Livestock and poultry fitness for transport--the veterinarian's role.

Canada’s Health of Animals Regulations contain provisions for the protection of animals during transportation (1). Subsection 138(2) of the Regulations prohibits the transportation of an animal that, by reason of infirmity, illness, injury, fatigue, or any other cause, cannot be transported without undue suffering during the expected journey. Fitness for transport is a major contributor to successful transportation in terms of food safety, animal well-being, and economic outcomes (2). The transportation of unfit animals is a frequent cause of non-compliance with the Health of Animals Regulations. To avoid such incidents, early identification of animals that need to be culled or treated is necessary. While it is in the producers’ best financial interest to invest in optimal care for their animals, there is little motivation to do so for animals of low economic value. Veterinarians are well placed to provide education and guidance in this regard. As advocates of animal welfare, veterinarians have a responsibility to promote the humane treatment of animals and they can demonstrate this commitment by educating clients (3,4). Animal welfare advocacy is a priority of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the veterinary profession is linked to animal welfare protection in the eye of the public (5). As such, veterinarians have an ethical responsibility to advise and educate clients on the selection of animals that are fit for the anticipated transport conditions and will not suffer during the trip. Veterinary guidance on herd health and early culling can contribute to preventing the loading and transport of unfit animals. Animal scientists in Canada and other countries are amassing much information on farm animal production practices and their impact on the animals. Taking into consideration practical experience and the latest research, standards have been developed in collaboration with animal scientists, veterinarians, producers, provincial and federal government regulators, and animal welfare organizations (6–9). These are consistent with other national standards, and in keeping with the international expectations of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), of which Canada is a member country (10). These standards are intended for regular on-farm use. Some producer organizations have already implemented animal welfare assessment programs for this purpose (11–13). More are expected to follow, using a Model Animal Care Assessment tool that is being developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council in conjunction with producers and other stakeholder groups (14). Unfortunately, the level of awareness and the uptake of these standards, guidelines, and assessment programs appear to be low in some cases (15). They need to be part of the continuing professional development of farm animal practitioners. National industry standards, such as the codes of practice, advise producers to refer to veterinarians for guidance. Veterinarians are expected to include value-added interpretation of how these standards apply to specific scenarios. Examples of value-added animal welfare services may include: — clinical examinations or during the course of reviewing farm health and production data, early detection of health problems that require treatment, or early culling while still fit for transport; — recognition of subtle signs of distress or suffering in animals; — evaluation of a compromised animal’s likelihood of arriving at the intended destination in good condition, taking into consideration the condition of the animal and the anticipated transport conditions such as duration and weather; — identification of animals that will probably be condemned on antemortem inspection, thereby avoiding needless transport and the associated cost and animal suffering; — training clients and their employees in the above and advising on when to call for guidance; — hosting workshops or information sessions for producer groups; and — export certification by accredited veterinarians. This is an important matter in which veterinarians need to take an active interest. The authors acknowledge that not all clients will welcome veterinary advice that may conflict with entrenched practices. In many cases the veterinarian is in contact with employees rather than owners during farm visits. Some veterinarians are taking the initiative, but many more need to do likewise. In some cases, veterinarians may be reluctant to provide transportation-related advice, or more generally animal welfare advice, to their producer clients. Reasons for this include: — financial risk of displeasing or losing the client; — indifference; — desensitization — “poor welfare states become the normal” (15); — personal disagreement with established national standards (6,8); and — inadequate infrastructure to deal with cull animals. Licensing bodies need to support veterinarians who make the difficult decision to speak up and to sanction those who observe unacceptable or foreseeable animal suffering and say or do nothing. Failure to educate producers and to offer consistent advice invites public criticism and even litigation, with the risk of losing public and international confidence, and ultimately self-governance. Through veterinary curricula and through continuing professional development, veterinary training is needed in the areas of animal transport preparedness and decision-making for and acceptable methods of farm animal euthanasia (16). Veterinarians are taking an active part in formulating positions on animal welfare issues through the CVMA Position Statements (17) and the development of the national codes of practice for the care and handling of farm animals (8); however, more is needed to ensure humane transportation of food animals. A unified approach from veterinarians engaged in food animal practice will benefit the animals, preserve public trust in the profession, and promote domestic and international marketability of livestock and poultry products.

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