Canada’s Supreme Court to decide by Nov. 6 whether to hear appeal over 2024 avian flu cull of healthy ostriches.

The Supreme Court of Canada will decide by November 6 whether to hear an appeal from Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia, challenging a 2024 cull order by the CFIA following an avian flu outbreak. The farm argues its ostriches show no illness and are suffering under CFIA care, while the CFIA maintains the cull is necessary to prevent disease spread and denies allegations of poor conditions or secret culling. Lower courts have already upheld the CFIA’s decision, and legal experts believe the Supreme Court is unlikely to take the case due to lack of novel legal issues. A final ruling will determine whether the cull proceeds.