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After four COVID-19 outbreaks on B.C. mink farms, tell the provincial government to act now to end fur farming! Your voice is needed to prevent animal suffering and protect the public from new viral mutations.
There is no such thing as "humane", "ethical" or "animal-friendly" fur when it comes to fashion. The sad reality is that animals suffer when we use fur to make or decorate jackets, boots, hats, and gloves. Most people can't tell the difference between real and fake fur, and the inadequacies in Canadian labeling laws mean you could be wearing real fur without knowing!

The BC SPCA is opposed to killing animals for clothing and fashion - wild animals suffer when raised on fur farms and can experience cruel deaths when killed in nature.
Learn more about the fur industry in B.C. in this free webinar
Fur farming

Fur farming is inherently inhumane, as wild animals are bred and stocked as products in captivity. Even after generations of hand-raising, these animals are wild in nature and still have the animal welfare needs of their wild counterparts.

Hundreds of thousands of animals are farmed for their fur in Canada each year, the most common two animals being mink and fox. In B.C., wild animals can be farmed for their fur under the Animal Health Act and the Fur Farm Regulation.

In 2018, 98 mink farms and 27 fox farms existed across Canada. In that year, over 260,000 mink were killed for fur in B.C. Currently, there are 9 mink farms and one chinchilla farm in B.C., almost all of which are in the Fraser Valley. Fortunately, there are no fox farms in B.C. at this time.

The BC SPCA recognizes and affirms the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples to harvest and trap native animals for cultural, ceremonial, and traditional purposes. Commercial fur farms actually limit the economic opportunities of Indigenous people by flooding the market with industrially raised goods and are inherently in conflict with traditional Indigenous values. The Union of BC Indian Chiefs issued their own moratorium on mink farming on April 6, 2021.

Mink

Mink are bred once per year and give birth in the spring. After being weaned from their mothers, mink are housed in small, wire mesh cages. Come winter when their fur coats are fully developed, they are killed on-site at the farm. The furs are shipped to an auction house where they are graded and sold, often to international markets. Mink oil is also harvested and commonly used as leather conditioner.

Farmed mink are the same as wild mink, but they have been selectively bred over 150 years for certain colours and traits (size, fur quality, temperament). Farmed mink keep their wild nature and instincts, and can become naturalized if they escape to the wild.

The BC SPCA does not encourage releasing farmed mink into the wild. Farmed mink in B.C. carry Aleutian virus, which may harm wild mink populations. The released animals can upset the natural ecosystem and most will not survive.

Mink and COVID-19

Mink have also been found to carry the virus that causes COVID-19. The BC SPCA warned the provincial government of the risk to public health by allowing fur farms to continue to operate during a pandemic. After the first COVID-19 outbreak on a B.C. mink farm took place in December 2020, the BC SPCA called for a moratorium on mink farming in British Columbia through an immediate suspension of all mink farm licenses. A second outbreak on another mink farm took place later that month, despite industry and government assuring the public that biosecurity measures were in place. The next outbreak was in May 2021.

The BC SPCA has met with government officials and has made repeated requests for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to take action on the issue of fur farming. News of yet another COVID-19 outbreak in July 2021 has once again highlighted the ongoing public health threat of mink farming. As a result of this outbreak, Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer, has stated mink farming "is an activity which endangers or is likely to endanger public health" and enacted an order placing a moratorium on any new mink farms in B.C. and capping existing mink farms at their current numbers. As long as mink are raised in confined unnatural settings, they will be a risk to our communities. The only solution is closing down farms.

The latest positive mink were trapped on the farm after escaping their cages. The taxpayer cost of ongoing monitoring of staff and animals on fur farms is an unreported cost of the pandemic. Through a joint Federal and Provincial program called AgriStability, mink farmers were also paid $6.5 million since 2014, of which $2.6 million came from the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. While AgriStability is meant to act as an insurance program, which farmers pay into to help them through unexpected market fluctuations, the primary purpose is to support farmers who provide food for Canadians. Farmers who receive a payment from AgriStability can receive much more than their program fees, even after participating for several years. This is money that could have gone to other farmers or even other government initiatives.

As furs are a luxury fashion product meant solely for export overseas, the market is extremely volatile and the BC SPCA believes the industry should be considered ineligible to AgriStability like cannabis producers. In 2020, the industry itself acknowledged that, "Fox, raccoon, fisher and mink did not sell in any meaningful quantities and were held with all other unsold goods for future sales."

