About the Chief Veterinary Officer 

The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) is responsible for leading work on issues related to animal health and welfare by upholding several Manitoba laws related to these areas. The CVO is also the leader when it comes to animal care, the connection between animal and human care, and how all of those issues connect into the overall strength of Manitoba’s agriculture and agri-processing sectors. 

Manitoba's CVO is Dr. Scott Zaari. 

 

Zaari holds a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Calgary with an emphasis in ecosystem and public health and completed a veterinary internship with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in Paris.  He also holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and immunology from McGill University. 

Originally from southern Alberta, Zaari began his veterinary career as a mixed animal veterinarian, providing veterinary services for cattle producers.  After leaving Alberta, Zaari has worked internationally as a veterinarian including positions with the OIE in southeast Asia for three years supporting large-scale disease control programs related to foot and mouth disease and rabies.  He joined Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development from his previous position as a clinical and welfare veterinarian at New York’s largest animal shelter, the Animal Care Centers of NYC.  

The CVO leads programs which activities include: 

• Co-ordinating animal health and animal welfare control measures in the event of an emergency.
• Protecting the public from animal diseases that can be spread to people.
• Protecting the health and welfare of animals for economic or intrinsic benefit through the Animal Welfare Program.
• Supporting disease surveillance, analysis and response capacity with the use of decision support tools, such as premises identification.
• Aiding in emergency preparedness and response to protect animals and the safety of the food supply.
• Protecting and advancing animal and public health through diagnostic services provided by the Veterinary Diagnostic Services (VDS) laboratory.
• Working toward a more broadly holistic One Health  approach that links animal health and welfare, human health and well-being and environmental health.
  
• Collaborating with the Council of Chief Veterinary Officers (CCVO) to provide trusted leadership in animal health and welfare for Canadians.

• The Animal Care Act
• Animal Care Regulation
• The Animal Diseases Act
• Reportable Diseases Regulation 
• Animal Premises Identification Regulation
• The Dairy Act
• Dairy Regulation, amendment
• Dairy Farms Regulation
• The Livestock Industry Diversification Act
• Elk Game Production Regulation
• The Livestock and Livestock Products Act
• On-Farm Food Safety Regulation
• Safe Livestock and Livestock Products Regulation
• Poultry Products Regulation