Hundreds of ostriches in Edgewood, British Columbia, are caught in a cruel legal crossfire. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) wants to cull them all to stop disease spread after the Farm’s owners failed to report a highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak that infected many of the birds back in December, killing 69 of them. Meanwhile, the Farm’s owners argue that the birds should be spared because they have now recovered from the virus and no longer pose a public health risk.
The Farm, which previously raised its ostriches for purposes including meat and oil, is also engaged in legal battles against creditors who claim they are owed money. Some creditors are now threatening that if the CFIA doesn’t kill the birds, they will be slaughtered anyway to recoup debts owed.
Sadly, the ostriches are caught in the crossfire. These intelligent and highly social animals deserve protection, not destruction or exploitation.
Universal Ostrich Farm
There is significant confusion and conflicting information about Universal Ostrich Farm and its use of the approximately 400 ostriches in its care. The company is an ostrich farm, it is not a sanctuary. Before its battle against the CFIA went public, the Farm’s website touted its goal to “cater to the world demand for ostrich meat” and build an on-site slaughterhouse. On the other hand, the Farm’s owners claim that they are dedicated to their ostriches, and that in recent years the Farm shifted its business model to participating in scientific research and selling ostrich antibodies—a claim that has prompted debate in the scientific community. The owners have also indicated that their website had not yet been updated to reflect this business shift when the most recent saga began in December 2024.
The CFIA Cull Order & Avian Flu Response
The CFIA’s involvement in this saga began after being alerted to a 2024 avian flu outbreak at the facility—an outbreak that tragically killed 69 ostriches. Avian flu is a devastating and highly contagious disease that has killed millions of wild and farmed birds worldwide in recent years, and led millions more to be culled in attempts to control the disease’s spread. Factory farming has significantly contributed to both the emergence and spread of avian flu worldwide, with large facilities confining thousands of genetically similar chickens and other birds in crowded, stressful conditions that weaken their immune systems and create the perfect environment for viruses to mutate and spread rapidly. Experts have long warned that the virus could lead to the next global pandemic.
Ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farm live in an open enclosure and were infected after contact with wild birds. The CFIA ordered the destruction of the surviving 400 ostriches under its standard “stamping-out” policy—its typical response to avian flu outbreaks at “poultry” farms is to cull all birds and send the facility’s owners a cheque for compensation. There are no legally-binding biosecurity standards for farms in Canada to require facilities to take steps to prevent the emergence and spread of diseases like avian flu amongst farmed animals.
This inflexible approach follows a deeply concerning pattern. Last year, Animal Justice exposed government documents revealing the agency’s fumbled response to the 2022 avian influenza outbreak and the use of horrific and cruel methods of killing. The CFIA relied heavily on third-party contractors for mass euthanasia. Disturbingly, they recommended using improvised carbon dioxide “gas chambers,” a method its own procedures manual admits causes extreme pain and distress for birds. The agency’s conduct highlights a critical need for immediate reform within their protocols.
Animal Justice Continues to Monitor the CFIA & Ostrich Cull Order
Universal Ostrich Farm launched a legal challenge in January, attempting to overturn the CFIA’s cull order—a lawsuit that Animal Justice has monitored closely. As the matter has proceeded through the courts, the company has also successfully obtained orders preventing the CFIA from carrying out the cull until its legal claim is decided. The Federal Court of appeal recently upheld a judge’s decision to dismiss the company’s claim. The company is now seeking leave to appeal the decision to Canada’s highest court.
As the lawsuit winds its way through the courts, Animal Justice, infectious disease experts, and concerned Canadians are speaking up, and urging the CFIA to spare the ostriches. At the very least, the agency should allow independent testing of the birds and make a fresh decision about their fate—a decision that should reflect the well-being of the ostriches, and be based on their health status now, not on their health status nine months ago.
Because Animal Justice does not own the ostriches, and we are not a law enforcement agency, the legal tools available to us to protect these ostriches are unfortunately quite limited. Canada has some of the weakest animal protection laws in the western world and the situation at Universal Ostrich Farm truly illustrates how our laws are failing vulnerable animals.
The CFIA has authority to enforce the Health of Animals Act and animal welfare law enforcement officials in B.C. are tasked with upholding that province’s animal protection laws. Concerns over the agency’s lack of transparency are growing as at least one bird has died in recent weeks. With no ability for the public or groups like Animal Justice to access the facility, it is difficult to confirm what is happening on the ground.
In the event that the Supreme Court agrees to hear the Farm’s appeal, Animal Justice will seek leave to intervene–in other words, to participate in the appeal—to speak up for the ostriches. We appreciate the public’s frustration with the lack of transparency in the CFIA’s approach to this situation, and share Canadians’ significant concern about the fate of these innocent birds.
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