US EditionSupreme Court of Canada grants stay of execution for B.C. ostriches
- On September 24, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada issued an urgent injunction temporarily preventing the planned culling of nearly 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C.
- The stay comes after a cull was ordered following last December’s outbreak of avian influenza in the flock, which resulted in the deaths of almost 70 birds, amid the farm’s ongoing legal efforts to protect the remaining animals.
- As supporters gathered for a prayer on the farm, they burst into cheers when Katie Pasitney, the farm’s spokeswoman, shared the news of the court’s decision to halt the cull and require the CFIA to retain custody of the birds.
- The court's order suspends the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's 'stamping-out policy' until the appeal is resolved, while CFIA states environmental infection risks and disallows further testing of the birds.
- This legal reprieve extends the farm's efforts to protect the ostriches, highlighting scientific uncertainties about avian flu immunity and indicating a prolonged court process ahead.
47 Articles
47 Articles
Should the ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farm be spared? (Poll)
A stay order issued by the Supreme Court of Canada does not mean the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be leaving the Universal Ostrich Farm anytime soon. The interim order issued by the country's highest court grants the CFIA ongoing custody of the nearly 400 ostriches set to be culled. The farm...
The Supreme Court has stayed the cull order aimed at a B.C. ostrich farm. What happens now?
Nearly 400 ostriches on the Universal Ostrich Farm in northern B.C. will be spared from a cull while the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decides whether to hear the farm owners’ appeal against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Word of the SCC stay arrived on the farm, midday on Wednesday. Cheers went up from supporters as farm spokeswoman Katie Pasitney shared the news. “Our lawyer called. The Supreme Court of Canada has granted us an interim s…
Stay Granted! Reprieve for the Canadian Ostriches
(Ottawa) – The ostriches in Canada are safe — for the time being. The Supreme Court of Canada issued a stay of execution, after a flock of 400 birds were ordered to be culled — due to a previous avian flu outbreak. On Tuesday, Universal Ostrich Farm spokesperson Katie Pasitney, and her mother Karen Espersen — who co-owns the farm — were arrested. RCMP officers had been called in to keep the peace. The CBC reports that Pasitney declared “They liv…
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