Guelph, Ont. – The government of Canada is helping to support animal health and welfare.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) says in a statement that it is investing $1.31 million to the Canadian Animal Health Coalition “to help ensure the safe transportation of livestock, develop emergency management tools for the livestock industry and improve animal care assessments.”

Jennifer MacTavish, the chair of the Canadian Animal Health Coalition, says the organization appreciates the support and adds that the investment will help “develop Canada’s Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals and affiliated animal care assurance programs.”

The Canadian Animal Health Coalition is a non-profit organization serving Canada’s farmed animal industry. The organization is a partnership of cross-sectorial organizations, all recognizing a shared responsibility for an effective animal health system.

AAFC is dividing the investment between four projects. They include:

• Up to $223,929 to develop a new livestock transport on-line certification program that will simplify, standardize and provide an opportunity for truckers, shippers and receivers to more easily access the training necessary to improve handling practices.
• Up to $160,713 to update the Transportation Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals during transport.
• Up to $813,200 to develop an emergency management plan for the Canadian livestock industry to help mitigate, to respond to, and to recover from major hazard emergencies.
• Up to $112,180 to revise the Chicken Farmers of Canada’s animal care assessment program to meet the new Code of Practice for hatching eggs, breeders, chickens and turkeys. The project will strengthen the poultry industry’s capacity to respond to ever increasing demand by markets to demonstrate effective animal care standards.