A Program Overview
The Animal Care (AC) Program coordinates Departmental activities related to the responsible care and use of domestic farm animals in California. The goals of the AC Program include:
- Maintaining knowledge and expertise in AC–related issues
- Establishing working relationships among stakeholders
- Providing education and training through outreach activities
- Serving as a resource to the legislature, industry, and the public
- Maintaining an awareness of AC–related research
- Encouraging awareness and understanding of emerging AC issues
The key to understanding and resolving many animal care issues is
awareness, communication and education. Many issues can be resolved by
establishing working relationships and encouraging dialogue between
industry, humane organizations, animal protection agencies, consumer
groups and others. By identifying and evaluating areas of potential
concern before they become major issues, proactive programs can be
established to ensure the humane treatment of livestock.
Presentations, books, manuals, brochures, and videos related to farm
animal handling, care, management, and production are utilized to
provide education and training to livestock and poultry industry
groups, humane organizations, youth groups, elected officials, and
departmental personnel.
The Current Focus
- Maintaining cooperative relationships with livestock auction markets and packing houses to help increase awareness of animal care and handling related issues. Assist in conflict resolution when necessary.
- Providing training in livestock husbandry and body condition scoring to animal control and humane officers to ensure the proper assessment and follow–up of livestock neglect complaints. Assist animal control and humane organizations in evaluating neglect complaints involving livestock.
- Developing a statewide junior livestock quality assurance program (in conjunction with CDFA’s Division of Fairs and Expositions) to proactively address ethics, nutrition, care, handling, housing, and residue avoidance issues at junior livestock shows in a uniform manner throughout California.
- Developing guidelines and training programs for the emergency euthanasia of livestock species (in conjunction with the Livestock Conservation Institute’s Euthanasia Task Force). These materials will be available to producers, livestock transporters, livestock markets and packing houses to facilitate the humane euthanasia of terminally ill or injured livestock.
- Assisting in the development of CDFA’s role in coordination of statewide livestock care and evacuation protocols to ensure the safety of animals in disasters. Facilitating the counties’ understanding of the issues, their roles and the resources available to help respond to these challenges. Development and distribution of disaster preparedness guidelines through various outreach activities to increase public awareness.
- Assisting industry in the evaluation of livestock management practices. In addition to understanding the current scientific information and consumer opinions and preferences, clinical investigations may be designed and conducted to determine which practices may be preferable in various situations.
- Educating and training Division personnel to support and better understand their role in the AC program.
Emergency Euthanasia of Livestock
For persons who may need to perform the act of euthanasia on a farm animal, these guides were designed to supplement formal instruction from a skilled individual (such as a licensed veterinarian) on the different euthanasia techniques. Not only must the procedure chosen be humane, it must also be legal. A veterinarian will most likely be familiar with those methods that are legally allowed.
Euthanizing an animal to end its physical pain and suffering is never a welcomed task, but it is one that must be accomplished with compassion. Any method of euthanasia requires courage, determination, and skill. If the person contemplating a method of euthanasia lacks any one of these qualities, the procedure should not take place. An incorrect or ineffective action will add to the stress and suffering of the animal.
In the sincere interest of promoting the humane treatment of livestock and poultry that may require euthanasia, veterinarians, academic researchers, and industry representatives developed the following guides on cattle, horses, poultry, sheep and goats, and swine.
Swine (PDF 158 KB) –
the swine euthanasia recommendations are now available in electronic
format. This document is courtesy of the National Pork Producers Council.
P.O. Box 10383
Des Moines, IA 50306
(515) 223–2600 phone
(515) 223–2646 fax
Contact us for more information:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Animal Health and Food Safety Services, Animal Health Branch
1220 N Street, Room A-107
Sacramento, California 95814
Telephone: (916) 654-1447
Fax: (916) 653-2215
or send an email to: ahbfeedback@cdfa.ca.gov