Overview

The Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP) provides financial assistance to eligible owners whose:

  • livestock or poultry was killed or injured as a result of eligible wildlife predation (wildlife attack)
  • bee colonies, beehives or bee-hive related equipment was damaged by eligible wildlife

This page provides a summary to help livestock and poultry owners through the process of making a claim under the OWDCP. Read the details in the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program guidelines.

Eligibility

To apply for the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program you must have:

  • a Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN), which must be valid at the time the damage or kill occurred
  • a valid Premises Identification (PID) number for the farm property where the damage or kill occurred
  • a confirmation letter from the Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario (IAPO)

If you do not have either of these numbers and do not have a FBRN exemption, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) may request the missing required information.

What to do when you find injured or killed livestock

Step 1 - ensure animal well-being

If an animal is injured, immediately seek veterinary care or other treatment to prevent further suffering.

If the animal is severely injured due to an attack, it should be euthanized according to the Code of Practice for the species to prevent further suffering before the investigator arrives.

Veterinary care costs are eligible under this program up to the Fair Market Value of the livestock. Costs related to a producer's on-farm inventory of medications count as an eligible expense under the OWDCP. We require:

  • proof that a vet directed the drug use as a treatment for the injury
  • a receipt for the medication purchased

You should submit all veterinary or medication receipts and invoices with the application.

Step 2 - notify

Notify your municipality within 48 hours of discovering the injury or death of livestock or poultry due to predation.

If the injury or death of livestock or poultry occurs in a territory without municipal organization, notify OMAFRA at 1-877-424-1300.

Step 3 - preserve the site

Preserve the carcass(es) and kill/injury site until the municipal investigator has arrived on site.

Suggested methods of preserving the site include:

  • avoid walking in or around the area
  • placing a tarp over the carcass(es)
  • adding lime to the site

We strongly recommended that you take at least three photos to show that a predator attacked the animal(s):

  • take at least two photos of the injuries and/or wounds sustained, one close up photo of the injuries and one photo of the entire animal
  • take a photo showing the location where you found the carcass
  • take photos of any other evidence such as predator tracks, scat, or predator damage to fencing

If the animals have sustained injuries and have received veterinary care, take photos of:

  • the injuries
  • the site where the injuries occurred, for example, blood, signs of a struggle, tracks or scat

You can submit your photos with your application as additional evidence. We will use these photos in the review process as long as the pictures align with the evidence gathered by the municipal investigator. See example photos in figures 1-3.

Close up of a dead ewe on snow covered ground.

Figure 1. Wounds sustained

Wide angle view of a dead ewe on snow.

Figure 2. Wide angle of location

Wide angle view of dead ewe on snow covered ground and predator tracks and blood around the kill.

Figure 3. Site and animal

Step 4 – investigate and document

Investigators will conduct a thorough investigation within 72 hours of being notified.

Provide the following to the municipal investigator:

  • valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN) or valid FBR exemption
  • valid Premises Identification (PID) number for the farm property where the damage or kill occurred
  • photos
  • prepare relevant documentation for additional evidence, including:
    • additional photos
    • purebred documentation (for example certificate of registration)
    • breeding records
    • pregnancy scanning reports
    • veterinary reports/invoices

Step 5 - complete and sign the application form

The investigator will submit a completed application to the municipality within seven business days of conducting the investigation.

You must provide as much relevant information as possible to the investigator and complete the first page of the application form, including your:

  • contact information
  • email
  • FBRN
  • PID

After the municipal investigator collects and documents evidence, carefully review the application form. Provide as much details in the descriptions as possible.

If you plan to submit additional evidence, check the box and provide all relevant documentation within seven days.

Once you are satisfied that the application is complete and accurate, sign the form to attest that the evidence provided is correct. Failure to sign may result in delays in application processing or it being deemed ineligible for processing.

The municipality will submit the completed application to OMAFRA along with any additional evidence provided within seven business days of the on-site investigation.

Step 6 - disposal of the carcass(es)

You must dispose of the carcass(es) within seven business days, even if the investigator has not yet visited the site. This requirement is set out in the Food Safety Quality Act (FSQA) - Ontario Regulation 105/09 and the Nutrient Management Act (NMA), Ontario Regulation 106/09.

If you must dispose of the carcass(es) before the investigator visits the site, you must collect all relevant evidence to prove that the animal was attacked by a predator to apply for the program.

Once the investigation is complete, you must dispose of all dead livestock/poultry in compliance with Ontario Regulation 106/09 - Disposal of Dead Farm Animals, under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 4.

What to expect from the investigator

The investigator will:

  • visit your premises to do a detailed investigation within 72 hours of you contacting the municipality
  • collect eligibility requirements, such as a Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN) and Premises Identification (PID) number
  • focus on collecting evidence of an attack occurring by an eligible predator

An injured animal or carcass must be present to be eligible for compensation.

The investigator will look for evidence that an animal was attacked by an eligible predator, including:

  • evidence the animal was alive before the attack
  • evidence that the livestock/poultry bled from the attack
  • signs of tissue damage (bruising) under the lacerations and puncture wounds
  • signs of a struggle, drag marks, broken vegetation and/or blood around the site
  • other evidence, such as predator tracks, scat, herd/flock behaviour and predator damage to fencing

The investigator will determine if you took reasonable care measures. You may also submit additional evidence.

After you submit an application

  • The municipality will review the application for completeness.
  • The municipality will submit your application to OMAFRA. We will assess your application to determine:
    • if you have met basic eligibility requirements
    • if there is enough evidence to support predation as the cause of death
    • if you used reasonable care
    • value of compensation
  • We will not consider premiums (for example registered purebred or pregnancy) if you do not provide supporting documentation.
  • We will determine your compensation and will inform you of the decision within 30 business days of submitting a complete application.
  • We will provide you with a letter indicating the value assigned to your application. Refer to the valuation tables to see how Fair Market Value (FMV) and premium pricing is calculated on a monthly basis.
  • You may appeal the decision within 20 business days from the date of the letter.
  • After 20 business days, if you do not request an appeal, we will begin the payment process.
  • You will receive compensation through your municipality or, if you live in an unorganized territory, directly to the address provided on your application.
  • We will provide additional compensation to the municipality to assist with administrative costs associated with the program.

Demonstrating reasonable care

You must use predation prevention practices recommended in ministry and industry resources. Some recommended practices include:

  • fencing
  • livestock guardian animals
  • routine checks of livestock and poultry
  • nighttime enclosures
  • moving livestock and poultry to less vulnerable areas (i.e. young lambs/calves)
  • lights, noise, or visual deterrents
  • hunting
  • trapping

Refer to the reasonable care section of the program guidelines for more details.

Contact us

For more information on the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program contact us at:

Telephone: 1-877-424-1300
Email: wildlife.damage@ontario.ca