Around the world there have been increasing cases and concerns about the virus passing from humans to minks, and back to humans. The cramped conditions of thousands of mink on farms creates dangerous conditions for the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Tell the government that action on this issue is long overdue!
Fox

Similar to mink, foxes raised on fur farms are bred once per year and give birth in the spring. After weaning, the pups are also housed in restrictive wire mesh pens. Their fur coats are ready for harvesting in the winter, at which point they are killed on-farm by electrocution.

The Code of Practice for farmed mink and fox

The BC SPCA is opposed to mink and fox farming, but we do recognize this is a legal industry. Until the fur industry no longer exists, we expect all farms to meet the Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farmed Mink and the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farmed Fox.

The Code of Practice for farmed mink is currently being updated. Proposed changes were open for public comment from December 2020 to February 2021. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak up for mink! Proposed amendments  to the Code would allow mink across Canada to be killed by having them breathe in  engine exhaust or carbon dioxide as well as halt a transition to larger cage sizes.

Although the Canada Mink Breeders Association suggests all members follow this minimum standard, there is no independent monitoring in place, meaning there is no assurance that animal care standards are being met. Learn more about farm animal welfare laws in Canada.

Other types of fur farming

Currently, only mink and chinchilla are farmed for fur in British Columbia. However, there is no ban on farming animals like foxes in our province, meaning someone could apply for a permit to start up a fox farm if they wanted to. From January to March 2021, over 7,000 people signed a federal petition supporting a nationwide ban on fur farming for all species of animals, and we hope to see federal action on this important issue.

Fur in fashion

In B.C., coyotes, rabbits, raccoons, mink, beaver, foxes and many other animals are killed for their fur. Not all items made in Canada containing fur are required to be labelled as such. This means handbags, toys, shoes or other items could be made of real fur without you knowing. Not only is fur used in fashion, but also in the cosmetic industry. Mink fur is harvested and used for human eyelash extensions, called mink lashes.

There is no guarantee that "faux" fur coats and other clothing items do not contain real fur to some extent, and some fur products imported and sold in Canada may even be made from cats or dogs.

Leg hold traps or snares often used by trappers are still legal in B.C. when used within 200 meters of a dwelling, despite their inherently inhumane nature. Even the trappers' "humane trapping" methods allow animals to suffer for up to 72 hours on trap lines before they are checked. In June 2021, after mounting public pressure, Canada Goose joined many other international brands and committed to going fur free in 2022.

Additional resources:

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After four COVID-19 outbreaks on B.C. mink farms, tell the provincial government to act now to end fur farming! Your voice is needed to prevent animal suffering and protect the public from new viral mutations. There is no such thing as "humane", "ethical" or "animal-friendly" fur when it comes to fashion.

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The Ugly Truth About the Fur Industry, Fur Farms and Fur Trapping

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Learn about the ugly truth about the fur industry, fur farms and fur trapping. The fur industry causes unimaginable suffering and cruelty to animals today.

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The Ugly Truth About the Fur Industry, Fur Farms and Fur Trapping

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March 2019

This article takes a high-level perspective of the regulation of the fur farming industry in Canada, with a specific focus on the predominant fur-bearing species raised on fur farms in Canada: minks and foxes. ¹

Canada's robust fur trade saw over 2.3 million minks and foxes bred on fur farms in 2017, ² generating approximately $800 million dollars. ³ As of 2017, there were over 200 mink and fox fur farms across Canada, which produced over 2 million pelts. ⁴ Even now, there is a trend towards the use of mink fur in eyelash extensions. However, despite the size of the industry, the legislative framework is surprisingly inconsistent and often under-regulated. For example, the labelling of fur items is not a requirement in Canada. This means that products may contain fur without indication, and items advertised as "faux" fur may contain real fur.

Fur farming in Canada, when regulated by law, is done so provincially rather than nationally. There is no federal legislation governing fur-farmed animals. 5 Therefore, the focus of this overview will be on the three provinces which currently have the largest fur farming operations: Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia.
Ontario
Ontario is the second largest producer of mink and fox pelts, with close to 400,000 mink and fox pelts produced in 2017. ⁶ Given its prominence in the Canadian fur market, it may be surprising that there is currently no legislation regarding the wellbeing and treatment of fur-bearing animals bred on fur farms in Ontario. Ontario is far from an outlier in this regard; there is also an absence of such legislation in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories.

