Over 300 ostriches were executed in British Columbia after a government-ordered cull sparked outrage. The family-owned farm lost decades of work and a biotech venture linked to ostrich antibodies. High-profile figures and animal advocates pleaded to save the birds, but authorities cited H5N1 risk.

A shocking scene unfolded late Thursday night at a small ostrich farm in British Columbia, Canada, as over 300 ostriches were executed by federal authorities in a controversial cull that has ignited international outrage.

The birds, many of them decades old and all named by their owners, were confined in a single pen while gunfire echoed across the property, leaving the farm covered in tarps and grief.

The tragedy struck Universal Ostrich Farms, a family-owned business operated by Karen Pasitney and her daughter Katie, after months of legal wrangling with Canadian federal authorities.

The family had pleaded with the Supreme Court of Canada to halt the cull, insisting that the birds were healthy and posed no threat to public safety. Their appeals fell on deaf ears.

By Thursday evening, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) arrived at the farm with trucks and SUVs, and heavily equipped personnel carried out what the family described as “a night of terror.”

Katie Pasitney, visibly distraught, recounted to reporters the devastation she and her mother faced. “They made a mistake,” she said. “These animals aren’t just poultry. Some of them were 35 years old, and every single one had a name.

My mom lost everything she loved. Those birds were all that kept her happy. They killed all her babies, and now they’re still lying there under a tarp.”

The events leading up to the cull began last December when an anonymous report claimed that roughly 30 ostriches had died within three weeks at Universal Ostrich Farms.

Following the tip, CFIA investigators tested the flock and confirmed two birds were infected with H5N1 avian influenza, a highly contagious strain of bird flu.

By mid-January, 69 ostriches had died from the virus, setting the stage for the agency’s decision to eradicate the remaining birds.

Despite the confirmed infections, the Pasitneys maintained that the surviving birds were entirely healthy.

The family had been operating the farm for more than three decades, nurturing each ostrich with care, giving them names, and even shifting the farm’s focus to scientific research.

In 2020, they founded Struthio BioScience Inc., a biotech venture that extracts immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibodies from ostrich egg yolks. These antibodies, they claimed, had shown potential in combating diseases ranging from influenza to COVID-19, and even obesity.

The family had petitioned the Canadian government for support to expand their research. “We proved antibodies for COVID and H5N1 avian influenza in the egg yolks,” Karen Pasitney told reporters.

But the CFIA viewed the flock as a public health risk, maintaining that the mass cull was necessary to prevent further spread of H5N1, which could threaten wild and domestic bird populations across the country.

As trucks rolled in on Thursday evening, the Pasitneys and their supporters gathered outside, praying and shouting for the birds.

Witnesses described the chaotic scene: men in hazmat suits carrying equipment into the enclosures, the thunderous sound of repeated gunshots, and the anguished cries of the family echoing across the property.

By Friday morning, over 300 ostriches lay lifeless under tarps in the holding pen that had housed them only a day before.

The financial loss for the family is immense. The government’s compensation offer reportedly falls far short of the birds’ actual market value, threatening to collapse the family’s business entirely.

Struthio BioScience Inc., which had been pivoting toward innovative antibody research, now faces an uncertain future. “They brought war to our farm last night, just to kill healthy animals,” Katie Pasitney said. “When did we stop valuing life? You can’t just keep killing everything.”

The case drew high-profile international attention. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Health Secretary, publicly urged Canadian officials to reconsider the cull, arguing that the ostriches could provide valuable scientific insights into avian influenza.

“The indiscriminate destruction of entire flocks without up-to-date testing and evaluation can have significant consequences, including the loss of valuable genetic stock that may help explain risk factors for H5N1 mortality,” Kennedy wrote in an open letter to CFIA.

Other prominent figures, including television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz and billionaire John Catsimatidis, also pleaded for a reprieve, offering alternatives such as adoption and research collaborations.

Dr. Oz went as far as offering to take in the ostriches on his 900-acre ranch in Florida, a proposal that was ultimately denied.

Despite the public outcry and media attention, Canada’s Supreme Court declined to hear the family’s appeal, effectively giving federal authorities the green light to proceed with the cull.

In a statement, CFIA confirmed that it would continue with “depopulation and disposal measures” to contain the virus, citing the serious risk it poses to both wild and domestic birds.

The execution of the ostriches has left the Pasitneys heartbroken and enraged. The family describes the night as nothing short of a massacre, a devastating blow that destroyed not just their livelihood, but decades of dedication to animal care and scientific innovation.

“They are all gone,” Katie Pasitney said. “They need to pay for this. The world needs to know the monsters they are.”

Beyond the emotional and financial toll, the cull has raised questions about the ethics and necessity of mass animal exterminations, especially in cases where scientific research could offer potential public health benefits.

Animal welfare advocates argue that the loss of 300 genetically unique ostriches represents an irreplaceable setback for both science and biodiversity.

As the tarp-covered bodies of the ostriches remain in the holding pen, Universal Ostrich Farms faces a long and uncertain road ahead.

For the Pasitneys, the nightmare of Thursday night is a stark reminder of the clash between government public health mandates and private enterprise, compassion, and scientific potential.

The incident has ignited a debate not just in Canada, but internationally, about how authorities handle outbreaks of avian influenza, the treatment of farmed animals, and the balance between precaution and preservation.

The Pasitneys vow to continue their fight for justice, but the echoes of gunfire and the silence of hundreds of fallen ostriches will likely linger for years to come.