VERNON, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ConSynSer / – The owners of a British Columbia farm where hundreds of ostriches were killed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are suing the federal government and police. Universal Ostrich Farms says the cull destroyed a dietary supplement business with projected revenue of more than C$200 million. The lawsuit was filed on October 30 in Vernon against the CFIA, the RCMP and the federal government. Its claims have not been tested in court.
The farm seeks damages for the loss of what it calls a dietary supplement and pill product. It says the product was based on 1,200 ostrich eggs seized during the cull operation. The claim says the seizure was unlawful and irreversibly destroyed a business that was on the cusp of a commercial market launch. Landco Ventures, which owns the property outside Edgewood and leases it to the farm, is also a plaintiff.
The CFIA ordered the cull after ostriches on the farm tested positive for avian influenza about 11 months earlier. The agency has said marksmen carried out the cull. Highly pathogenic H5N1 was detected in the flock in late 2024, and 69 birds died from the virus, the CFIA said at the time. The farm had lost its challenges at the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Lawsuit alleges trespass and cruelty
The claim says RCMP officers and CFIA staff arrived at the farm and served warrants on Katie Pasitney. She is the daughter of Karen Espersen, who co-owns the farm. The lawsuit says Pasitney is not an owner or shareholder of the business. It argues the warrants gave no legal, moral or statutory right to occupy the property. The claim says CFIA officials and others were therefore trespassing.
The lawsuit also alleges that CFIA staff engaged in or permitted acts of cruelty while dealing with the flock of more than 300 ostriches. It says 351 birds were on the farm when the CFIA served its warrants. Compensation was offered for the destruction of only 314, according to the claim. The farm says it received no explanation about what happened to the remaining 37 birds.
RCMP declines comment as case proceeds
The RCMP said it was aware of the claim but that it would not be appropriate to comment while the court process is underway. It said the Department of Justice will review the claim once served, and a statement of defence for the RCMP will be issued. The CFIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. None of the allegations has been proven in court.
The farm fought for months to save the surviving ostriches in the courts and on social media. The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear its final appeal in November 2025, allowing the CFIA to proceed with the cull. Protesters camped on the property in support of the farm. The campaign also drew backing from figures in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The CFIA has said birds can carry and shed the virus even without showing symptoms.