Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Animal Products
Animal Health and Production Division

Animal Health

The National Animal Health Program protects Canadian livestock and poultry from serious diseases that could restrict trade or pose a risk to human health. By avoiding production losses, the stability and competitiveness of livestock and poultry production are assured. The international marketability of live animals and meat products is enhanced because of Canada's reputation for being free of certain serious diseases.

The importation of animals and animal products from foreign countries is controlled to reduce the risk of introducing serious animal diseases.

CFIA activities include:

• maintaining national eradication programs including surveys of the disease status of Canada's herds and flocks;
• testing, point-of-entry inspection, permit issuing and quarantine activities for live animal imports;
• issuing of Animal Health export certificates for live animal exports;
• negotiating export health requirements with other national governments, establishing import health standards and ensuring compliance to these;
• evaluating veterinary vaccines and serums for use in Canada whether manufactured here or imported;
• ensuring that animals are humanely transported in accordance with federal regulations and establishing voluntary "Codes of Practice" for the care of various farm animals;
• responding to requests for rabies diagnosis in wild and domestic animals, many of which are urgent because of the potential human exposure;
• inspecting and registering hatcheries to assure purchasers that day-old chicks are free of serious diseases; and
• providing information to marketing specialists.