 months old for Johne's testing. ^[3]
• For the year 2023 (January 1 - December 31), $5000.00 will be set aside, by the association, for the percentage reimbursement program. The amount of percentage reimbursement will be 20%, up to $200.00, per membership #, per year, with a maximum of $600.00, per membership # during the duration of the program. All percentage reimbursements are on a first come (with all requirements met), first served basis. The percentage reimbursement program will be evaluated, by the Board of Directors, in November/December of each year for continuation/cancellation or any changes to be instituted for the upcoming year's program.
• Testing completed in 2022 may be submitted for percentage reimbursement as long as the following applies: member was an active member in 2021 (year prior to testing year), 2022 (year testing completed), & 2023 (year submitting for reimbursement).
• Once testing is complete, to qualify to be evaluated for percentage reimbursement, in addition to the requirements outlined previously, a paid invoice/receipt AND the animal testing results must be submitted with all information intact to: NABSSAR-HSC, c/o Michelle Schubert, NABSSAR secretary, 2587 Josephine Rd, Stamping Ground, KY 40379. No electronic submissions accepted. A copy of the invoice/receipt will be forwarded to the NABSSAR's treasurer for payment after it is determined the member qualifies for percentage reimbursement. The member's personal information, as well as the animals' identification, will be redacted on copies made of the testing results before being sent to the Health Support Committee chair to be used for statistical purposes only. ALL of the non-redacted originals will be kept with the NABSSAR's permanent records. By submitting for percentage reimbursement, a member is agreeing to the requirements of the program and understands qualification for percentage reimbursement is decided by the NABSSAR.
• Members participating in the program will be indicated on our website's membership list by a color code or a symbol. A notation will be at the at top of the membership list. ^[4]
  

The NABSSAR assumes no responsibility, nor liability, for the disease testing results of an animal. Members are encouraged to consult with their veterinarians and/or labs regarding the results and any questions they may have about them. Animal movement from one person to another is negotiated between the parties involved. The individual parties involved in the negotiations assume the responsibility of disclosing/inquiring about the testing status/results.

Statistics regarding the number of members testing, the number of animals testing, the tests completed, and the number of positives and negatives of those tests will be published in The Paddock, our newsletter, each year and on our website. It is understood, these statistics in no way represent the entire Babydoll Southdown breed population, nor the entire NABSSAR breed population nor reflect the amount of disease present in the entire Babydoll Southdown breed population, nor the entire NABSSAR breed population.

© NABSSAR 2001-2023