Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
Marginal note: Short title
1 This Act may be cited as the Health of Animals Act .
Marginal note: Definitions
includes slaughter or otherwise destroy, bury or render; ( Version anglaise seulement )
means anything on which information that is capable of being understood by a person, or read by a computer or other device, is recorded or marked; ( document )
means, subject to any regulations made under subsection (2), a place where eggs are incubated or chicks are hatched; ( couvoir )
means a place that is constituted to be an infected place under section 22 or 23 or under the regulations; ( lieu contaminé )
means a person designated as an inspector pursuant to section 32; ( inspecteur )
means a justice as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code ; ( juge de paix )
means the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; ( ministre )
means a person designated as an officer pursuant to section 32, but does not include an analyst; ( agent d’exécution )
means a peace officer as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code ; ( agent de la paix )
means an administrative monetary penalty imposed under the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act for a violation; ( sanction )
includes a conveyance; ( lieu )
means prescribed by regulation; ( Version anglaise seulement )
means prescribed as reportable by the Minister; ( déclarable )
means a substance prescribed as toxic by the Minister; ( substance toxique )
means the Review Tribunal continued by subsection 27(1) of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act ; ( Commission )
means an animal that has the potential to transmit a disease, directly or indirectly, from one animal or its excreta to another animal; ( vecteur )
means a thing that is manufactured, sold or represented for use in restoring, correcting or modifying organic functions in animals or for use in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of a disease, disorder or abnormal physical state — or its symptoms — in animals and that is
means a veterinarian designated as an inspector pursuant to section 32; ( vétérinaire-inspecteur )
that may be proceeded with in accordance with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act . ( violation )
Marginal note: Binding on Her Majesty
3 This Act is binding on Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province.
Marginal note: Limits of ports, etc.
4 The Governor in Council may, by order, define the limits of ports and of other places for the purposes of this Act.
Marginal note: Notification by owner, etc.
6 [Repealed, 2015, c. 2, s. 85]
Marginal note: Notice forbidding entry
every person in that area who owns or has the possession, care or control of an animal shall affix at the entrance to the building or other enclosed place in which the animal is kept a notice forbidding entry without the person’s permission.
Marginal note: Concealment
8 No person shall conceal the existence of a reportable disease or toxic substance among animals.
Marginal note: Keeping diseased animals
9 No person shall turn out, keep or graze on any undivided or unenclosed land any animal that the person knows is affected or contaminated by, or has been exposed to, any reportable disease or toxic substance.
Marginal note: Bringing diseased animals to market
10 No person shall, without a licence issued by an inspector or officer, bring into any market, fair or other place any animal that is known by the person to be affected or contaminated by, or has been exposed to, any reportable disease or toxic substance.
Marginal note: Selling or disposing of diseased animals
11 No person shall, without a licence issued by an inspector or officer, sell or offer or expose for sale or otherwise transfer the ownership of
whether or not the person is the owner of the animal, animal product or animal by-product.
11.1 No person shall sell an animal or thing regulated under this Act that is the subject of a recall order referred to in subsection 19(1) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act .
Marginal note: Throwing carcasses into water
12 No person shall throw or place in any body of water the carcass or any part of an animal that at the time of its death was to the person’s knowledge affected or contaminated by, or was exposed to, any disease or toxic substance, or that was destroyed because it was, or was suspected of being, affected or contaminated by a disease or toxic substance.
Marginal note: Digging up carcasses
Marginal note: Regulations prohibiting importation
14 The Minister may make regulations prohibiting the importation of any animal or other thing into Canada, any part of Canada or any Canadian port, either generally or from any place named in the regulations, for such period as the Minister considers necessary for the purpose of preventing a disease or toxic substance from being introduced into or spread within Canada.
Marginal note: Prohibition of possession or disposition
Marginal note: Importation into Canada
Marginal note: Forfeiture of imports
17 Subject to section 18, if the Minister determines that an animal or thing has been imported — or an attempt has been made to import an animal or thing — in contravention of this Act or the regulations or that a requirement imposed by or under the regulations in respect of an imported animal or thing has not been met, it is forfeited to Her Majesty in right of Canada and may be disposed of as the Minister may direct.
Marginal note: Removal or destruction of unlawful imports
Marginal note: Certificate required
unless a copy of a certificate in respect of the animal has been delivered in accordance with subsection (3).
Marginal note: Certain Acts not affected
20 Nothing in this Act affects
and this Act shall, with respect to the ports to which the Acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d) apply, be construed as having been enacted in addition to and not in derogation from those Acts.
