Katie Pasitney, daughter of Karen Espersen, owner of Universal Ostrich Farms in the remote town of Edgewood, British Columbia, has been ordered to cull their entire herd of 400 ostriches. If they don’t cull them, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will.

The ordeal began in December 2024 when an anonymous person tipped off the CFIA that there was illness at the Universal Ostrich Farms. Some of the ostriches were sick, but the illness had run its course.

The farm was contacted by the CFIA and agreed to allow them to come test their ostriches. When the CFIA arrived with PCR tests to test 2 dead ostriches. The farmers asked if they were going to test the live ostriches, as a control group.

The CFIA came out with PCR tests and tested two dead ostriches. The farmers requested that they also test two live ostriches. They believed it was a reasonable approach to better understanding the illness, by using healthy ostriches as the “control group.”

However, CFIA refused to test the live birds. They conducted the tests and called the next day to inform them that the two dead ostriches had tested positive for H5N1. As a result, the CFIA ordered them to quarantine their ostriches and cull the entire herd by February 1, 2025. If the farmers did not comply, the CFIA threatened to send someone to cull the ostriches instead.

These are non-commercial ostriches, are not sold for meat, and are flightless. They live on a remote farm where the likelihood of infecting another animal is extremely low. The ostriches that naturally die are harvested for oil, feathers, and skin. So why would the CFIA insist on culling a herd that could naturally reach immunity?

Universal Ostrich Farms has been operational since 1995, and these ostriches, which can live up to 75 years, are part of an international program involving three countries, Canada, the U.S. and Japan. The ostriches have been integral in providing high-quality antibodies that have been successfully extracted from ostrich eggs which can be used to produce effective treatments for various diseases.

In a 2022 social media post, the government of Japan stated, “High-quality antibodies have been successfully extracted from ostrich eggs by Kyoto Prefectural University president Dr. Tsukamoto. Ostriches are hardy animals with strong immune systems, and at 1/4000 the cost of antibodies from other animals, their high-quality antibodies are easier to mass-produce, meaning they may show the way forward for the modern world.”

Given these promising prospects, why would the CFIA insist on culling this herd, which could potentially contribute to the eradication of diseases with their antibodies? Wouldn’t they want to preserve the valuable science and research that have been established with these ostriches?

On January 31st, a federal judge, Justice Battista issued a “stay” on the culling, giving the farmers time to seek a judicial review. On February 6, CFIA added 19 additional measures to the quarantine order.

As of February 19, 2025, the ostriches have gone 35 days without illness or death, remain in good health, and have achieved herd immunity.

Their case is scheduled for a judicial review within 10 days. Speaking with Katie, she urges the public “Help us save our animals, so we can help protect yours”. This is a tragedy not just for Katie and her family at Universal Ostrich Farms, but on humanity, as it threatens the loss of critical scientific progress.

To see the recent interview with Katie and an update on the legal battle check out the interview with Colonel MacGregor at Our Country Our Choice.

If you would like to help by lending your voice or contributing financially, please visit SaveOurOstriches.com

Canadian Government Orders the Killing of 400 Ostriches

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