Health of Animals Regulations

139 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (5), no person shall load, confine or transport an animal that is unfit, or cause one to be loaded, confined or transported, in a conveyance or container.

(2) An unfit animal may be loaded and confined in a conveyance or container and be directly transported to and unloaded at a place, other than a slaughter establishment or assembly centre, where it can receive veterinary care if

• (a) it is individually loaded and unloaded without having to negotiate any ramps inside the conveyance;

• (b) it is isolated during confinement and transport;

• (c) measures are taken to prevent the animal’s unnecessary suffering, injury or death during loading, confinement, transport and unloading; and

• (d) a veterinarian recommends that the animal be transported to receive veterinary care.

(3) An unfit animal may be loaded and confined in a conveyance or container and be directly transported to and unloaded at an assembly centre where it can receive veterinary care if the unfit animal is seized and detained under a provincial or federal Act and the requirements set out in paragraphs (2)(a) to (d) are met.

(4) Every person who confines or transports an animal that becomes unfit during confinement or transport in a container or conveyance, other than a vessel, shall take reasonable measures as soon as possible to prevent the animal’s unnecessary suffering, injury or death and, as soon as possible,

• (a) transport the animal directly to the nearest place where it can receive care or be humanely killed; or

• (b) if the animal is not transported to the nearest place, humanely kill the animal in the conveyance.

(5) If an animal becomes unfit during confinement or transport while on board a vessel, the vessel master or a veterinarian shall, as soon as possible,

• (a) take reasonable measures to prevent the animal’s unnecessary suffering, injury or death or cause such reasonable measures to be taken by a person on board the vessel who is trained to provide care to the animals and provide care to the animal or cause care to be provided to the animal by a person on board the vessel who is trained to provide care to the animals; or

• (b) if reasonable measures are not taken and care is not provided, cause the animal to be humanely killed by a person on board the vessel who is trained to use humane killing devices.