Marginal note: Assistance
21 The Minister may provide assistance, both financial and technical, to any person or government outside Canada in controlling or eradicating a disease or toxic substance that affects or could affect persons or animals in Canada.
Marginal note: Declaration of infected place
Marginal note: Further declaration
Marginal note: Where occupier or owner not found
24 Where an inspector or officer cannot, after the exercise of due diligence, find the occupier or owner of any land, building or other place, delivery of a declaration may be effected by posting it on the building or on any building or conspicuous object on the land or at the place.
Marginal note: Prohibition — infected place
Marginal note: Declaration that place no longer infected
26 A place, or any part of a place, that has been constituted to be an infected place by the delivery of a declaration under section 22 or 23 ceases to be an infected place when an inspector or officer declares in writing that
Marginal note: Primary control zone
Marginal note: Secondary control zone
Marginal note: Permits
27.2 A permit referred to in subsection 27(3) or 27.1(4) may be issued as a general permit to owners or persons having the possession, care or control of a designated animal or thing.
Marginal note: Order amended
27.3 The Minister may, by order, amend or revoke an order made under subsection 27(1) or (2) or one made under any of subsections 27.1(1) to (4).
Marginal note: Measures
27.4 The Minister may take all reasonable measures that are consistent with public safety to remedy any dangerous condition or mitigate any danger to life, health, property or the environment that results, or may reasonably be expected to result, from the existence of a disease or toxic substance in a primary control zone.
Marginal note: Regulations
27.5 The Minister may make regulations prohibiting or regulating the movement of persons or designated animals or things from, within or into a primary or secondary control zone for the purpose of controlling or eliminating a disease or toxic substance, in respect of which the primary control zone or a secondary control zone referred to in subsection 27.1(2) was declared, or preventing its spread.
Marginal note: Treatment or disposal
Marginal note: Operation of services and facilities
29 The Minister may operate, provide or approve any diagnostic, research, laboratory or other services or facilities required for the purposes of this Act or any regulations.
Marginal note: Designation of facilities
30 The Minister may designate areas, offices, laboratories or other facilities inside or outside Canada for a specified purpose or generally for the administration of this Act or the regulations and may at any time amend, cancel or reinstate any such designation.
Marginal note: Designation
Marginal note: Inspectors and officers may exercise Minister’s powers
Marginal note: Agreements
34 For the purposes of this Act, the Minister may enter into an agreement with any qualified person to perform such duties or functions as the Minister may specify, on such terms and conditions as the Minister may specify.
Marginal note: Impeding analyst, inspector or officer
Marginal note: Provision of documents, information or samples
Marginal note: Broken seal
Marginal note: Inspection
Marginal note: Warrant required to enter dwelling-place
the justice may at any time sign and issue a warrant authorizing the inspector or officer named in the warrant to enter the dwelling-place, subject to any conditions that may be specified in the warrant.
Marginal note: Seizure
40 Where an inspector or officer believes on reasonable grounds that a violation, or an offence under this Act, has been committed, the inspector or officer may seize and detain any animal or thing
Marginal note: Warrant
the justice may at any time sign and issue a warrant authorizing an inspector or officer to enter and search the place for the animal or thing and, subject to any conditions that may be specified in the warrant, to seize and detain it.
Marginal note: Notice of reason for seizure
42 An inspector or officer who seizes and detains an animal or thing under this Act shall, as soon as is practicable, advise its owner or the person having the possession, care or control of it at the time of its seizure of the reason for the seizure.
Marginal note: Storage and removal
Marginal note: Interference with seized animals or things
44 Except as authorized in writing by an inspector or officer, no person shall remove, alter or interfere in any way with an animal or thing seized and detained under this Act.
Marginal note: Release of seized animal or thing
Marginal note: Forfeiture
Marginal note: Disposal of forfeited animals and things
Marginal note: Disposal of affected or contaminated animals and things
Marginal note: Disposition of samples
49 A sample taken under this Act or the regulations may be disposed of in such manner as the Minister considers appropriate.
Marginal note: Her Majesty not liable
50 If a person must, under this Act, do anything or permit an inspector or officer to do anything, Her Majesty in right of Canada is not liable
Marginal note: No liability
50.1 No person who exercises powers or performs duties or functions under this Act is liable in respect of anything done or omitted to be done in good faith in the exercise of those powers or the performance of those duties or functions.
