Edgewood , BC- In a dramatic last-minute decision, the Supreme Court of Canada has temporarily stopped the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) from destroying nearly 400 ostriches on a farm in northeastern B.C.
The stay order, confirmed through a document shared by the farm’s lawyer Umar Sheikh, suspends the CFIA’s “stamping-out policy” while the court considers whether to hear the farm’s appeal. The pause will remain in effect until the application for leave to appeal is denied or, if accepted, until the case is resolved.
The news broke as supporters gathered on the farm for a prayer. Cheers erupted when farm spokeswoman Katie Pasitney announced the reprieve. Co-owner Karen Espersen described feeling overwhelmed and relieved, saying she “wanted to run and hug the birds.”
The cull order followed the detection of avian flu in the flock last December, when nearly 70 ostriches died. Since then, the farm has waged a determined campaign—both in court and on social media—to save the remaining birds.