Two people arrested at B.C. Ostrich farm facing cull over avian flu

By Canadian Press on September 23, 2025.

Two people have been arrested at the British Columbia farm where the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expected to begin culling ostriches after some of the flock was infected with avian flu.

RCMP moved into the ostrich enclosure where Katie Pasitney and her mother, Karen Esperson, stayed overnight.

Staff Sgt. Kris Clark would not confirm who was taken into custody, but did say the two people inside the enclosure refused to leave and “were subsequently arrested.”

He says they have been taken to the RCMP command post to be processed before they are released.

Clark says the two were arrested under the Health of Animals Act but no charges have yet been laid.

He told reporters that the RCMP is at the farm at the request of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to enforce the law, secure the property and ensure the safety of the public and CFIA officers “as they conduct their business.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2025.

Brenna Owen and Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press

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