Livestock Predation

Livestock and poultry producers are entitled to make claims to their local municipality for livestock or poultry injuries and kills due to predation by coyotes, dogs, wolves and other wildlife under the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program.

What to Do

1. Notify a nearby Municipal Predation Investigator (Livestock Valuer) within 48 hours of discovering the injury or death of your livestock or poultry;
2. Preserve the injury/kill site. Do not move, destroy or dispose of the carcass(es) or evidence until the investigator agrees it/they can be disposed of or destroyed. An exception may be made if this contravenes Ontario Regulation 106/09 of the Nutrient Management Act, 2002.To preserve the site, avoid walking in or around the area, place a tarp over the carcass(es), add lime around the site, and take photos of the injuries/carcass(es) and scene;
3. If an animal sustained an injury, immediately seek veterinary care or other humane treatment options to prevent further suffering. Veterinary care costs are eligible under this program up to the Fair Market Value of the livestock. All receipts and invoices should be saved and submitted with the application.

The Claim Process

The Predation Investigator has 72 hours from when they are contacted to attend on-site and investigate the predation claim. They will complete a written report and submit it to the City Clerk's Office within seven business days. The report will detail the type of predator, extent of damage to the livestock or poultry, at least three pictures of the site, and any other evidence to support the report and claim.

Producers are required to provide a valid Farm Business Registration Number, Premises ID Number, and Social Insurance Number to the Predation Investigator, to be included in this report. The livestock owner may also submit additional evidence to support the application such as past sales receipts, breeding records, registration documents, or other photos.

A copy of the report will be mailed to the livestock owner when they received it from the Predation Investigator in the City Clerk's Office.

The City Clerk's Office will forward the report and evidence as supplied by the Predation Investigator to OMAFRA who will review the application. If eligible, a compensation amount will be assigned and the owner will be informed directly by OMAFRA of their decision within 30 business days of submitting a complete application.

Maximum amounts of compensation have been set by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and can be found on the OMAFRA website. 

The livestock owner has a right to appeal OMAFRA's decision. If no appeal is filed within 20 business days of the compensation amount being assigned, OMAFRA will notify the City to reimburse the livestock owner.

For more information please contact:

Office of the City Clerk
26 Francis Street, P.O. Box 9000, Lindsay, ON K9V 4R5
705-324-9411 extension 1341 or 1342
E-mail the Office of the City Clerk

What Is the Municipal Livestock Predation Investigator?

The municipal livestock predation investigators are appointed by by-law in Kawartha Lakes and are responsible for:

• Carrying out a full and impartial investigation within 72 hours of receiving the notification of the injury or death of livestock or poultry.

• Taking three to six colour photos per eligible kill/injury incurred and collecting all necessary information to accurately complete the application.

• Municipal investigators are responsible for providing a completed program application to the municipality within seven business days of completing an investigation.

Municipal Investigators typically have several years of experience in some of the following fields:

• raising livestock,
• livestock valuation,
• veterinary care, and/or
• wildlife tracking and identification.

Experienced Municipal Investigators will be able to provide an opinion on whether the death of livestock (eg: cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, etc.) at a farming operation occurred either by:

• a wild animal (eg: coyote, bear, raccoon etc.),
• a dog or other domestic animal,
• natural causes, or
• unknown sources due to lack of evidence and/or scavenging.

Municipal Investigators all are required to sign a Code of Conduct and Ethics establishing a foundation for acceptable behaviour, conduct and actions.