The Supreme Court docket of Canada on Thursday unanimously dismissed a last-ditch enchantment by an ostrich farm in British Columbia to avoid wasting its flock of a whole bunch of birds. The federal government issued a cull order for the farm’s inventory final 12 months, and the Canadian Meals Inspection Company stated it will proceed with killing the ostriches to forestall an avian flu outbreak.
“The Canadian Meals Inspection Company (CFIA) shall be shifting ahead to finish depopulation and disposal measures as approved by the Well being of Animals Act and guided by the stamping out coverage for extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI),” the CFIA stated in a press release following the court docket’s determination.
The CFIA didn’t say how the ostriches can be killed, however a number of gunshots had been heard on the Common Ostrich Farm on Thursday night time, in keeping with Canadian media. The gunfire may very well be heard on a reside video stream on farm spokesperson Katie Pasitney’s Fb web page.
Katie Pasitney/Common Ostrich Farms/Fb
Pasitney made an emotional plea to the Supreme Court docket to rule towards the cull simply earlier than Thursday’s court docket assembly, saying the birds had been wholesome and posed no menace.
“Supreme Court docket of Canada, they’re wholesome. They’re every part that we now have and every part that we cherished for 35 years, please cease,” she stated in a video posted on social media.
It has been almost a 12 months since over 300 ostriches on the farm turned embroiled in a authorized battle between the CFIA and their house owners in Edgewood, British Columbia.
In early December 2024, an outbreak of the extremely pathogenic avian influenza virus hit the farm, ensuing within the deaths of almost 70 birds inside a couple of weeks. The CFIA described the outbreak as “unprecedented” and warned that it may have a major influence on Canada’s poultry trade, ordering a cull of the affected birds.
“You wish to know what ache appears to be like like?” Pasitney requested in an emotional video posted on-line proper after the court docket’s determination on Thursday, displaying her mom, the farm’s proprietor, crying. “She goes to lose every part she has ever cherished for 35 years … that is what ache appears to be like like when the federal government fails you.”
Aaron Hemens/The Canadian Press by way of AP 
The CFIA stated it takes its duty to guard the well being of each animals and Canadians extraordinarily critically, and that it takes all illness management measures deemed mandatory to guard well being and commerce.
“On condition that the flock has had a number of laboratory-confirmed circumstances of H5N1 and the continuing severe dangers for animal and human well being and commerce, the CFIA continues planning for humane depopulation with veterinary oversight on the contaminated premises,” the company stated.
The case drew consideration from the U.S. authorities, with Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., together with the director of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and the commissioner of the Meals and Drug Administration, sending a letter to the pinnacle of the CFIA in Could asking him to rethink the cull, arguing that the ostriches may very well be useful to review.
“We’re respectfully requesting CFIA to think about not culling all the flock of ostriches at Common Ostrich Farm,” Kennedy’s letter stated, “given {that a} proportion of those ostriches had been contaminated with avian influenza (H5N1) final 12 months, we imagine there’s important worth in finding out this inhabitants, for a number of causes.”
In a follow-up letter in July, Kenndey urged the CFIA to delay the cull and proposed fast collaboration between the CFIA, Canadian researchers and the U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the U.S. Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Providers, provided the farm’s house owners the choice of relocating the birds to his ranch in Florida, however the supply was turned down, in keeping with Canada’s nationwide public broadcaster CBC.
The CFIA stated it will compensate the farm house owners for the worth of the animals, paying as much as $2,200 per fowl as soon as supporting documentation was accomplished.
