An animal-welfare advocate says an inspection system is needed to monitor the condition of livestock that goes to auction in the province.

The call comes as the B.C. government embarks on an effort to update the province’s aging animal-health legislation.

“Surveillance of auctions in particular would be excellent if they were interested in putting that into place,” said Geoff Urton, B.C. SPCA animal welfare manager.

Urton said there isn’t a clear enough picture available of scope of the health and welfare problems such animals as cattle encounter at the privately run auctions.

But he said there are risks from a range of infectious diseases and other forms of illness when animals endure the stress of transportation and are housed in close quarters.

“Ontario has full-time livestock inspectors who do that and we don’t have anything like that in B.C. but we definitely need it,” he told the Straight by phone.

B.C. chief veterinary officer Paul Kitching said the province licenses animal auctions but does not have a system in place for inspections.

On Tuesday (November 23), the Ministry of Agriculture launched a 60-day review of the Animal Disease Control Act and related policies. The public is being asked for input.

Kitching told the Straight by phone that the review will help the province bring its legislation around disease prevention and control in line with the rest of the country.

He said the 50-year-old legislation is outdated and doesn’t address a range of diseases nor reflect the relationship between provincial and federal authorities.

“There’s a whole spectrum of disease which aren’t mentioned, aren’t included, weren’t even identified possibly in those days.”