EDGEWOOD, B.C.— Animal Justice is deeply concerned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) heavy-handed plan to kill around 400 ostriches at a farm in Edgewood B.C. after an avian flu outbreak was declared on December 31.
According to media reports, the farm has been under quarantine since the outbreak declaration, and while multiple birds have died (around 10 percent reportedly), the majority of the ostriches are healthy and showing resilience to the illness.
When discussing the outbreak, Dr. Scott Weese—a highly-respected professor at the Ontario Veterinary College—noted mass culls may no longer be the best approach given that H5N1 influenza is now endemic, especially in situations where risk of transmission is reduced.
To combat the growing threat of bird flu, the root causes of disease in industrial farming must be addressed in order to protect both animal and human health. Animal Justice believes each of these surviving ostriches deserves a better fate than to be shot through the head by a bolt gun, which is the manner in which the CFIA would likely kill them.
“These ostriches shouldn’t be forced to pay for the failures of factory farming. Avian flu outbreaks are a symptom of this broken system, yet it’s the individual birds who pay the ultimate price,” said Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director at Animal Justice. “Like all animals, these ostriches are not mere disposable items. They are self-aware, living beings who deserve dignity and protection. Mass culls are not a solution to systemic issues that encourage highly-infectious diseases to thrive.”
Contact:
Josh Lynn
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
Camille Labchuk
Executive Director
[email protected]
The post Statement on Planned Mass Killing at B.C. Ostrich Farm appeared first on Animal Justice.
