CFHS Member Update

July 31, 2014

This is our opportunity to communicate with our valued Members on recent advances in each of our strategic priority areas. The following slides will give you brief, timely updates on our work in the following areas of focus;

1. End painful practices and intensive confinement on farm;2. Reduce companion overpopulation and homelessness;3. Improve the framework legislation that governs animals;4. Support management and industry best practice; 5. Re-establish the CFHS National Animal Welfare

Conference.

Welcome to the CFHS Quarterly Member Update

CFHS Strategic Priority Area:End painful practices and intensive confinement on farm

CFHS secures freedom to move for pigs

After an arduous and protracted series of negotiations over the last three years the new pig code was released; containing 100 clear animal care requirements that directly address the use of pain relief for tail docking, and, castration. Most significant victory is the new code is a complete ban on the construction of new barns that do not provide group housing effective as of July 1st 2014. These are the first updates to the pig code in twenty years. The CFHS strongly advocated that sow stalls must be eliminated because housing pigs in severe confinement does not meet the physical or psychological needs of these intelligent animals.  The CFHS is the only animal welfare organization participating in the National Farm Animal Care Council.

CFHS negotiates improvements to poultry codes

The two Codes of Practice dealing specifically with poultry, Chickens, Turkey and Breeders, and, Poultry – Layers, are now under review. The scientific reports have been completed and the Code negotiation will begin in the autumn. When negotiating a new code the CFHS advocates using the 5 freedoms as a guideline. When looking at intensive farming practices in the various poultry sectors the CFHS is deeply concerned about confinement housing and painful practices.

CFHS consults with the Retail Council of Canada on animal welfare goals

The CFHS was invited to meet with the Retail Council of Canada and other national animal welfare groups to discuss possible common goals and areas for goal setting in the area of farm animal welfare at the retail sector level.

CFHS Strategic Priority Area: Reduce companion animal overpopulation and homelessness

Making spay/neuter accessible to all

As the next phase in our “Cats Count in Canada” program to address the cat population crisis, the CFHS report The Case for Accessible Spay/Neuter in Canada describes how key barriers prevent more animals from being spayed and neutered. Those barriers include the lack of clear and accurate information, the high cost of surgery, and, the lack of proximity of veterinary services. Launched on World Spay Day the report illuminated the lack of accessible spay/neuter in communities across Canada and what can be done about it. Thank you to celebrity cats Tiny from the Fredericton SPCA and Earl Grey from the Tuxedo Party for helping with the launch!  In the autumn the CFHS will be releasing a “toolkit” of documents to support the implantation the recommendations in the report. Save the date: The first Accessible Spay/Neuter webinar will be Tuesday September 30 th at 9:30 PDT/12:30 EDT. Webinar details and registration information will be forwarded in a few weeks.

Just for Cats Festivals increases the value of cats across Canada

We are halfway through the year and halfway through the inaugural series of Canadian cat festivals! After a spectacular sold out premiere at the TIFF Bell Lightbox with Mrs. Laureen Harper, the Just for Cats Festival is crisscrossing Canada with events in 18 cities attracting a plethora of media attention (more than 250 individual media stories!) and more than 3500 people! The brainchild of the CFHS the Just For Cats Festival supports the national initiative to increase the welfare of cats across the country and enhance the human cat bond. It’s a wonderful way to bring the community together to celebrate all things feline.

June: A month Just for Cats?

The CFHS wants to recognize June as “Just for Cats” month at the national level. We will be approaching the Prime Minister’s office to receive an official designation! The month can be used to highlight adoption, spay/neuter, veterinary care, identification and all things that improve and contribute to cat welfare. We envision aligning all 2015 Just for Cats festivals to happen in (or close to) the month of June!

