Public Notice – AFAC Closure

Alberta Farm Animal Care Association (AFAC) was started in 1993 by Alberta livestock producers. Throughout the past 30 years, AFAC has developed into the collective voice of the livestock industry on matters of livestock welfare and provided an opportunity for the industry to work together to advance and promote responsible livestock care. AFAC’s vision was to ensure farm animals in Alberta are respected, well-cared for, and experience a high state of welfare through collaboration with and support of our members. Our mission was to promote best practices in care and handling, by working collaboratively towards continual improvement in responsible livestock care, and engaging the public to build trust through transparency.

While involved in many projects over the years, we have been especially proud of the Livestock Emergency Trailers developed together with Alberta counties, the ALERT line, and many informational programs and resources, including most recently Urban Hens and the Alberta BEE program.

AFAC has been hit hard in recent months, including a lack of government funding. Though the Board heard from members and supporters that AFAC and the ALERT Line were important to Alberta’s livestock welfare and organizations, numerous funding sources were investigated and exhausted. Therefore the Board made the prudent decision to dissolve AFAC immediately, closing March 1, 2024.

Work is underway to transition current activities and resources to other partners, including the ALERT Line.

This is by no means the conclusion we wished to see happen, but the Board feels this is the responsible action to follow. We are saddened to see our organization come to an end, but we are proud of the work AFAC and its staff has done over the years.

We would like to acknowledge the great work of AFAC to support farmed animal health and welfare in Alberta over the years, and to express our gratitude to staff, contractors, members, and supporters for your engagement and participation.

Sincerely,

M. Gisler
Chair
Alberta Farm Animal Care