Question Period Note: ANIMAL WELFARE AND TRANSPORTATION

Q1 – What actions are taken by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at federally inspected abattoirs to prevent avoidable suffering of animals during their handling and slaughtering?
Q2 – What is this Government doing to facilitate the transportation of animals during emergency situations?
Q3 – What is this Government doing to the reduce suffering of animals during transportation?
Q4 – What is this Government doing to address concerns on Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for transporters regarding the potential impact on animal welfare while trying to comply with the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations?
Q5 – What are the current transportation requirements for the live export of horses for slaughter?

R1 - Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, every slaughter business that is federally licenced has a preventive control plan (PCP) for animal welfare. This plan must include measures to prevent or eliminate avoidable suffering, injury, or death of animals during their handling and slaughter.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is on-site at all times to verify that licence holders effectively implement these plans and follow the applicable animal welfare laws.
When a licence holder does not meet its obligations, inspectors intervene using appropriate controls and/or enforcement tools and request corrective action to ensure a return to compliance.
R2 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency amended the Health of Animals Regulations in 2021, to facilitate the evacuation of regulated animals through Canada and the United States, in emergency situations.
R3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency amended the humane transport regulations to prevent avoidable suffering of animals during transport.

Under Canada’s humane transport regulations, there are maximum timeframes, during which animals can be transported before they are given feed, water, and rest. The regulations also include requirements to prevent the animals from sustaining a nutritional deficit, becoming dehydrated or exhausted during transport.

In addition, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has research activities orientated toward the transport of animals aimed at improving animal health and welfare.
R4 - The regulatory authority for Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations rests exclusively with Transport Canada.

The Government recognizes that transporting animals is complex. Animal welfare, driver safety, and public safety must all be considered. Scheduling trips that comply with the rules for both driver safety and animal welfare will always be a challenge. Transport Canada regulations require driver rest every 13 hours, meaning single-driver trucks must stop well before animal welfare limits are reached. Both CFIA (for animals) and Transport Canada (for drivers) mandate a minimum 8-hour rest period before transport resumes, ensuring alignment between animal and driver safety standards.

Transporters are required to have contingency plans that establish measures to be taken to comply with the humane transport regulations if unforeseen delays or circumstances occur, or if an animal becomes unfit or compromised.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has established guidance on the requirements related to feed, water, and rest times for animals in transport. When rare unforeseen circumstances occur, inspectors may use discretion enforcing these requirements, provided the truck operator has demonstrated that the decisions made were in the best interest of animal welfare.
R5 - Live horse exporters must comply with any applicable animal transport requirements of the Health of Animals Regulations. For example, Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarians and inspectors verify that:
· the horses are fit for the intended transport journey
· the loading of horses into crates is completed in a manner that is not likely to cause the horse’s suffering, injury, or death
· the combination of horses in each crate meets the requirements for compatibility and they are not overcrowded
· the transporter has a contingency plan in place that establishes measures to be taken to reduce or mitigate unnecessary suffering if:
o there are any unforeseen delays or circumstances that could cause suffering, injury or death
o an animal becomes compromised or unfit
· transport is scheduled to be completed within the maximum time (28 hours); that horses can go without feed, water, and rest.
o Some transporters now include rest stops in Canada before departure, as exporters continue to adapt their logistics to support compliance with the 28-hour feed, water and rest interval.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinary inspectors are present for air shipments of horses to certify the export as required by the Health of Animals Act. This includes verifying that horses are fit to travel and are transported humanely as required by the Part XII of the Health of Animals Regulations.

At present, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency does not have the authority to deny export shipments that are in compliance with Canadian humane transport regulations and the requirements of the importing country.

Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations

Under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations (HAA/HAR), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has legislative authority for the humane transport of animals entering or leaving Canada or within Canada. Under the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations (SFCA/SFCR), the CFIA has oversight of the humane handling and slaughter of food animals in federally inspected slaughter plants. A CFIA directive requires inspectors to report animal abuse to the appropriate enforcement agency when these issues fall outside of the CFIA’s jurisdiction and mandate.

The CFIA’s amended humane transport regulations came into force in February 2020. CFIA provided a further two years for industry to fully adjust to the new feed, water and rest times, and full compliance took effect in February 2022. The amendments provide clarifications by adding definitions; improve animal welfare during transport; prevent or minimize the risk of suffering during transport; better align with Canada’s international trading partners; and remove obsolete or unnecessary requirements.

Government of Canada participation in groups and support for projects to improve animal welfare practices (AAFC content)

The Government of Canada participates in national and international groups and organizations that are working together to improve and harmonize animal welfare practices throughout all phases of production and slaughter.

Moreover, the Government provides support through assurance programming, including under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriAssurance Program, which supports systems aimed at protecting plant and animal health and welfare, including the development of traceability systems and Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals.

Throughout the years, via their programs, federal, provincial, and territorial governments have consistently ensured that complementary funding has been available for livestock producers to meet traceability requirements.

Under Sustainable CAP, the AgriAssurance Program approved 3 Animal Health Canada (AHC) projects aimed at improving animal welfare. These projects will support the updating of numerous codes of practices, including those related to: Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chicken, and Turkeys; Beef Cattle; Equine; Pigs; and Sheep. These updates are well underway. In addition, the Pullets and Laying Hens Code was amended (completed July 2025), and three (3) other older Codes will undergo reviews to ensure that they continue to mitigate evolving risks.

• The Government is committed to protecting the health and well-being of animals during transport, including animals entering, leaving, or being moved within Canada and to slaughter facilities.
• Federally inspected slaughter businesses have a preventive control plan for animal welfare to prevent or eliminate avoidable suffering, injury, or death of animals during their handling and slaughter.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors are present in federally inspected abattoirs during slaughter operations. They take immediate action if animal welfare concerns arise because of transport, at unloading and slaughter.