The public comment period for the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Rabbits ends March 31, 2017
REMINDER NOTICE: The draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Rabbits is available for public comment until March 31st. The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) and the Syndicat des producteurs de lapins du Québec (SPLQ), working in partnership with other provincial rabbit groups, announced the launch of the public comment period on January 30, 2017.
The draft Code can be viewed and submissions made through NFACC’s web site at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/rabbits. All comments must be submitted through the online system, for which easy to follow instructions are provided.
A Scientific Committee report summarizing research on priority welfare topics for rabbits can be found alongside the draft Code online. This peer-reviewed report aided the discussions of the Code Development Committee as they prepared the draft Code of Practice.
This rabbit Code is one of four Codes of Practice currently under revision as part of a multi-year NFACC project. Codes of Practice serve as our national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended practices. The Codes cover housing, feed and water, handling, euthanasia, transport and other important management practices.
Revisions to the rabbit Code began in 2015. A 12-person Code Development Committee that includes participants from across Canada including producers, animal welfare and enforcement representatives, researchers, transporters, processors, veterinarians and government representatives led the Code revisions. The Scientific Committee includes researchers with expertise in rabbit behaviour, health and welfare. The aim is to have the new rabbit Code completed in 2017. More information on the Code development process is available at nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice.
Funding for this project has been provided through the AgriMarketing Program under Growing Forward 2, a federal–provincial–territorial initiative.
