New Farmed Fox Code of Practice released

(Ottawa) 21 May 2013 – The Canada Fox Breeders Association (CFBA) and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) are pleased to announce the release of the new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farmed Fox. The Code is available electronically at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/farmed-fox.

“The Code Development and Scientific committees have worked hard for the past two and half years to revise the farmed fox Code. The predecessor was released in 1989,” says Mike Bollert, fox farmer and Chair of the Code Development Committee (CDC). The CDC was comprised of producers, animal welfare and enforcement representatives, researchers, veterinarians and government representatives. The Scientific Committee included research and veterinary expertise in the welfare of farmed fur-bearing animals. “Working together we have developed a Code that is good for farmers and the animals in their care,” added Bollert.

The Code development process included a 60-day public comment period that enabled broader stakeholder input to the Code. The fox Code is the first of eight farm animal Codes of Practice currently under revision to be completed through the NFACC Code development process. The dairy Code, released in 2009, was the inaugural Code to be developed through the NFACC process. More information on the Code development process is available at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice.

Canada’s Codes of Practice are a powerful tool for meeting rising consumer, marketplace and societal expectations relative to farm animal welfare. Codes support responsible animal care practices and keep everyone involved in farm animal care and handling on the same page. They are our national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended practices, providing a foundation for animal care assessment programs and in some provinces, regulatory activities.

Dr. Gord Finley, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association representative on the Code Committee and Chair of the Scientists’ Committee states “As a veterinarian I am pleased with the new Code. I believe it represents a major step forward in meeting our expectations for the care of farmed fox.”

Funding for the Codes of Practice is provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Flexibility Fund, under the Addressing Domestic and International Market Expectations Relative to Farm Animal Welfare initiative, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

About the National Farm Animal Care Council

NFACC is a collaborative partnership of diverse stakeholders created in 2005 to share information and work together on farm animal care and welfare. It is the national lead for farm animal care issues in Canada. NFACC would like to acknowledge the Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC) for their role in securing funding for this project. For more information on NFACC visit www.nfacc.ca.

About the Canada Fox Breeders’ Association

The objectives of the CFBA are to improve, promote and protect the ranched fox industry in Canada and to improve the economic viability of the ranched fox industry in Canada.

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