Improving the way we shelter cats

CFHS members, the Guelph Humane Society and the Prince Edward Island Humane Society, participated in an innovative program to implement the Capacity for Care model (C4C) and measure its efficacy at their shelters. CFHS secured funding from the Summerlee Foundation to bring Dr. Kate Hurley and her team to the two shelters to implement the C4C model. C4C strives to increase adoption and reduce euthanasia by auditing current shelter practices, altering housing and training staff on new techniques.

CFHS Strategic Priority Area: Support Management and Industry Best Practice

Applying new Shelter Standards

National standards for animal shelters in Canada provide guidance on recommended practices in all aspects of care to ensure that the needs of animals in shelter settings will be met and that they will be treated humanely. In 2013 the CFHS brought together animal shelter thought leaders and stakeholders, including many of our members, from across the country to establish shelter standards for Canada. The group accepted the principles of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ (ASV) Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters as a foundational document and contextualized the document for use in Canada. Under the leadership of CFHS the Canadian Advisory Council for Animal Shelter Standards was formed and the Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters was produced. In June we launched our first ASV webinar to help shelters across Canada understand the ASV guidelines in a Canadian context. More webinars will be presented in September, October and November (dates to be announced shortly). For more information visit: http://cfhs.ca/athome/canadian_standards_of_care_in_animal_shelters/

Shelter Statistics - Knowing ourselves better

The CFHS is currently collecting shelter statistics for 2013. Collecting this data improves the welfare of companion animals by allowing us to see what is truly happening to animals in our communities and identifying crisis points. Data is collected on adoption rates, return to owner rates and euthanasia rates. This information has helped us learn valuable information such as fact that the majority of shelter cats that are euthanized in shelters due to illness from stress and overcrowding. Because of this and our 2012 Cat Report the CFHS is working to bring the Capacity for Care (C4C) program to Canada (see more information on the next slide). If you haven’t already submit your data now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CFHS_2013_Shelters

CFHS Strategic Priority Area: Improve the Legal Framework that Governs Animals in Canada

Protecting Animals from bad legislation

The CFHS advocacy team quickly united Canadian animal welfare groups and mobilized a response to a Private Member’s Bill that was announced in early spring. Bill C-592, tabled by NDP MP Isabelle Morin, shocked animal welfare groups across the country when it unexpectedly contained a potentially devastating amendment that would exempt pest control, rodeo events, traditional or sport hunting or fishing and livestock raising or slaughter in an agriculture context from the Criminal Code of Canada. The CFHS, leading a loose coalition of animal welfare groups, met with NDP leadership to outline our concerns. We were successful in postponing second reading and first hour of debate for Bill C-592 until the autumn. We are continuing to work with the NDP over the summer.

Greater justice for animals in Canada

To ensure that those who commit acts of cruelty against animals are suitably punished the CFHS has created a National Centre for the Prosecution of Animal Cruelty to provide resources for crown prosecutors who are dealing with animal cruelty cases.  The first phase of the project is to create a 4 part webinar series for Prosecutors along with a new manual, an updated annotated criminal code and a national database of case law that can be accessed by crown prosecutors from across the country. The center will be launched in autumn 2014.

CFHS Strategic Priority Area: Re-establish the CFHS National Animal Welfare Conference

 

Rave reviews for 2014 CFHS National Animal Welfare Conference

An amazing 262 people attended the first CFHS National Animal Welfare Conference in over a decade! Attendees provided glowing feedback on the conference sessions, the training sessions and the food! With more than 50 speakers, 24 general sessions, 2 plenaries and a day of training sessions, the conference proved to be the must attend event of the year. And if that wasn’t enough many attendees were able to make another tick on the bucket list when world-renowned primatologist and animal welfarist Dr. Jane Goodall presented a reflective key note speech sharing stories about animals that didn’t leave a dry eye in the house. The call for abstracts for the 2015 National Animal Welfare Conference is now open www.cfhs.ca.

Save the date May 2-5, 2015 Richmond BC.

THANK YOU to all our members for your on-going support and

collaboration to address animal welfare at the national level and create a humane Canada!

If you have any questions please contact me at barbara@cfhs.ca