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ANIMAL WELFARE AUDITS

PAACO

United Egg Producers

American Humane Certified

Validus Animal Welfare

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CDFA Animal Care
(aka Prop 12)

Canine Care Certified

CSIA

Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA)

Commitment Care Certification

INDEPENDENT SWINE AUDITS

Independent Swine Audits

DUCK & QUAIL ANIMAL WELFARE AUDITS

Duck & Quail Animal Welfare Audits

Validus Animal Welfare Review

The humane treatment of animals is important to everyone, and it’s quickly becoming a key criterion for consumers evaluating food products in the grocery store aisle. Validus delivers third-party verification and certification to ensure that producers are adhering to animal welfare standards at the farm level, through transportation to insensibility, in the processing facility. Our Validus Animal Welfare Program includes a comprehensive audit and assessment of a farm’s animal care practices and provides correctives steps and actions when necessary. This program is performed on-farm by Validus auditors who are trained on ISO standards. Auditors are required to participate in ongoing, comprehensive training and re-certification on an annual basis. Validus has Animal Welfare Review programs for the dairy, swine, egg, beef and poultry industries.

View the AWR Dairy Standard here in English and here in Spanish.

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CDFA Animal Care

Animal Care is a new program within the Animal Health and Food Safety Services division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Animal Care was formed after the passing of Proposition 12 (2018) to implement the law and its first task has been joint promulgation of regulations with Department of Public Health in addition to outreach and education of stakeholders.

Learn more here.

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PAACO

Our Dairy and Swine Audits have been certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO).

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Validus Duck & Quail Animal Welfare Audits

The Validus Duck and Quail Animal Welfare Programs are comprehensive third-party audits encompassing all stages of production, from hatchery management through growout, molting, catching, transport, and processing. The programs define requirements for personnel training, facility conditions, animal handling, biosecurity, emergency preparedness, and humane euthanasia.

View Validus Duck Welfare Standard | View Validus Quail Welfare Standard

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United Egg Producers

Validus is the only privately held company approved to conduct audits for the United Egg Producers (UEP); and their member companies. Validus auditors conduct the on-site audits according to UEP Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. egg laying flocks, which includes both caged and cage-free production, of which they have been trained. Audits are based on each component of the guidelines listed on the UEP audit.

Recognizing the growing concern for animal welfare worldwide, the United Egg Producers (UEP) commissioned a Scientific Advisory Committee for Animal Welfare. The Scientific Advisory Committee provided UEP with recommendations and guidelines on which the UEP Animal Husbandry Guidelines were based.

While the Animal Husbandry guidelines were presented to the egg industry as a voluntary program, it has since evolved into the committed “United Egg Producers Certified” program. In addition to meeting the Animal Husbandry Guidelines, a company must meet requirements on the following:

Housing and Space Allowance
Beak Trimming
Molting
Transportation and Handling

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) have endorsed UEP’s Animal Husbandry Guidelines.

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American Humane Certified

Validus is the largest third-party auditor for American Humane Association’s farm animal welfare program, American Humane Certified. Validus and American Humane Certified began a cooperative working relationship in January 2008.

To learn more about American Humane Certified, check out their website at humaneheartland.org.

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Canine Care Certified

Validus has been working with Dr. Candace Croney to audit pet breeders to the “Canine Care Certified” program. These audits are based on the voluntary standards for the care and well-being of breeding dogs. Like with any other third-party audit that is completed by Validus, there are a set of standards that have been developed and Validus audits the sites based on the standards. Those that are meeting the expectations through the third-party audit process are eligible for certification.

Learn more about Canine Care Certified!