By The Canadian Press

Supporters converge on B.C. ostrich farm as food agency confirms cull of flock

May 14, 2025 | 3:18 PM

Operators of a British Columbia ostrich farm where 400 birds have been ordered culled said Wednesday that dozens of supporters have converged on the scene, as the federal agency in charge of the operation confirmed it would begin the “humane depopulation” of the animals.

However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it would not publicize operational plans or dates of the cull at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C.

Wednesday’s statement came a day after a Federal Court ruling that rejected the farm’s bid to prevent the killings, which were ordered after an outbreak of avian flu.

“The CFIA will begin the humane depopulation and disposal of birds at the infected premises with veterinary oversight,” the agency said.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay said it had already received provincial permission for its landfill in Castlegar, B.C., to handle the carcasses.

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Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, said in an interview that the family will fight to save the ostriches through legal means, even as her mother called on supporters to surround the farm to prevent the cull.

Pasitney said Wednesday that about 40 supporters had arrived.

“Banners, camping, their cars. We have some children staying here and a family … Everybody’s just coming here to take the opportunity to see these prehistoric, beautiful, healthy animals with the bad decision of a cull order being reinstated and (the birds) being at jeopardy of losing their healthy lives.”

Pasitney said they had received supportive calls and emails from across Canada and the United States, where the case has drawn attention.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a New York radio show last month he was “horrified by the idea that they are going to kill these animals.”

“The reaction to the support has been completely overwhelming in a positive way,” Pasitney said.

In a video message posted on Facebook, Pasitney’s mother, Karen Espersen, urged supporters to block the cull.

“We need people to come and surround our farm so CFIA cannot come kill these beautiful healthy animals,” she wrote alongside the video.

“You never thought you’d have this happen,” she said in the video while walking through her flock, with ostriches pecking at her sweater as she spoke.

“If we ever needed anybody’s help, it’s today. You see all these guys behind me? These beautiful, majestic birds, these are our pets. This is what the (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) says that they’re going to come – they’ve been approved … to come kill them.

“We’ve taken years to be able to pet these guys, walk among these guys. We love these guys. They’re all happy and healthy. If we don’t stand for this … then what kind of world have we become?”

A Federal Court judge on Tuesday rejected two judicial reviews filed by Universal Ostrich Farms after the agency ordered the flock killed in December, then denied a bid for an exemption in January.

The family said the animals that survived the outbreak have recovered, having developed what Pasitney says is “herd immunity” to the virus, making the birds more valuable to researchers alive than dead.

“We’re 135 kilometres away from a major city, Vernon, British Columbia,” Pasitney said of the contamination risk posed by the family farm.

“We are not around any commercial poultry facilities. We are not a farm of consumption. So, how are we going to save the world by killing all of our animals, rather than using them as a potential benefit?”

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday defended its decision to proceed with the cull.

“Allowing a domestic poultry flock known to be exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza to remain alive allows a potential source of the virus to persist,” the statement said. “It would increase the possibility of reassortment or mutation, particularly with birds raised in open pasture where there is ongoing exposure to wildlife.

“This could also increase the human health risk.”

Dan Elliott, a spokesman for the Regional District of Central Kootenay, said they received a landfill certificate to possibly handle the dead ostriches in January, adding the district has not received any information on when a possible cull would happen.

“In response to the need to manage avian influenza disease, the Regional District of Central Kootenay has received an operational certificate from the provincial Ministry of Environment and Parks to handle the disposal of the avian influenza infected waste if the culling of the ostriches goes ahead,” Elliott says.

B.C. Premier David Eby said Wednesday at an unrelated news conference that the province had been frustrated by the actions of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and while they understand the need to contain the avian flu, there’s a lack of ability to evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

“I hope the federal government looks very carefully at appropriate compensation to ensure they’re made whole, not that that can fill in for the massive loss that they’ve seen,” Eby said.

The Federal Court ruling said the family could be compensated up to $3,000 for each bird.

An animal law advocacy group has urged the federal government to pause the cull and consider “whether killing the birds still makes sense considering how much time has passed since the initial order was issued.”

“Avian flu is a devastating disease that must be taken seriously, but these ostriches shouldn’t be forced to pay for the failures of a broken system,” says Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy with Animal Justice. “Avian flu outbreaks are exacerbated by rampant factory farming, yet it’s the individual birds who pay the ultimate price.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press