Canadian federal officials carried out a massive cull, executing nearly 300 ostriches by firing the birds late Thursday night, November 6, 2025.
The decision was made by a months-long legal battle and has sparked outrage and accusations of government overkill.
The slaughter on the grounds of Universal Ostrich Farms came just hours after the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal from the farm’s owners, effectively ending their fight to save the flock.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered the cull after an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in December 2024 killed 69 birds.
The owners of the birds are mourning the loss of their birds, “They made a mistake, these animals aren’t poultry, some of them were 35 years old, and every single one had a name,” sobbing owner Katie Pasitney, told reporters.
“My mom lost everything she loved…. They killed all her babies,” she added.
With this decision, Canadian officials are facing high-profile opposition including from the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who publicly urged Canada to reconsider.
He also argued that the flock represented valuable genetic stock that could provide important data for fighting H5N1.
The family’s decision is also accompanied by financial ruin.
Their biotechnology venture, Struthio BioScience Inc, which was developing critical disease-fighting antibodies from ostrich eggs, is now decimated.
They claim government compensation falls far short of the bird’s value.
The CFIA has argued the “depopulation” was necessary to contain the highly contagious virus and protect other bird populations.
But for the family, the image of their named, lifelong companions lying under a trap is a devastating final chapter to a bitter fight.
“They brought war to our farm last night, just to kill healthy animals. When did we stop valuing life,” said the family.