Since the Fur Farms Act ⁷ was repealed in 1997, there have been no specific protections for animals on fur farms. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (" OSPCAA") ⁸ says that its standard of care regulation does not apply to any "activity carried on in accordance with reasonable and generally accepted practices of agricultural animal care, management or husbandry". The generally accepted practices are, in effect, set by the industry and amount to self-regulation. While there are codes of practice put in place by the National Farm Animal Care Council since they have not been adopted into law, they do not have any legal significance, and thus are little more than possible guidelines for when the Crown may prosecute. Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province which has codified the Codes of Practice. ⁹

However, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ("OSPCA") could use them as proof that particular behaviour is contrary to the OSPCAA by showing that the behaviour caused the animal distress without being part of the normal reasonable practices of a fur farm. A breach like this would be under the jurisdiction of the Police or the OSPCA. OSPCA inspectors "have the same authority as police officers when enforcing animal-cruelty laws". 10 However, the "[O]SPCA operates on a complaints basis" so the organization must first be notified before it can act as there are no laws mandating regular inspections of fur farms. 11 Because fur farming is not regularly inspected, instances of cruelty are often only discovered by activists. ¹²

In a situation where a complaint is made, and the OSPCA subsequently determines there is an issue, the organization can lay charges under animal cruelty laws under either the provincial OSPCAA or the federal Criminal Code of Canada (" Criminal Code"). ¹³ Enforcement officials may choose to lay charges under the OSPCAA, the Criminal Code, or both. As a general rule, provincial laws are usually broader and provide stronger protections for animals than the Criminal Code. Unlike the Criminal Code, the OSPCAA includes specific standards of care. ¹⁴ When Jean-Luc Rodier became the first fur farmer in Canadian history to be charged with animal cruelty charges, the Quebec SPCA was only able to act because some of the animals were in circumstances that rose to the level of breaching the Criminal Code. There was no mechanism under the Codes of Practice to bring an action against him. ¹⁵

However, even this system in Ontario is currently in a state of flux. In January 2019, a judge of the Superior Court found that the OSPCAA was unconstitutional and violated section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the 1982 addition to the Canadian Constitution), which guarantees the right of everyone to life, liberty, and security of the person. The judge believed it was unconstitutional because it policed animal cruelty complaints using a private not-for-profit organization. This decision is being appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal, however, a couple of months later, in March 2019, the OSPCA released a letter it wrote to the Ontario Provincial Government ending is role enforcing the OSPCAA as of June 28, 2019, and requesting that all complaints made regarding livestock be sent to the police. ¹⁶ The OSPCA has expressed concern regarding the limited funding they were provided and the safety of their officers who would be required to enter businesses with no weapon or backup. The OSPCA expects to fulfil more of a support role going forward, however, how the system will look beginning in June 2019 and beyond is entirely up to the Ontario Government.
British Columbia
British Columbia produced 330,011 mink pelts in December 2017. ¹⁷ Although the province does not contain any fox fur farms, it still represents the third largest producer of pelts in Canada.

Unlike Ontario, British Columbia does have codified regulations in place to regulate the fur farm industry under the Animal Health Act 18 and Fur Farm Regulations (" Regulations"). ¹⁹ The province has also legislated a number of offences in section 19 of the Regulations. Licensing of fur farms is regulated under the Regulations, and licensees are required to renew their licenses annually. ²⁰

British Columbia, like all of the Canadian provinces, is also subject to the Codes of Practice. However, as noted above, enforceability of the Codes of Practice is problematic as there is no required monitoring in place, nor are the standards set by the Codes of Practice mandatory under British Columbia law. ²¹

Despite British Columbia having a much more regulated fur farming industry than Ontario, there has still been significant criticism regarding the British Columbia regime. Section 7 of the Regulations, which deals with the health of fur-bearing animals on fur farms, has come under scrutiny from the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ("BCSPCA") for being too vague. 22 Compounding this issue is the fact that there is "no third party or auditing system of mink farms" to ensure compliance with the Regulations and Codes of Practice. As in Ontario, the BCSPCA can only inspect fur farms once a complaint has been made.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is the nation's largest producer of mink and fox pelts, with over 1.1 million pelts produced in 2017. ²³

