Have your say: Speak up for farmed animals

In Canada, farmed animals are generally not protected by the law. Instead, producers are expected to follow the standards set out by the Beef Cattle Code of Practice, which is updated periodically. The Code is currently undergoing a review, and the public can participate in a public comment period until June 12, 2026.

Follow these steps to speak up for the millions of cattle kept and killed for meat each year: 

1. Access the public comment period survey.

2. Provide your personal details and start the survey. For the question, “Which stakeholder category best describes you?”, you can select “Other” and specify “General public.” We recommend you complete the full survey in one session, as your progress may not be saved. 

3. Fill out the survey to the best of your ability. We invite you to use our recommendations (below), putting your comments into your own words as much as possible. For the parts you are unsure about, or if you have no comments for a specific section, check the box that says “No comments” and then continue onto the next section. 

4. When you are finished entering your feedback, continue to the end of the survey until you get to the Thank You page, and click “Done.” Thank you for speaking up for farmed animals!

Humane World for Animals’ key concerns with Canada’s new draft Beef Cattle Code of Practice: 

1. In section 1.1: Require that shade/shelter be provided to animals at all times, giving them the ability to avoid inclement weather (such as extreme heat or icy winds) when needed. 

2. In section 2.2: Require that water be available to animals at all times; snow alone is not sufficient as a water source, and animals should not be subjected to the risk of dehydration. 

3. In section 4.1: Disallow the use of electric prods, effective immediately, due to the pain and distress they intentionally cause animals. Only alternative methods should be used. 

4. In section 4.3: Disallow hot iron and freeze branding, given that they cause significant short- and long- term pain, as is directly acknowledged in the draft code. 

5. In section 4.4: Disallow all dehorning and disbudding practices, effective immediately, as these are inherently very painful procedures and viable alternatives exist. 

6. In section 4.6.2: When separating calves from their mothers, as is routine in the beef industry, do not separate animals abruptly. Instead, require a low-stress separation strategy such as two-stage or fence-line weaning, as is recommended in the draft, effective immediately. 

7. In section 5.2: Limit the maximum time that animals can be transported without food, water or a chance to rest, to eight hours. All transport is extremely stressful to animals and should be kept as short as possible, and evidence indicates that animal welfare deteriorates significantly after about eight hours. This should be accompanied by a minimum rest period of at least 24 hours between journeys.