Fur Farms Act

FUR FARMS ACT Chapter F‑30 Table of Contents 1 Definitions 2 Supervisor 3 Access to premises to inspect 4 Licence required 5 Application for licence 6 Issuance of licence 7 Expiry and renewal of licence 8 Licence for beaver and muskrat 9 Conditions of operating fur farm 10 Health restrictions on imported animals 11 Death or sickness of animals 12 Quarantine 13 Export permit 14 Dogs 15 Returns 16 General penalty 17 Licence fees 18 Regulations HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows: Definitions 1 In this Act, (a) “fur‑bearing animal” means an animal prescribed by the regulations as a fur‑bearing animal; (b) “fur farm” means a place, other than permit premises, within the meaning of the Wildlife Act , covered by a permit under that Act authorizing the keeping of fur‑bearing animals in captivity, where 2 or more fur‑bearing animals are kept in captivity for the purposes of breeding, reproduction and pelting whether or not the fur‑bearing animals or their pelts are offered for sale; (c) “licence” means a licence to keep a fur farm issued under this Act; (d) “Minister” means the Minister determined under section 16 of the Government Organization Act as the Minister responsible for this Act; (e) “Supervisor” means the person appointed as Supervisor of Fur Farms pursuant to section 2. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s1;1984 c20 s2;1984 cW‑9.1 s99; 1994 cG‑8.5 s88 Supervisor 2 (1) In accordance with the Public Service Act , there may be appointed a Supervisor of Fur Farms and any inspectors and other employees necessary for the administration of this Act. (2) The Supervisor shall administer this Act under the control of the Minister. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s2 Access to premises to inspect 3 (1) An inspector appointed under section 2 may enter at any reasonable hour any building and premises used as a fur farm, other than a private dwelling house, to inspect them and the fur‑bearing animals. (2) When acting under the authority of this Act, an inspector shall carry identification in a form prescribed by the Minister and show it on request to the owner or operator of a building or premises referred to in subsection (1). (3) If it appears to a judge of the Court of Justice or a justice of the peace, on information laid before the judge or justice of the peace on oath, that there are reasonable and probable grounds for believing that a private dwelling house within the jurisdiction of the judge or justice of the peace contains a fur farm, the judge or justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorizing a peace officer, with or without an inspector, to enter the private dwelling house, by force if necessary, for the purpose of inspecting the fur farm and the fur‑bearing animals. (4) Before entering a private dwelling house pursuant to this section, a peace officer shall take reasonable steps to find the owner or person in charge of it and shall endeavour to obtain the co‑operation of that person. (5) When a peace officer uses force in entering or searching a private dwelling house, the peace officer shall use no more force than is reasonably required under the circumstances. RSA 2000 cF‑30 s3;2008 c32 s15;AR 75/2023 Licence required 4 No person shall operate a fur farm unless the person is the holder of a licence in respect of that farm. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s3 Application for licence 5 (1) An application for a licence shall be made to the Supervisor in the prescribed form. (2) The applicant shall furnish the Supervisor with any information that the Supervisor requires about the farm for which the licence is desired. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s4 Issuance of licence 6 (1) On compliance with this Act and the regulations and on payment of the licence fee, the Supervisor shall issue a licence to the applicant. (2) A licence shall state the name and address of the licensee, the location of the fur farm in respect of which the licence is issued, the species of fur‑bearing animal intended to be kept and the number of animals for which there is accommodation at the farm. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s5;1994 c23 s20 Expiry and renewal of licence 7 (1) A licence expires on August 31 following the date on which it is issued. (2) On or before the date a licence expires, the licensee shall make a report to the Supervisor in the prescribed form. (3) No person shall be granted a renewal of a licence until the person has made all the returns and reports required by this Act and the regulations. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s6 Licence for beaver and muskrat 8 The Supervisor shall not issue a licence with respect to beaver or muskrat unless the applicant has the written permission of the Minister responsible for the Wildlife Act authorizing the applicant to retain the beaver or muskrat in the area where the applicant proposes to operate the fur farm. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s7;1984 cW‑9.1 s99 Conditions of operating fur farm 9 (1) A person who keeps fur‑bearing animals in captivity on a fur farm shall maintain the premises in which the animals are kept in a clean and sanitary condition. (2) A person who keeps fur‑bearing animals in captivity on a fur farm shall ensure that the pens and enclosures in which the animals are kept are adequately constructed and maintained to prevent the fur‑bearing animals from escaping and to prevent other animals from entering. (3) No person shall set any fur‑bearing animal on a fur farm loose to run at large. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s8;1984 cW‑9.1 s99 Health restrictions on imported animals 10 (1) If fur‑bearing animals are to be imported into Alberta, the Director of the Animal Industry Division of the Department administered by the Minister may require a certificate of health issued by a person who is, in the opinion of the Director, a qualified veterinarian, to be attached to the bill of lading accompanying each consignment of animals. (2) The Minister may refuse entry into Alberta of an animal or a consignment of animals that is, in the Minister’s opinion, carrying a contagious or infectious disease. (3) A consignment of fur‑bearing animals imported into Alberta shall be kept in an isolation pen at least 15 metres from other animals for a period of 30 days. RSA 2000 cF‑30 s10;RSA 2000 c18(Supp) s3;2013 c10 s14; 2022 c21 s33 Death or sickness of animals 11 (1) A person who keeps fur‑bearing animals in captivity on a fur farm shall forthwith report to the Supervisor any outbreak of sickness or disease. (2) A report under subsection (1) shall be made on a form furnished by the Supervisor. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s10;1984 cW‑9.1 s99 Quarantine 12 (1) When the Supervisor has reason to believe that there is on a fur farm a fur‑bearing animal that has contracted a contagious or infectious disease, the Supervisor may order the fur farm into quarantine. (2) When the Supervisor has ordered a fur farm into quarantine, the Supervisor shall cause a quarantine notice to be posted on the entrance to the enclosure surrounding the buildings or pens containing the animals. (3) No person shall remove a quarantine notice posted pursuant to subsection (2) until the date of expiration shown on the notice. (4) During the period that a fur farm is quarantined pursuant to this section, no person shall remove from the farm any animals or equipment other than animals consigned to a laboratory for examination. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s11 Export permit 13 (1) No licensee shall export from Alberta any skin or pelt taken from a fur‑bearing animal raised on the licensee’s fur farm unless the licensee holds an export permit for the skin or pelt granted by the Supervisor. (2) An application for an export permit shall set out the information that the Supervisor requires and shall be accompanied with the applicant’s licence. (3) The Supervisor shall endorse the particulars of the export permit on the fur farm licence. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s12 Dogs 14 An owner or caretaker of fur‑bearing animals kept on a fur farm for any purpose pursuant to a licence issued under this Act may kill any dog found on the premises near the enclosure in which the fur‑bearing animals are kept if the dog is terrifying the fur‑bearing animals by giving tongue, barking or otherwise. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s13 Returns 15 Every licensee shall keep the records and books and make the returns to the Supervisor that are prescribed by the regulations. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s14 General penalty 16 (1) A person who contravenes this Act is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $5000. (2) A person who contravenes the regulations is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $2000. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s15;1998 c2 s4 Licence fees 17 The Minister may by order establish the fees to be paid for licences. 1994 c23 s20 Regulations 18 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations (a) prescribing the forms to be used for the purposes of this Act; (b) prescribing the measures to be taken by a licensee for the purpose of maintaining the licensee’s premises in a sanitary condition and for the control of disease of the fur‑bearing animals on a farm; (c) prescribing the records and books to be kept by licensees and prescribing the returns to be made to the Supervisor; (d) designating any fur‑bearing animals or non‑licence animals, within the meaning of the Wildlife Act , as fur‑bearing animals for the purposes of this Act. RSA 1980 cF‑23 s16;1984 c20 s5;1984 cW‑9.1 s99; 1994 c23 s20;1996 c33 s75