Marginal note: Compensation to owners of animals
Marginal note: Compensation to owners of things
52 The Minister may order compensation to be paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the owner of a thing that is destroyed under this Act and the amount of compensation shall be the market value, as determined by the Minister, that the thing would have had at the time of its evaluation if it had not been required to be destroyed, up to a prescribed amount, less any amount received in respect of it.
Marginal note: Compensation for costs of treatment
53 The Minister may order compensation to be paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to a person for costs incurred with respect to treatment required under paragraph 27.6(1)(a) or subsection 48(2), and the amount of compensation shall be the costs reasonably incurred by the person, as determined by the Minister.
Marginal note: Compensation withheld
Marginal note: Regulations
55 The Minister may make regulations
Marginal note: Appeal
Marginal note: Powers of Assessor
Marginal note: Sittings and hearings
Marginal note: Procedure
Marginal note: Fees, charges and costs for inspections, etc.
Marginal note: Fees, charges and costs related to measures
Marginal note: Fees, charges, and costs for requested services
62 Her Majesty may recover from any person who requests a service or the issue, renewal or amendment of a licence, permit, approval, certificate or other document under this Act or the regulations any prescribed fee or charge and any costs incurred by Her Majesty in relation to rendering the service or issuing, renewing or amending the document.
Marginal note: Unpaid fees, charges or costs
63 Any fees, charges or costs that are recoverable by Her Majesty under this Act or the regulations may be recovered as a debt due to Her Majesty.
Marginal note: Regulations — generally
Marginal note: Incorporation by reference
Marginal note: Consideration of information
64.2 In considering an application made under the regulations in relation to an animal or thing, the Minister may consider information that is available from a review or evaluation of an animal or thing conducted by the government of a foreign state or of a subdivision of a foreign state or by an international organization, or association, of states.
Marginal note: Non-application of Statutory Instruments Act
64.3 The Statutory Instruments Act does not apply in respect of a notice referred to in section 66.
Marginal note: General offence
Marginal note: Failure to comply with notices
66 Every person who fails to comply with a notice delivered to them under section 18, 25, 27.6, 37, 43 or 48 or the regulations is guilty of
Marginal note: Fine of vessel
67 Where a person is convicted of an offence arising out of a contravention of subsection 19(3) in relation to a vessel, the vessel is liable to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars.
Marginal note: Limitation period
68 Summary conviction proceedings for an offence under this Act may be instituted no later than two years after the day on which the subject matter of the proceedings arises.
Marginal note: Ticket offences
69 The Governor in Council may make regulations designating the contravention of any provision of this Act or the regulations as an offence with respect to which, notwithstanding the provisions of the Criminal Code ,
and any regulations made under this section shall establish a procedure for voluntarily entering a plea of guilty and paying a fine in respect of each offence to which the regulations relate and shall prescribe the amount of the fine to be paid in respect of each offence.
Marginal note: Recovery of fines
70 Where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act and a fine that is imposed as punishment is not paid when required, the prosecutor may, by filing the conviction, enter as a judgment the amount of the fine and costs, if any, in the superior court of the province in which the trial was held, and the judgment is enforceable against the convicted person in the same manner as if it were a judgment obtained by Her Majesty in right of Canada against the person in that court in civil proceedings.
Marginal note: Parties to offence
71 If a person other than an individual commits an offence under this Act, any of the person’s directors, officers or agents or mandataries who directs, authorizes, assents to or acquiesces or participates in the commission of the offence is a party to the offence and is liable on conviction to the punishment provided for by this Act, even if the person is not prosecuted for the offence.
Marginal note: Proof of offence
72 In a prosecution for an offence under this Act, it is sufficient proof of the offence to establish that it was committed by an employee or an agent or mandatary of the accused, even if the employee or the agent or mandatary is not identified or prosecuted for the offence, unless the accused establishes that the offence was committed without the knowledge or consent of the accused and that the accused exercised all due diligence to prevent its commission.
Marginal note: Place of trial
73 A prosecution for an offence under this Act may be instituted, heard and determined in the place where
Marginal note: Certificates and reports
Marginal note: Orders continued as regulations
75 Any orders made under section 16 of the Animal Disease and Protection Act and in force immediately before the repeal of that Act by section 76 of this Act shall continue in force as if they were regulations made under section 14 of this Act.
76 [Repeal]
77 [Amendment]
Marginal note: Coming into force
Footnote * 78 This Act or any provision thereof shall come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.