CFIA confirms death of ostrich with ‘pre-existing condition’ at B.C. farm

Karen Espersen, centre, the co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farms, speaks with supporters with her daughter, Katie Pasitney, at the farm in Edgewood, B.C., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Aaron Hemens / The Canadian Press)

EDGEWOOD, B.C. — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says an ostrich that was part of a B.C. flock that was recently issued a last-minute stay of a cull order by the Supreme Court of Canada has died.

The agency says the bird at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., had a previous injury and a pre-existing condition that impacted its left leg and mobility, and was being treated by the owners for some time.

It says the bird’s health “significantly declined” over a two-day period before dying Saturday.

Farm spokeswoman Katie Pasitney posted a video to Facebook also confirming the news of the death before she accused the CFIA of animal cruelty, saying they had been “dumping the electrolytes out.”

The CFIA did not immediately respond to requests to address those claims, but said in a release that it had been “administering medication and electrolyte fluids consistent with the therapy regime provided by the owners.”

The cull was ordered after an outbreak of avian flu at the farm, but the farm’s owners challenged the move saying the birds that survived are healthy and scientifically valuable.

It was given a temporary reprieve after the Supreme Court of Canada issued a last-minute stay of the cull last month.

The CFIA has said it will comply with the stay and file a response with the High Court, while it maintains control of the ostrich enclosure at the farm outside the small southeastern B.C. community.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press