Charges Laid in Missing Sheep Case

December 5, 2012, Guelph:  The CFIA has just announced that criminal charges have been laid following an investigation into the removal of 31 Shropshire sheep from a federally quarantined farm in Eastern Ontario on or about April 2, 2012.

The Canadian Sheep Federation supports the continued actions of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in relation to this case, and continues to support national scrapie eradication measures in the interest of controlling the disease and protecting the remainder of the national sheep flock.  Scrapie eradication is essential to the long-term sustainability of the Canadian sheep industry.  “The actions taken during the course of this scrapie investigation have jeopardized the health and safety of the national flock” said Andrew Gordanier, Chairman of the Canadian Sheep Federation, adding that “as regrettable as the situation is, this type of criminal activism is not endorsed by a progressive sheep industry”.

Scrapie is a devastating neurological disease affecting sheep and goats.  A positive case of scrapie can mean a significant loss for producers as well as the industry.  The epidemiology of the disease makes it difficult to detect and control the spread of scrapie, and as such all known and suspect cases need to be controlled in the interest of protecting the remainder of the domestic sheep population. Scrapie also plays a significant role in market access.  Disease eradication efforts are essential to building a robust trade based industry that will support the vibrancy and long-term sustainability of the Canadian livestock industries.

The Canadian Sheep Federation remains dedicated to eradicating scrapie from Canada and in doing so works to protect the national flock and create ever-improving market access opportunities.

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