The Night Canada Killed Its Ostriches
Last night, in Edgewood, British Columbia, the sound of gunfire echoed through the darkness.
Witnesses reported hundreds of shots fired at Universal Ostrich Farm, where Canada’s federal authorities began executing the court-ordered cull of more than 400 ostriches.
Those present describe the scene as one of horror, floodlights illuminating the paddocks, the sound of high-powered rifles piercing the night, and a family forced to stand outside their own gates, unable to intervene or even bear witness in full. Supporters report that anyone who leaves the property is not being allowed back in.
This isn’t disease control. This is a mass killing, carried out under cover of darkness, using live ammunition against sentient beings who posed no immediate threat to anyone.
An Unnecessary Slaughter
The cull at Universal Ostrich Farm follows months of legal battles after two birds tested positive for avian influenza late last year. Most of the flock remained healthy. The farm’s owners, supported by scientists and advocates, argued that the surviving birds may have developed immunity a potential key to understanding resistance to bird flu.
Instead of pursuing testing, quarantine, or humane containment, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) chose eradication. The courts backed the agency. And so, last night, hundreds of animals who had already endured fear and confinement were shot to death under floodlights.
The Sound of Bureaucracy at Work
To those living nearby, the sound of those shots wasn’t just the end of the ostriches’ lives it was the sound of bureaucracy taking precedence over compassion.
Killing animals to control disease is an old reflex, rooted in industrial farming rather than in science or ethics. Modern veterinary medicine offers alternatives targeted testing, isolation, vaccination, and long-term monitoring. But those require resources and empathy. Killing is cheaper, faster, and tidier.
So, under the guise of biosecurity, the state carried out its policy, and the result was a night of terror for animals and people alike.
Inhumane for All Involved
Reports from the scene suggest that the family who have cared for these animals for years could hear every gunshot. Supporters and journalists were kept at a distance. The emotional trauma of being forced to listen, unable to protect the lives you’ve nurtured, cannot be overstated.
This is inhumane treatment, not only of the ostriches but of the people who loved and defended them. No civilised country should permit such cruelty in the name of disease control.
When the Light Fades
As the floodlights dim in Edgewood, what remains is shame not safety.
The cull of the ostriches will not make Canada safer from avian influenza, nor will it restore trust in public institutions. It will, however, leave an indelible mark on the conscience of anyone who values life, compassion, or reason.
The sound that rang out across the valley last night was more than the sound of gunfire. It was the sound of hope dying drowned out by policy, pride, and fear.
A Call for Immediate Transparency and Reform
Dog Desk Animal Action joins international voices calling for:
Full transparency from the CFIA about the methods used, the number of animals killed, and the reasoning behind rejecting non-lethal alternatives.
An independent investigation into the ethical and procedural handling of this cull.
Immediate review of Canada’s avian influenza stamping-out policy to incorporate humane, science-based options that do not rely on mass destruction.
We can and must do better. The slaughter of the ostriches in British Columbia will be remembered not as a triumph of disease control, but as a failure of humanity.
Dog Desk Animal Action extends our deepest sympathy to the family at Universal Ostrich Farm and to all those who stood helpless as their animals were taken from them in the most brutal way imaginable.
Our hearts also go out to the ostriches themselves intelligent, gentle beings who lived and died without understanding why.
To witness or even hear such violence is to be changed forever. We share in the grief, the anger, and the heartbreak of everyone who loved these birds and fought for their lives. You are not alone.