In addition to the uncodified standards set out by the Codes of Practice, the province's fur farm industry is regulated by the Fur Industry Act. 24 Nova Scotia is also the only province with environmental laws related to fur farming, which were enacted in 2013. 25 The environmental regulations were introduced after years of lax regulations allowed fur farmers to dispose of manure, extra feed and carcasses into the province's wetlands, and run-off from the farms polluted lakes. 26 This led to high-algae concentration in natural bodies of water causing water quality surveys to determine that watersheds had been highly degraded. ²⁷

Nova Scotia's Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ("NSSPCA") has much broader powers than its counterparts in Ontario and Quebec. Under section 18A (1) of the Animal Protection Act, ²⁸ the NSSPCA has the power to inspect premises where animals are kept for slaughter, sale, food production, etc. In two Court of Appeal decisions ²⁹ interpreting the Animal Protection Act, ³⁰ which applies to both minks and foxes, the courts found that the Act is meant to protect animals, not owners or farmers.
International Approach
Internationally, it is arguable that Canada is trailing behind modern approaches to animal welfare. To the south, California recently passed Proposition 12 which will legislate various animal welfare regulations, including prohibiting the sale of certain animal products produced from animals held in cages that are too small. ³¹ Although the animals included under Proposition 12 do not include animals bred for their fur, the legislation still is indicative of a movement towards greater concern for providing codified guidelines for animal wellbeing. The size of cages on fur farms in Canada has been contentious, and conceivably an under-regulated, issue.

In Europe, countries such as Switzerland and Germany have introduced strict welfare requirements to protect animals bred for their fur. 32 Many other countries have opted to phase out, or completely ban, fur farming on ethical grounds. ³³ Most recently, Norway, one of the world's predominant contributors to the export of fur, announced plans to phase out fur farming by 2025. ³⁴
Conclusion
As is evident from the overview of the regulation (or lack thereof) of the fur farming industry in Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, there is a distinct lack of consistency between provinces. In each province reviewed in this article, there have been instances of animal cruelty left unchecked for long periods, and environmental degradation, where the legal regulations were insufficiently strong or administered. In comparison to the international trend towards the humane treatment of animals bred for their fur, Canada has fallen behind.

For this reason, the recent upheaval in Ontario could be beneficial, as it will give the Ontario Provincial Legislature an opportunity to thoughtfully redraft the legislation and hopefully put in place more protections for animals kept for husbandry and agriculture.

1. Fur Institute of Canada, "Overview of the Fur farming Industry" October 1, 2015.

2. Elizabeth McSheffrey, "Behind bars: Canada's fur-farmed mink and fox", Canada's National Observer (November 18, 2015), [Behind Bars].

3. Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0116-01:Supply and disposition of mink and fox on fur farms, [StatsCan].

4. R.S.O. 1990, c. F.37.

5. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.36.

6. Behind Bars, supra note 3.

7. Ontario SPCA, "Report Animal Cruelty".

8. See: Julien Gignac, "'This is not normal': Ontario mink farm charged with animal cruelty after activists go undercover", The Star (12 May 2018); Sharmeen Somani, "Animal rights group accuses a Battersea farmer for neglect and cruelty", Global News (4 November 2018); "OSPCA following up on complaints against Ontario fur farms, including one in Clarington", Durham Radio News, (29 January 2018).

9. R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46.

10. Humane Canada, "Provincial Legislation".

11. Rene Bruemmer, "Montérégie fox and mink fur farmer found guilty of animal cruelty", Montreal Gazette, (21 November 2017); "'Horrific conditions' at Quebec fur farm: SPCA", CTV News, (14 August 2014); "A Quebec first: Fur farm owner charged with cruelty, negligence", CBC News, (10 November 2014).

12. "OSPCA tells Ontario government it will no longer enforce animal cruelty laws", CBC News, (Mar 4, 2019).

13. [SBC 2014] chapter 16.

14. B.C. Reg. 8/2015.

15. BCSPCA, "Facts About Fur",

16. Behind Bars, supra note 3.

17. Chapter 4, 2012, c. 58.

18. Fur Industry Regulations, N.S. Reg. 106/2015.

19. Judith Lavoie, "Mink Farm Pollution Key Culprit in Rendering Nova Scotia Lakes Unswimmable: Report," The Narwhal, 15 Aug. 2014.

20. Chapter 33 of the Acts of 2008, c. 45; Bill no. 27, Animal Protection Act, 2nd Sess, 63rd Gen Ass, Nova Scotia, 2018.

