In Alberta, the transportation of all livestock, including hogs, is governed by various federal legislation (the Health of Animals Act and Criminal Code) as well as provincial legislation (Alberta’s Animal Protection Act).

Federal Health of Animals Act
Under the Health of Animals Act, it is illegal to:

• Transport a sick or injured animal where undue suffering will result.
• Continue to transport an animal that is injured, becomes ill or is otherwise unfit to travel.
• Load or unload animals in a way that would cause injury or undue suffering.
• Crowd animals to such an extent as to cause injury or undue suffering.
• Transport animals if injury or suffering is likely to be caused by inadequate construction of the vehicle, insecure fittings, undue exposure to the weather or inadequate ventilation.
• Use ramps, gangplanks or chutes that are inadequately constructed or maintained and would be likely to cause injury or undue suffering to the animals.
• Confine pigs in a motor vehicle for longer than 36 hours unless the animals are fed, watered and rested on a vehicle that is suitably equipped for the purpose.
• Load an animal for a trip of more than 24 hours without first providing food and water within 5 hours before loading.
• Not allow animals to stand in a natural position during transportation.
• Not provide adequate bedding or sand for drainage and absorption of urine.

Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code does not allow for an individual to:

• Willfully cause or allow unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal.
• By willful neglect, cause injury to animals while they are being transported.
• Abandon an animal or fail to provide it with enough suitable food, water, shelter and care.

Provincial – Alberta Animal Protection Act
If you own an animal or are in charge of an animal, you cannot cause it to be in distress or permit it to remain in distress.

An animal is in distress if it:

• Does not have adequate food, water, care, ventilation, space or shelter;
• Is injured, sick, in pain or suffering; or,
• Is abused or neglected.

Canadian Livestock Transporter Program
Livestock transporters play a crucial role in ensuring Canada’s ability to produce safe, wholesome food products for domestic and export markets. Canada is considered a leader in the development of comprehensive livestock care standards. 

Alberta Pork and Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) have implemented a training program for livestock transporters called The Certified Livestock Transporter (CLT) which focuses on the humane and safe relocation of livestock. 

Through this program, livestock transporters are taught that their role is to:

• Take responsibility for a load of livestock and relocate them humanely to the final destination in a timely manner;
• Care for the animals during the trip and deliver them in good health; and
• Protect the economic value of the animals in their care by avoiding injury.

The CLT is based on the Code of Practice for the Care & Handling of Farm Animals – Transportation, developed in 2001. If transporters follow the Code of Practice they are unlikely to contravene the legislation.

For more information on CLT, go to www.livestocktransport.ca.

Code of Practice for the Care & Handling of Farm Animals – Transportation
The Code of Practice was developed by a review committee with representatives from farm groups, animal welfare groups, veterinarians, animal scientists, federal and provincial governments, related agricultural sectors and interested individuals. 

Provisions in the Code of Practice include:

• Animal welfare considerations should take precedence over economic considerations.
• Prior to transport animals should be in good physical condition and health.
• Animals that are sick, injured, disabled, fatigued or that cannot be moved without causing them additional suffering are unfit for transportation.
• Drivers should check each load immediately before departure to ensure that the animals have been properly loaded.
• Each load should be checked again early in the trip and adjustments made as appropriate. Drivers should check for signs of general discomfort of the animals, such as overheating.
• All places where animals are temporarily assembled for sale, show, feed, water and rest, or for any other reason, must have adequate facilities for safe loading, unloading and holding.
• During winter travel:
  • Increased bedding or insulation is necessary;
  • Openings should be covered to protect animals from cold winds;
  • Distribute ample bedding, such as straw, when the temperature is below 10ºC (50ºF) because it provides good insulation and helps to keep animals warm and dry;
  • Remove wet bedding after each trip to prevent it from freezing on the trucks; and,
  • Animals need to be protected from freezing rain and wind blowing into the sides of the truck, because it increases their heat loss.
• During hot and humid weather:
  • Precautions should be taken to avoid stress and suffering;
  • Animals should be handled carefully to avoid exertion;
  • Sufficient ventilation must be available at all times while the animals are on a vehicle;
  • Whenever possible during hot, humid periods animal transportation should be scheduled at night and in the early morning;
  • Periods of intense traffic congestion should be avoided;
  • Vehicles containing animals should not be parked in direct sunlight;
  • When it is necessary to stop, the duration of the stop should be minimized to prevent the buildup of heat inside the vehicle;
  • Loading density should be reduced in hot and humid weather to allow the animals to remain cooler due to ventilation; and,
  • Animals can be cooled by watering the floor of pens or by using a fine mist spray.

Research Handling Procedures and Transportation
Alberta Pork is a partner in a significant research project at the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatchewan on the effects of handling procedures and transport vehicle design on animal welfare and meat quality of pigs. The goal is to reduce the stress associated with marketing live hogs and improve animal welfare, reduce death losses and improve meat quality. The study is looking at handling practices during loading and unloading, environmental conditions on the transport vehicle and other factors such as loading density.

The first phase of the project is focused on two locations in Canada to reflect the regional differences in climate and management, the two extreme seasons of winter and summer, and two designs of transport vehicle. This research is already underway and data has been collected for summer conditions in eastern Canada with western Canada studies commencing July 2008. Winter studies in western Canada are near completion and eastern Canada studies will begin at the end of February 2008.

In all research projects, environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) will be monitored as well as the response of the pigs to these conditions. Monitoring of the pigs includes lying and resting behaviours, heart rates, internal body temperatures and stress related blood indicators. In addition to these animal-related observations, meat quality will be analyzed to investigate if a correlation exists between animal handling and meat quality.

Under the program, studies will be conducted to determine how handling and facility design impacts the stress levels of hogs and how they recover. Specific factors to be examined include loading and unloading procedures, air flow within the transport vehicles and animal density. Modified handling and transport methods will be developed for each season to address any stress conditions which were identified.

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