top of page

APPENDIX B: ANIMAL RESCUE STANDARDS DEFINITIONS

Animal:  Any animal other than a human being

 

Abandoned animal: 

 

  • Is apparently ownerless and not running at large; 

  • Is found on rented premises after the expiration or termination of the tenancy agreement; 

  • Is found on premises after the owner has sold or vacated the premises; 

  • Or by agreement between the animal’s owner and another person, has been left in the care of the other person and has not been retrieved from the other person more than 4 days after the agreed-on retrieval time.

 

(Taken from The Animal Protection Act, 2018: https://pubsaskdev.blob.core.windows.net/pubsask-prod/108937/A21-2.pdf)

​

Animal welfare: 

 

  • Means the physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies.

  • An animal experiences good welfare if the animal is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, is not suffering from unpleasant states such a pain, fear and distress, and is able to express behaviours that are important for its physical and mental state.

  • Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and appropriate veterinary care, shelter, management and nutrition, a stimulating and safe environment, humane handling and humane slaughter or killing. While animal welfare refers to the state of the animal, the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment.


(Taken from Chapter 7.1 Introduction to the Recommendations for Animal Welfare, Terrestrial Animal Health Code: https://www.oie.int/index.php?id=169&L=0&htmfile=chapitre_aw_introduction.htm)

​

At-risk animals: Animals which are at higher risk for contracting disease, such as unvaccinated or immunocompromised animals.

​

Bite wound: A wound or puncture leading to a break in integrity of the skin resultant to the biting by an animal.


Canine core vaccines:

  • Canine Adenovirus (CAV)

  • Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) 

  • Canine Parvovirus (CPV-2) 

  • Rabies Vaccine (RV)

​

Caregiver: An individual who agrees to care for an animal, including employees and volunteers.

​

Capacity for Care (C4C): Management model that helps shelters better meet the needs of the animals in their facility. It creates the conditions necessary to provide shelter animals with the Five Freedoms, thereby improving the welfare of the individual animals.

​

Taken from Humane Canada: https://www.humanecanada.ca/capacity_for_care

Formulae for calculation: https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/4-guidelines-calculate-your-capacity-care-https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/resources/?r=overview-of-capacity-for-care-c4c

​

Dangerous animal: A dangerous animal is one that:

​

  • Without provocation and in a vicious manner, approached a person or domestic animal in an apparent attitude or attack;

  • Is known to attack without provocation;

  • Has bitten or attacked a person or domestic animal without provocation; and

  • Is owned primarily for the purpose of fighting or is trained for fighting.


(Taken from Animal Control: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/municipal-administration/tools-guides-and-resources/animal-control#dangerous-animals)

​

Enrichment: A process for improving the environment and behavioural care of animals within the context of their behavioural needs.


(Modified from A Code of Practice for Canadian Kennel Operations: https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/Code-of-Practice-for-Canadian-Kennel-Operations)

 

Feline Core Vaccines:

  • Feline Calicivirus (FCV)

  • Feline Herpesvirus (FVR) 

  • Feline Panleukopenia (FPV)

  • Rabies Virus (RV) 

​

Kitten:  A cat under the age of 8 months

​

Legally required hold time: The time period required by law to hold an animal that is seized, abandoned, stray, etc. This time period will depend upon the applicable legislation, such as The Animal Protection Act, The Stray Animals Act, or local bylaws. The legislation that applies depends upon why the animal is being held and the location of the animal within the province.

​

Legal status of an animal: Refers to who has authority to make decisions about the care of an animal.

 

Notifiable disease: Federally notifiable diseases are exotic to Canada and typically have no control or eradication program. Only laboratories are required to contact the CFIA regarding the suspicion or diagnosis of one of these diseases. 

 

​

  • Provincially notifiable diseases are those that require monitoring for trade purposes, or to help the industry detect or understand their presence. Anyone who knows or ought to know that a notifiable disease is present in an animal must report it within 24 hours to the office of the Chief Veterinary Officer.

​

 

Policies: Guiding principles of the organization designed to reach certain objectives. 

 

Population: Refers to the entire group of animals housed by an organization or person.

 

Pregnancy:  The physiological condition of the female from the moment of fertilization until the birth of the fetus.

 

Procedures: Step-by-step instructions that describe how a policy will be put into action.

 

Protocols: Defines a set of operational procedures to ensure there is a well-defined method of performing a specific task or range of tasks. Protocols set a precedence or standard for how tasks should be completed.

​

(Policies/protocols/procedures definitions modified from https://www.proceduresonline.com/LimitedCMS_centrally_managed_content/swcpp/shared_files/difference_between_pol_strat_proc_prot.pdf)

 

Puppy:  A dog less than 12 months of age

 

Rabies:  Rabies is a zoonotic, viral disease spread to people and animals through exposure to saliva, bites or scratches. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal.

 

Rabies Quarantine:  This is the period of isolation and monitoring for signs of rabies post exposure to the Rabies virus. The period can range from 0 days in pets up-to-date on vaccines, to 3 months in pets with vaccination history, and up to a maximum of 6 months in unvaccinated animals. Contact your local veterinarian for post-exposure rabies vaccination protocols. 

​

Reportable disease: Federally reportable diseases are usually of significant importance to human or animal health or to the Canadian economy. Animal owners, veterinarians and laboratories are required to immediately report the presence of an animal that is contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with one of these diseases to a CFIA district veterinarian. 

​

 

  • Provincially reportable diseases are those that require actions to be taken for prevention, control or eradication of the disease. Anyone who knows or ought to know that a notifiable disease is present in an animal must report it within 24 hours to the office of the Chief Veterinary Officer. 

 

 

Veterinarian: A registered member of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association who is in good standing and who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Saskatchewan.


(Taken from The Animal Protection Act, 2018: https://pubsaskdev.blob.core.windows.net/pubsask-prod/108937/A21-2.pdf)

​

Whelping:  The process of a dog giving birth to puppies or a cat giving birth to kittens. 

 

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS): Detailed plan for the safe use of hazardous materials at work. 


(Taken from WorkSafe Saskatchewan: http://www.worksafesask.ca/prevention/whmis/)

 

Zoonotic disease: Disease caused by infections that spread between animals and people.


(Taken from https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html)
 

up.png
bottom of page