John Rustad of the Conservative Party of BC recently stated that, "What is happening to the Ostriches is crazy. I truly thought common sense would prevail" after a long battle for Universal Farms to stop the cull of their birds.

In surveys undertaken by BC SPGA, the BC pet public side 98% with the Consertive Leader and his recommendation that " Test all of the birds. If any of them are infected, take the necessary steps. Otherwise let them live."

However there was some discontent with Mr. Rustad's comparison of chickens and ostriches. 100% of our survey results showed that the public value the lives of all birds.

Surveys also show that people with pets are not surprised that the BC SPCA are not campaigning for the lives of ostriches because as one respondent replied, "the BC SPCA have lost interest in animals and only care about profit."

Universal Ostrich Farms, a small remote farm in the beautiful Kootenays of British Columbia, has been ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to cull their entire herd of 400 healthy ostriches — animals they have raised for over 30 years.

Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski have devoted their lives to ostriches and are known for groundbreaking research on the robust immune systems of these remarkable creatures.

The Supreme Court of Canada recently issued a temporary stay of an order to kill the ostriches. The farm is in urgent need of support to help cover legal and operational expenses.

Help Save Anna She’s feisty, confident, and always full of attitude
at Universal Ostrich Farms.

The BC Agriculture Minister, Lana Popham, has said that, "If it mutates into a widespread human illness, the impacts would be catastrophic," and "That is the context for why CFIA is taking the steps they take." Conservative Leader Rustad has pointed out that the ostriches have not been tested.

The CFIA have refused requests to test the ostriches although three Independents, members of the legislature, and Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong supported the ostriches during a news conference with reporters.

Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy said the provincial government can help secure a stay of execution by lobbying for an exemption from the culling rules. People with pets in our province expressed dismay that the Premier is "turning a blind eye" to the crisis facing the ostriches lives.

A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said that, "Mr. Rustad's stance highlights a commitment to animal welfare and biodiversity. By supporting the conservation of ostriches, he has helped to raise awareness about the significance of protecting these remarkable birds. So far, he is someone for people with pets in the Province to watch at the next provincial election."