U.S. officials call on 'elbows up' Carney to join common sense plan to save B.C. ostriches

Amidst U.S.-Canada trade tensions, Trump’s health team, including Dr. Oz, the NIH, and the FDA, are urging Canada to halt its plans to slaughter 400 healthy ostriches whose eggs have great scientific, medical and economic potential.

Drea Humphrey
  |   August 27, 2025   |   News Analysis   |   1 Comment

 

The Trump administration has increased international pressure in an effort to talk some common sense into Canada regarding its Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) plan to slaughter 400 healthy ostriches located in Edgewood, British Columbia.

Prior to the CFIA's quarantine and cull order being placed on Universal Ostrich Farms' flock late last year due to the avian flu, the non-poultry birds' antibody rich eggs were being used in promising therapeutics research to combat COVID-19 without mRNA technology.

Since the surviving flock recovered back in January, the famers have tirelessly argued their birds should be retested and spared, especially since their new immunity to the avian flu now makes their eggs viable for H5N1 antibody research.

Instead of retesting the animals, the CFIA has been using tax dollars to legally defend policy which permits them to slay healthy herds during the farmers' judicial review case and appeal, which were both dismissed by the Federal Court.

In addition to shunning the farmers' concerns and solutions, the agency has also ignored previous invitations from the U.S. to partner on the scientific goldmine of an opportunity, during a time when such a partnership could relieve some of the trade tensions between the two countries.

“We are completely understanding of the rules that exist in Canada that govern some of their trade arrangements,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of U.S. Medicare during a 77 WABC Radio press conference on Monday.

“Sometimes there are untoward consequences of these arrangements. For one, I don’t think, they had envisioned the possibility that these iconic birds, as you call them, these ostriches, will be caught in the middle of this,” Oz began.

“These birds themselves are now resistant to getting the H5N1 virus, so that huge scientific value to the global community to find out what it is that allowed these birds to tolerate this often-deadly illness, recover fully have no recurring infections within the flock,” said Oz.

Oz further explained how continuing with research in this area could also be beneficial to the economy and human health and with the backing of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it could serve as a win-win for both nations.

“Secretary Kennedy has spoken to Jay Bhattacharya, who’s head of the NIH. They are willing to research these animals,” he said, adding that “Marty Makary, who runs the FDA, would also like to be involved in this process.”

Oz repeated his previous offer to house the flock that he made months earlier, stating they could be transferred to his 900-acre Florida ranch if Canada will allow them to. This is an offer the farmers previously said they were considering as a last resort.

“We have had no illness or deaths on our farm for 223 days they are thriving,” said Katie Pasitney, spokesperson for the farm and daughter of farm co-owner Keren Espersen. “If we destroy this we are losing decades and decades of all the environmental challenges of what they’re bodies went through and the antibodies that they’ve developed, we lose that,” added Pasitney.

“This is kind of a test whether I guess humanity chooses destruction or discovery,” she said.

“I don’t know why the agency in Canada is in so much of a hurry to commit the murder of these atonic animals,” said grocer mogul and animal-loving philanthropist John Catsimatidis, who hosted the conference and has been a great advocate for the farm's plight.

“I have written the Prime Minister [Mark Carney] of Canada and I’ve asked them for special dispensation and to have common sense prevail and we hope that the prime minister reads our letter and acts on it," he said.

Since 2022, the CFIA has mass culled over nine million birds in British Columbia in the name of preventing the spread of avian flu.

Help Rebel News continue its reporting on the Ostrich massacre!

Latest News

For months, our team has been on the ground at Universal Ostrich Farms, documenting every step of this tragedy — from the first ominous signs of federal overreach to the night nearly a thousand shots rang out, leaving a field of hundreds of dead ostriches and a family shattered.

Our journalists confronted the RCMP, pressed CFIA officials, launched drones to reveal the truth, and refused to be intimidated or silenced.

But holding powerful institutions to account takes resources: travel, security, legal access, and the manpower of an around-the-clock reporting team.

If you believe in independent journalism that asks the tough questions the establishment won’t touch, please chip in to help us keep digging.

Amount
$
DONATE

Drea Humphrey

B.C. Bureau Chief

Based in British Columbia, Drea Humphrey reports on Western Canada for Rebel News. Drea’s reporting is not afraid to challenge political correctness, or ask the tough questions that mainstream media tends to avoid.

Featured Stories

COMMENTS

Showing 1 Comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-08-27 19:52:15 -0400
    The head of CFIA is a hard-headed dolt. Bureaucrats at that department have made up their minds and they won’t learn to ask and check things out first. It’s their way or no way.