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Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP)

The Township of Southgate provides a service to provide relief to farmers that have lost livestock due to animal attacks. 

The Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP) provides financial assistance to owners whose livestock, poultry and/ or honey bees have been damaged or killed by wildlife. The OWDCP is part of Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a five-year, $1.5 billion federal-provincial-territorial funding program launched in 2013. GF2 supports our agri-food and agri-products sector by encouraging innovation, competitiveness and market development alongside business risk management assistance. 

If a farmer discovers that one of their farm animals has died, the animal should not be touched and the surrounding area should be left undisturbed. The producer must immediately contact one of the Township's Livestock Evaluators. The Livestock Inspector will determine the type of kill involved and obtain any other necessary information as required. When the on-site evaluation is completed, the livestock inspector submits the required documentation to the Township office for processing. Township staff will then submit the claim to OMAFRA for consideration and carry out the process for reimbursement if applicable. 

The Township of Southgate has one Livestock Evaluators available: 

Brian Stevenson: 519-334-3468 or 519-323-7904
Doug Roberts: 519-373-1630

Please note that in order to have an application approved by OMAFRA, all blank fields must be completed accurately. It is the responsibility of the livestock producer to ensure this. Specifically, a premises identification number and a farm business registration number are required. If you do not have a premises identification number, it can be obtained by visiting the Provincial Premises Registry webpage or by calling 1-855-697-7743. Additionally, you must take as many photos as possible of the kill(s) or damage(s). Without at least (5) photos of each individual animal, it will not be possible for OMAFRA staff to quantify the validity of the claim.

The Township of Southgate Council approved an Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program Policy to ensure the delivery of the program is facilitated in a way that fulfills program requirements and benefits members of the public who experience livestock loss due to wildlife predation. Please review the policy for further information. 

The Township of Southgate appoints livestock evaluators for a 4 year term. If you are interested in applying to become a livestock evaluator in the future, please contact the Clerk's Department.

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