Animal Care

Canadian beef producers care about their animals – for a number of reasons. Financially, it is in their best interest to ensure cattle are healthy, safe, well-managed and not stressed. However, beef cattle producers are in this line of work because they care about their animals and treat them well because it is the right thing to do.

Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is illegal to willfully neglect, maim, wound or injure an animal. The beef cattle industry also follows the recommended code of practice [PDF / 719.71KB] for the care and handling of farm animals.

Although there are unfortunately a minority of producers who do not abide by these recommendations at all times, as a whole, the industry does and supports the enforcement of these humane practices.

Animal Care is not just a buzzword, in the livestock industry it is everything. Producers that don't properly care for their livestock simply fail to survive.

Code of Practice

The beef Code will soon be going through the National Farm Animal Care Council code development process. This process was finalized in March 2009 - with a pilot project using the dairy code.


For now, please refer to the “Recommended code of practice for the care and handling of farm animals - Beef cattle” [PDF / 719.71KB] from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.




Related Legislation

Submission to the CFIA advance notice of possible changes to Animal Transportation regulations in Canada [PDF / 96.55KB]

Related Legislation

Criminal Code of Canada Cruelty to Animals
446. (1) Every one commits an offence who, (a) willfully causes or, being the owner, willfully permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal or a bird; (b) by willful neglect causes damage or injury to animals or birds while they are being driven or conveyed; (c) being the owner or the person having the custody or control of a domestic animal or a bird or an animal or a bird wild by nature that is in captivity, abandons it in distress or willfully neglects or fails to provide suitable and adequate food, water, shelter and care for it.

Federal HEALTH OF ANIMALS ACT Transportation Part 12
No person shall load, cause to be loaded or transport an animal that by reason of infirmity, illness, fatigue or any other cause cannot be transported without undue suffering (or is liable to give birth) during the expected journey.

National Farm Animal Care Council

B.C. Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act
2. For the purposes of this act an animal is in distress if it is deprived of food, water and shelter; is injured, sick, in pain or suffering or; abused or neglected. 3. A person who is responsible for an animal includes a person who owns an animal or has custody or control of an animal.

Alberta Animal Protection Act
Prohibition against causing distress
2(1) No person shall cause or permit an animal of which the person is the owner or the person ordinarily in charge to be or to continue to be in distress. (2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the distress results from an activity carried on in accordance with reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal management, husbandry or slaughter.

Alberta Farm Animal Care - Handling & Care

Saskatchewan Animal Protection Regulations
An animal is in distress if it is deprived of adequate food, water, care or shelter, is injured, sick, in pain, or suffering; or abused or neglected.  An animal is not considered to be in distress if it is handled in a manner consistent with a standard or code of conduct or in accordance with generally accepted practices of animal management.

Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan

Manitoba Animal Care Act
A person who has ownership, possession or control of an animal shall ensure that the animal has an adequate source of food and water and shall provide the animal with adequate medical attention when the animal is wounded or ill; and shall provide the animal reasonable protection from injurious heat and cold.

Manitoba Farm Animal Council

Ontario SPCA Act

Ontario Farm Animal Council

New Brunswick SPCA Act

Nova Scotia Animal Health And Protection Regulations
These acts all contain similar components of the above acts and are designed to be applied in basically the same ways, with some exceptions.