RED DEER – Changes to Canada’s animal transportation regulations are expected this year.
The regulations were written in 1975 as part of the Health of Animals law and apply to livestock, zoo animals and pets moving within Canada or leaving the country, said Martin Appelt. He leads the Canadian Food Inspection Agency program to change transport rules. Public input is being sought to create a common sense set of regulations that fall in line with international guidelines.
“Keeping them as they are is not an option. We have to come up with something better,” he told the Alberta Farm Animal Care conference in Red Deer March 24.
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“Regulations have a certain shelf life and we are way past the due date.”
Since 1975, economic factors, transportation practices and social expectations about animal welfare have changed.
Scientific information has also improved knowledge of how animals are affected during transport. New vehicles and equipment have become available that demand different transportation requirements.
Appelt said the new regulations should provide guidance on practical ways to move animals combining scientific evidence on animal care and industry-written codes of practices. More training for livestock haulers will be encouraged.
“Just because you are good driver doesn’t mean you know how to handle cattle,” he said.
Training could even extend to baggage handlers to know how to handle pets on an airline.
People moving animals need to be aware of the distance of journey, fitness of the individual animals, pre-existing disease or injury, bad weather, suitability of transport equipment and foreseeable delays on the route.
Areas under consideration:
- Improve loading density standards for certain species or classes of animals.
- Proper handling of downer animals including descriptions of conditions that render animals unfit for transport.
- Reduce the times water, food and rest may be withheld to better reflect animal needs. For example, under the existing regulations, cattle in transit may not be offered water for up to 57 hours: five hours before loading plus 52 hours in transit. It is also possible for them not to be fed for up to 81 hours: five hours before loading, 52 hours on the truck and 24 hours after arrival at a federally registered slaughter plant.
- Segregation of animals might go beyond division by different species or of different weight or age to include compatibility by nature, disposition, temperament or gender.
- Set maximum loading densities for certain species or classes of animals.
