Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters

 

Development of Canada’s first national Code of Practice for Rabbits has begun

(Ottawa) 16 February 2015 – The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) is pleased to announce that the Syndicat des producteurs de lapins du Québec, working in partnership with other provincial rabbit groups, will lead the development of a Code of Practice for Rabbits. The rabbit Code will be developed through NFACC’s Code development process.

The Codes of Practice are guidelines for the care and handling of farm animals in Canada. They serve as our national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended practices. The Codes are educational tools, reference materials for regulations and the foundation for farm animal care assessment programs. 

"The development of this Code is an excellent opportunity for Canada’s rabbit sector to come together and establish a national standard that ensures a good quality of life for rabbits raised in Canada,” states Maxime Tessier, Québec producer and Chair of the Code Development Committee. “The NFACC Code process ensures this Code is relevant, current and developed with input from across our diverse sector.”

The NFACC Code development process enables the industry, government and researchers to come together to develop standards that will assist farmers in making decisions on behalf of their animals. Stakeholder commitment is the key to ensuring that quality animal care standards are established and implemented. The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies is one of many active participants in the process. “Collaboration is key to the success of the Code development process. We look forward to working with the rabbit industry on the development of their Code of Practice,” says Meghann Cant of the BC SPCA who represents the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.

Since 2009 seven Codes have been updated and released through the NFACC process. Four additional Codes are in the process of being updated. The rabbit Code is the first to be newly created under this process. Visit www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice for details and a timeline outlining the steps and progress made on the various Codes.

Revisions to the Codes of Practice have been made possible by funding received from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under Growing Forward 2, a federal –provincial –territorial initiative.

Comment: The Rabbit Advocacy Group of BC has contacted and met with various politicians and other representatives, including those from the BC SPCA, requesting that the welfare of rabbits bred and raised for the meat industry be addressed. Codes are now underway and will take at least two years to complete.

We would like to remind everyone that the overwhelming majority of “food” animals live and die in misery and are deprived of their right to life. There is no such thing as humane slaughter and oversight is lacking.

If you haven’t done so already, join the millions who have already embraced an ethical and healthy plant-based diet.

Read more: 2015 – 2017 NFACC Code Development Timeline

January 31, 2017 First Rabbit Code of Practice released by NFACC. Open for public comment until March 31, 2017. Please take a few moments to respond as the NFACC is industry-controlled and sign: Stop the Torture of Rabbits in Canada.

February 2018: First-ever Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Rabbits released, As Matt Rice, president of Mercy For Animals articulated, “the NFACC has failed animals and the Canadian public by rubber-stamping the cruel practice of cramming rabbits into tiny, barren wire cages."

NFACC: Animal Care Assessment Model In PDF