Canadian Donkey & Mule Association Code of Ethics

The Canadian Donkey and Mule Association Code of Ethics was passed by the membership, with a minor amendment,
at the 2007 Annual General Meeting of the Association last October. Below is a history of how the CDMA Code of Ethics
came into being, followed by the Code as approved, and with the amendment.

This is a history of how the CDMA Code of Ethics was established and why it would be beneficial. The importance of having a Code of Ethics, specific to an association and species, became apparent during conversations with registrars from other associations and lawyers.

Many of the registries that host “exotic” animals do not have written codes of ethics. This can cause legal problems because the expectations and responsibilities for the owner and breeder are not clearly described. Ron Black, manager of the CLRC, confirmed that the associations and registries which have written codes of ethics, are in a much better legal position should problems occur.

Why would a code of ethics be important to the members of the CDMA? We live in a society where most of the people are not from rural backgrounds, nor have they even cared for or previously owned livestock. Often new owners do not understand livestock husbandry and they can have unrealistic expectations. Within our legal system the judges and lawyers are usually not familiar with animal husbandry and reasonable expectations within the exotic breeding industry. Should a legal problem occur, it is much easier to make a fair ruling if the Association has defined expectations for, and the roles of, the owners and breeders. It is also helpful if the terms that are used within a specific registry are defined.

Within in the CDMA bylaws, Section 2 deals with the objectives of our association. The eight points listed under this section are clear and thus these points are not included in the proposed Code of Ethics. Section 15, Rules for Registration and Recordation, clearly states the rules for registration and the obligations of the Registry, so these bylaws do not need to be repeated in this code.

The main purpose of this Code of Ethics is to define the terms (specific to the CDMA) and the responsibilities of ownership and breeding practices should legal problems occur. It will also give our Registry and Board of Directors guidelines to resolve issues that occur from time to time.

Respectfully submitted by
Sharon Cooke

To view a pdf file of the approved Code of Ethics, click here .