Animal Welfare

Safeguarding the welfare of farmed animals is important to farmers, veterinarians and the Canadian public. Assurance systems for farm animal welfare are increasingly significant for market access.  Animal Health Canada’s (AHC’s) vision for animal welfare in Canada is for Canada to have a comprehensive farm animal welfare system that:

• ensures the welfare of farm animals,
• reflects Canadian values,
• involves national standards that are informed by scientific research, and
• includes a suite of compliance tools and activities sufficient to ensure domestic and international confidence in the welfare of farm animals in Canada. 

AHC, through its Animal Welfare Committee has had a long history of providing insight and expert opinions on how to advance animal welfare in support of this vision. 

Summary reports of these initiatives are listed here:

• A summary of the changes in Canadian Federal and Provincial - Territorial Animal Protection Laws - 2021 an update from 2018
• NFAHW Council Guidance Document on Procedures for Conducting National Reviews of the Marketing of Vulnerable Groups of Animals - 2020
• The Marketing of Male Dairy Calves in Canada - 2019
• A National Farm Animal Welfare System for Canada - 2019
• CVJ Article: Toward a harmonized approach to animal welfare law in Canada - 2018 (Posted with permission from the CVJ)
• Animal Welfare Law in Canada - 2018
• Click here to see the research that supported the development of the NFAHW Council's recommendations in Animal Welfare Law in Canada
• The Management of Cull Dairy Cows in Canada - June 2017
• Cull Dairy Cow Expert Consultation: Consensus Statement - 2017
• Animal Welfare Research Capacity - 2014
• A National Farm Animal Welfare System for Canada - 2012
• Response from NFACC regarding recommendations in "A National Farm Animal Welfare System for Canada”.
• Progress Report (2015): “A National Farm Animal Welfare System for Canada, 2012”