By Giuliana Miguel Pacheco | Manager, Farmed Animal Welfare
Hello,
Thank you for your continued support of Humane Canada and Farmed Animal Welfare. We are pleased to share important updates with you to start the new year.
Updates on Bills C-355 and C-275
Two important bills addressing farmed animals are currently being considered by the Senate: Private Members Bill C-355, Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act, has been stalled for study by the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. We need Senators to complete their diligent work promptly and pass the bill to end this dangerous practice, which causes far too many horses to suffer long distance transportation under sub-standard conditions that puts their health and welfare at risk.
Private Members Bill C-275, An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms), is an ag-gag style bill,whose intention is to prevent animal advocates from trespassing on farms and other facilities where animals are kept. Humane Canada testified both in the House of Commons and the Senate to urge Parliamentarians to improve transparency on farms, rather than eroding it.The bill was recently amended,effectively allowing the provisions to apply to everyone, not just animal advocates. This interesting development allows it to more effectively address biosecurity and no longer targets those who are trying to raise awareness about the conditions under which farmed animals are kept.Additionally, the Senate report on the bill also calls on the Governor in Council to establish mandatory regulations for biosecurity on farms. The bill will continue to be considered in Parliament.
Humane Canada continues its work at the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC)
Since last September, we have made significant strides in advancing farmed animal welfare by collaborating with partners and stakeholders across Canada, particularly through our engagement with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). We are actively contributing to the development and revision of three Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Animals: Equine, Poultry (Chickens, Turkeys, and Breeders), and Pig.
In August, the Equine Code committee convened, and our representative successfully advocated for key Humane Canada priorities to be included in the scientific review conducted by the Code Scientific Committee. This review is critical for building the evidence base that will guide updates to the Code.The types of issues we advocate for include addressing pain, humane handling and training, and other elements that set horses up for good health and welfare throughout their lives.
We were also pleased to see the release of the Equine Code top-of-mind survey results, which NFACC developed and conducted. Humane Canada actively engaged with our network, supporting an impressive response.Overall, the survey garnered 2,194 responses—an indicator of the strong interest Canadians have in equine welfare. The survey highlighted key concerns among respondents, such as medical care, pain mitigation, shelter, space, training, food and water, and handling.
In October, we began work on the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Chickens, Turkeys, and Breeders. Our involvement is strengthened by the expertise of a highly experienced poultry scientist who has represented animal welfare in previous Code updates. The top-of-mind survey for this Code was launched in mid-October and closed on November 8th. As with our previous initiatives, we reached out to animal welfare supporters through all our communication channels to encourage public participation.
Why do we work with the industry?
In 2024, some of our supporters asked why we collaborate with the industry to advance farmed animal welfare in Canada. Over 800 million animals are raised and killed in Canada each year for local and international consumption, with the majority spending their lives in intensive farming systems. While Humane Canada advocates for federal regulations that protect the welfare of all animals, interim guidelines are essential for farmers to follow until such regulations are developed.
The NFACC Codes of Practice are, in most provinces, voluntary minimum standards that ensure animals are well-cared for from birth to slaughter. These standards cover essential aspects of their lives on-farm such as housing conditions, feeding and watering requirements, and handling practices. Humane Canada supports industry efforts and actively engages with them to have these guidelines applied in Animal Care Assessment Programs. These programs serve as auditing tools to regularly evaluate farmers’ adherence to the Codes of Practice.
Thanks to your support in 2024, we have been able to lead these vital efforts. Your continued commitment empowers us to stay at the forefront of farmed animal welfare, ensuring that humane practices are implemented nationwide. As we prepare to begin work on updating the Pig Code in 2025, alongside ongoing progress on other Codes, Humane Canada is entering a critical stage of advocacy.
We need your support now more than ever to push these standards forward and secure a humane future for all farmed animals. Thank you.
Links:
By Giuliana Miguel Pacheco | Manager, Farmed Animal Welfare
By Giuliana Miguel Pacheco | Manager, Farmed Animal Welfare
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser