What is a Premises ID?

A Premises ID is a unique nine-character code assigned to a single legal land description or land use permit. In British Columbia, all Premises ID numbers start with BC (for example: BC449GP7N). Use of the Premises ID eliminates confusion for emergency responders caused by multiple addresses, complicated legal land descriptions, and duplicate or changing farm names. These purposes are limited to animal disease responses or environmental disasters affecting animal health, and disclosure is only permitted to other government agencies involved in the emergency response. Your private information is protected and confidential.

A premises is a parcel of land where animals, plants or food are grown, kept, assembled or disposed of and includes such places as:

·Farms/stables

·Hobby Farms

·Feedlots

·Pastures

·Community pastures

·Hatcheries

·Abattoirs

·Assembly yards

·Auction/Livestock sale facilities

·Rendering plants

·Zoos/petting zoos

·Exhibition/fair grounds

·Race tracks

·Competition facilities

·Veterinary hospitals/labs

·Insemination centres

·Research facilities

If you have Farm Status your PID number can go right on your Farmer ID card, keeping it accessible. You do not have to have Farm Status to register your property

What is it for?

Premises Identification

•Allows for rapid notification of livestock and poultry stakeholders

•Helps prepare for animal health, natural disaster and food safety emergencies (for example, livestock disease)

•Facilitates rapid evacuation of animals in a natural disaster emergency (for example, floods or fire)

•Helps track animals in an emergency

•Reduces the impact of an emergency

•Helps maintain or provide for greater market access

Livestock and poultry owners can provide basic land and contact information for their premises and will receive a Premises Identification Number that is unique to the parcel of land.

Protection of personal information is a primary objective of the Premises Identification program. Per the Animal Health Act, personal information cannot be disclosed for any purposes

Why Register?

The British Columbia Premises Identification Program was established to reduce the impact of livestock disease or natural disaster emergencies by gathering and organizing information about the location of animals, the types of animals at each location and how to contact those responsible for the health of those animals quickly. Time is critical for mitigating loss and reducing harmful impact.

All properties with one or more horses (including donkeys and mules) on them must register. If you own an animal that is only kept at locations controlled by someone else (e.g. boarding stable) and that animal will never be kept at a premises under your care and control (e.g. your own farm or acreage), you are not required to register for a PID Account. However, you should ask for the PID Number from the operator of the boarding/training facility.

How do I register my Premises? You can register and update your premises online: www.gov.bc.ca/premisesidprogram

You can also mail, email, or fax a paper regis-tration form to the Ministry. Instructions and a link to download the paper registration form are available on the program website listed above.

What does it cost to register? There is no financial cost to register your premises.

Horse Council British Columbia

www.hcbc.ca

Phone: 604-856-4304

Toll Free: 1-800-345-8055

E-mail: [email protected]