21. Nova Scotia(Agriculture) v. Rocky Top Farm, 2017 NSCA 2; Brennan v. Nova Scotia (Agriculture), 2017 NSCA 3.

22. NS 2008, C. 33; Bill no. 27, Animal Protection Act, 2nd Sess, 63rd Gen Ass, Nova Scotia, 2018.

23. Proposition 12.

24. "Global Fur Farm Bans", Humane Society International.

25. Glen Whiffen, "Norway's ban on fur farming comes as surprise in Newfoundland and elsewhere" The Telegram (19 January 2018).

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An Overview of the Regulation of Fur Farming in Canada - McCague Borlack LLP

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March 2019 This article takes a high-level perspective of the regulation of the fur farming industry in Canada, with a specific focus on the predominant fur-bearing species raised on fur farms in Canada: minks and foxes. 1 Canada's robust fur trade saw over 2.3 million minks and foxes bred on fur farms in 2017, 2 generating approximately $800 million dollars.

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Starting in the late 1880s a new industry developed in Canada, as animals of various species began to be bred in captivity for their fur.

Fox farming started on Prince Edward Island during the 1890's. Sir Charles Dalton and Robert Oulton, two fur industry pioneers, began the domestication of fox when they started the world's first fox farm using fox pups obtained from the wild.

The first mink farming attempts in Canada took place during 1866-87 by Patterson Bros in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Other species of furbearers that were farmed at that time included raccoon, marten, and lynx.

Up to the 1910s, fur farming was predominantly in the Maritime Provinces, but the industry rapidly developed in Ontario and Quebec and a few isolated fur farms could also be found in the Western provinces.

Today, there are fur farms in nearly all provinces but are mostly located in Nova Scotia, Ontario, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Québec.

The two main furbearing animal species currently raised on farms are the mink (Neovison vison, also known as Mustela vison) and the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes). Limited amounts of chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger) are also produced.

The fox and mink farming industries contribute to the Canadian economy . Although figures vary from year to year, in 2010 approximately 72% of Canadian furs came from farming operations. In Canada that year, over 2.6 million pelts were produced by fur farms with a value of $192.5 million .* Collectively, the fur industry contributes nearly $1 billion annually to Canada's economy.

Fur farming also helps to maintain rural communities, at a time when modern, highly efficient food production technologies are reducing farming populations in many regions.

Mink and foxes have been raised on farms in North America for well over a century. They have been selectively bred for more than eighty generations for such characteristics as size, fur quality and color, but also for disease resistance, ease-of-handling and other desirable production traits. This is the same way our important breeds of cattle, poultry and other domestic livestock were developed.

Fur farming is labour intensive and requires both hard work and dedication. Animals must be cared for, fed and watered every day. Animal health and fur quality are priorities and require keeping extensive healthcare and breeding records. The animals also need specialized housing, a balanced diet, clean surroundings and proper care and handling.

Scientific research on nutrition and animal diseases along with modern veterinary care, have significantly improved the health and quality of farmed furbearers over the years. The main components of feed are wastes and by-products from the commercial meat, poultry, egg and fishing industries - meat and other by products which would not be used for human consumption. The diet may be supplemented with industrial fish (as fishmeal), vegetable protein and cereals plus certain minerals and vitamins.

The fur trade also supports advanced "ethological" research, to determine how housing designs and other factors influence the well-being of farmed mink and foxes. Fur farm research projects have been and continue to be undertaken at universities and research centers in Canada, Denmark, Finland and Norway, and in the U.S.

Fur farmers, as with all farmers, have environmental best management practices to follow and must adhere to environmental laws and regulations. Requirements vary from province to province, but all address manure management and waste disposal, air and water quality, biodiversity protection and other land stewardship measures.

Canadian fur farmers also operate under provincial and territorial legislation and national Codes of Practice covering animal welfare. The Recommended Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals include mink and ranched fox, and were developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council.

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Overview of the Fur farming Industry - Fur Institute of Canada

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Starting in the late 1880s a new industry developed in Canada, as animals of various species began to be bred in captivity for their fur. Fox farming started on Prince Edward Island during the 1890's. Sir Charles Dalton and Robert Oulton, two fur industry pioneers, began the domestication of fox when they started the world's [...]

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overpriced

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unethical & inhumane, linked to COVID 19 outbreaks

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Fur farm conditions

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Animal Cruelty