Chief Veterinary Officers collaborating across government to provide trusted leadership in animal health and welfare for Canadians.
Our mission as the Council of Chief Veterinary Officers (CCVO) is to serve the public good by providing strategic direction through an integrated One Health approach, scientific assessment, information sharing and consensus building across governments.
Areas of Emphasis
One Health Focused
The CCVO ensures a collaborative approach across jurisdictions and disciplines when addressing animal, human and ecosystem health issues across Canada.
Regulatory Animal Health and Welfare
The CCVO works collaboratively with government and non-government stakeholders to strengthen the animal health and welfare regulatory framework across Provinces.
Veterinary Leadership
The CCVO is a source of scientifically based information for animal health and welfare stakeholders and works to coordinate and advise on nation-wide policies.
The CCVO spans across Canada to include the Chief Veterinary Officer from federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada. CVOs are government and veterinary leaders with the full responsibility to protect and promote animal health, prevent and respond to reportable animal diseases, and also have primary or secondary responsibilities in animal welfare, wildlife, environment, public health and food safety in each province.
Recent Work
CCVO Position Statement: Testing of Animals SARS-CoV-2
The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is a human health crisis. The spread of COVID-19 is being driven by human-to-human transmission. Currently, there is no evidence that animals play any significant role in propagation of the pandemic.
Impacts to livestock and poultry associated with unauthorized entry to agricultural premises
In response to recent incidents of animal activism involving Canadian swine and poultry operations and the subsequent decisions of certain jurisdictions to develop legislation to address the risks related to activism on agricultural premises, the CCVO embarked on the development of a position statement.
Chronic Wasting Disease White Paper: Alternative Disease Control Options
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) represents a serious threat to free-ranging and farmed cervids and their associated economies. It is a disease of national importance with concerns regarding animal health, wildlife population sustainability, and food safety and security, particularly for rural Canadians, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.