Farm Animal Health & Welfare

Farm Animal Welfare Program

The Farm Animal Welfare Program enforces the farm animal welfare provisions of the Nova Scotia Animal Protection Act and sections of the Criminal Code of Canada. If you witness a farm animal in distress, you can report the incident and animal welfare inspectors will respond.

The program also provides opportunities for you to become an approved foster farm or livestock transporter.

Reportable and Notifiable Animal Diseases in Nova Scotia

Under Nova Scotia's Animal Health and Protection Regulations there is mandatory reporting of notifiable and reportable diseases. All owners, custodians, veterinarians and laboratories that suspect or confirm that any animal is suffering from a provincially notifiable or reportable disease must report the suspicion or confirmation to the Chief Veterinary Officer. Reportable diseases must be reported immediately by telephone with a written report provided within 24hrs. Notifiable diseases must be reported in writing within 24 hours.

Reportable Diseases in Nova Scotia

  • African swine fever
  • Avian Influenza
  • Bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis)
  • Classical swine fever
  • Foot and mouth disease
  • Rabies

Notifiable diseases in Nova Scotia:

  • Anthrax
  • Avian chlamydiosis (Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) psittaci)
  • Avian encephalomyelitis
  • Bluetongue
  • Bovine cysticercosis (Taenia saginata)
  • Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
  • Brucellosis
  • Cache Valley
  • Chronic wasting disease
  • Cysticercosis (Taenia solium)
  • Eastern equine encephalomyelitis
  • Equine herpes virus (Myeloencephalopathy)
  • Equine infectious anemia
  • Fowl cholera (Pasteurella multocida)
  • Fowl typhoid (Salmonella gallinarum)
  • Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT)
    • Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) has been designated as a notifiable disease in Nova Scotia. For more information, visit the factsheet on preventing Infectious Laryngotracheitis (PDF)
  • Newcastle disease virus
  • Porcine coronavirus (TGE, PED, Delta)
  • Pullorum disease (Salmonella pullorum)
  • Q fever (Coxiella burnetii)
  • Rabbit haemorrhagic disease
  • Salmonella Dublin (S.Dublin)
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Scrapie
  • Swine vesicular disease
  • Tick-borne diseases: Babesiosis, Theileriosis, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain Spotted
  • Fever (Rickettsia rickettsii), Tuleremia (Francisella tularensis)
  • Trichinellosis (Trichinella spiralis)
  • Turkey viral rhinotracheitis (avian metapneumovirus)
  • Vesicular stomatitis
  • West Nile virus
  • Western equine encephalomyelitis

Farm Animal Health Programs


Cattle Herd Health Assistance Program

The purpose of the program is to encourage cattle owners to utilize the professional services of a veterinarian, on a regular basis, for the maintenance and improvement of herd health, through the application of the principles of preventative medicine.

Sheep Herd Health Program

The purpose of the program is to encourage purebred and commercial sheep flock owners to utilize the professional services of a veterinarian, on a regular basis, for the maintenance and improvement of flock health, through application of the principles of preventative medicine.

Swine Herd Health Program

The purpose of the program is to minimize disease in swine herds through herd inspections, recording of disease findings, adoption of procedures to reduce or eradicate common disease already present and to prevent the introduction of other diseases.

Mink Ranch Health Program

The purpose of the program is to encourage mink breeders to utilize the professional services of a veterinarian, on a regular basis, for the maintenance and improvement of ranch mink health, through the application of the principles of bio-security and preventative medicine.