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The standards incorporate current research in animal welfare science with practical protocols, as developed by an expert panel of animal welfare scientists, veterinarians, and farmers in consultation with the BC SPCA.
Evidence-based, welfare focused
While we acknowledge that it is not possible to prevent animals from experiencing all pain or discomfort in their lives, our Standards strive to provide animals with the following Five Freedoms, which are derived from those first described by the Farm Animal Welfare Council of the U.K.:
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1. Freedom from hunger and thirst
2. Freedom from pain, injury, and disease
3. Freedom from distress
4. Freedom from discomfort
5. Freedom to express behaviours that promote well-being
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"An animal's welfare is synonymous with its quality of life, and that animal's health and emotions both contribute to their welfare."
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Key components of the Standards
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Egg-laying hens are free from cages;
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Pregnant pigs are free from confinement in gestation stalls;
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Lameness in farm animals is assessed and addressed;
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Animal environments are designed to promote comfort and healthy social interactions;
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Animals are not fed antibiotics, ionophores or hormones for growth enhancement.
SPCA Certified standards developed to date
Egg-laying hens, broiler (meat) chickens, turkeys, dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs and sheep.
To help us communicate better with you, please fill out this form to request the SPCA Certified documents.
Comparison
SPCA Certified standards exceed the generally accepted practices for raising farm animals in Canada.
Learn more about SPCA Certified standards in comparison to Canadian Organic Standards and the Codes of Practice.
Conventional Practices
The standards are intended to complement the Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals, originally developed by the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council, and now overseen by the National Farm Animal Care Council. All program members are required to follow federal and provincial law related to environmental and food safety practices.
Canadian Organic Standards
The BC SPCA recognizes that farm animal welfare is an issue the organic industry has always taken very seriously. While there are differences between the standards, the Canadian Organic Standards compliment SPCA Certified standards.
The BC SPCA supports the organic standards and continues to engage in collaborative efforts with organic associations across Canada.
Funding
The BC SPCA is a non-profit charity. The Society relies on charitable donations from the public and grant foundations for the bulk of our funding.
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The Vancouver Foundation was instrumental in providing core financial support during the first phase of the SPCA Certified program's development. The Vancouver Foundation and its donors continue to show their generous support for all of the BC SPCA's welfare work on behalf of all animals.
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For more than a decade, the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada (AWFC) has been a generous supporter of many of the BC SPCA’s initiatives to help improve the lives of farm animals. AWFC's funding directly helped in the creation of the SPCA Certified program. The foundation has also supported the development of farm animal welfare standards and practical resources and tools to help farmers evaluate and improve the welfare of the animals they raise. |
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