An Edgewood farm is fighting to save over 400 ostriches, and their livelihoods, as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) hands down a cull order to the whole herd by February 1, after an avian flu outbreak.
Universal Ostrich farm worker Katie Pasitney, daughter of part-owner Karen Espersen, grew with the Ostrich for the last 35 years and says the news is devastating.
“We’ve stuck by these guys when we thoughts fires were going to come down to the Valley and we’re not giving up on them now.” said Pasitney
Universal Ostrich is pleading with the CFIA to work with them for a solution that doesn’t including killing innocent ostriches.
“We are a research facility, we are not a commercial poultry farm, we do note sell meat.” said Pasitney.
“Each one of those ostriches out there are involved in a joint antibody study that links three countries together, so, that’s Japan and the USA and Canada.”
“We need to preserve the science we hope to help other farms with.”
According to the CFIA this is the first time the virus has been detected in Canadian ostriches.
The CFIA were onsite at the Edgewood farm on Friday, greeted by up to 30 supporters eager to advocate for the farm and the herd.
“They went over our protocols, showing up in their big hazmat suits and stuff which I understand that they’re probably taking their own precautions, but we’ve had this here for the last month and there’s been no problems.”
Universal Ostrich is urging the CFIA to work with them and come up with a strategy to save these lives while remaining compliant.
“Go out there and look at these animals. I go and look into their big, beautiful eyes, that have been raised by our family for over 30 years, and we can’t start killing them.”
“They hold too much science and too much opportunity for all of us to do something really good. Especially with new viruses that are going to come along.”
While part of the farm’s ostriches were infected by avian flu, Pasitney says their birds have built up herd immunity, recovered and remain healthy today.
“You wouldn’t even know that they were sick and is where the brilliance of nature is and they’re gaining a herd immunity which is going to be stronger than any vaccination, and its important we stay focused on the natural immunity and how important that is for all living species.”
What does the cull mean
If the cull order does go ahead on February 1, a decade of research and two-family livelihoods will go with it.
“These are our pets, some of them are 34 years old, we have 28-year-olds ostriches out there. We’ve grown up with these animals and they’re not replaceable.”
“We would be taking a huge step back in science.”
Pasitney says this issue is bigger than one farm in Edgewood.
“The world is watching us, because if we’re okay with just killing them and not looking at the science, then we have big issues. And if you can’t take science forward and look at the science, then it doesn’t make sense.”
Pasitney remains hopeful that the CFIA will let them at least have time to show the Ostriches pose no risk and let them perform an independently approved test.
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