Summerland animal sanctuary followed avian flu protocol and saved two peacocks

The aftermath of the avian flu outbreak at an ostrich farm in Edgewood drew international attention, but the avian flu outbreak at an animal sanctuary in Summerland had a different outcome because the sanctuary followed procedure.

Critteraid in Summerland is an animal sanctuary and home to a variety of animals, including ducks, chickens and two peacocks named Jake and Nicolaj.

“Every step, every protocol, every biosecurity measure we already had in place was validated. Because of that, our beautiful peacocks, Jake and Nicolaj, were not exposed and are now exempt and safe,” the Critteraid team said in a recent social media post. 

On Oct. 25, the sanctuary’s rooster got avian flu and died. As the sanctuary was reporting the death and getting tests done, more chickens died and two sick ones had to be put down.

So, Critteraid decided to closely follow regulations outlined by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency which deals with infectious diseases in these kinds of situations, according to a Critteraid media release.

Critteraid followed the containment protocols which included quarantine for the infected birds and no movement on or off the property without a CFIA license.

Birds that test positive for avian flu are culled in order to prevent the spread of the disease. More than 9.6 million birds have been culled by the CFIA since 2022.

The sanctuary had to clean and disinfect facilities and the CFIA had to be able to do inspections and meet with the team there.

“Providing solid documentation, showing our dedication to cleaning and disinfecting daily plus our historical data to show segregation for the upper and lower sections of our property was single handed the most important piece,” Critteraid said.

Even though protocols were followed, there were five ducks that had to be euthanized on top of the chickens that died of the virus. 

But the sanctuary announced that since it followed the safety protocols the peacocks, Jake and Nicolaj, tested negative so they didn’t have to be culled. 

The CFIA and avian flu are a hot button topic because of the Universal Ostrich Farm situation in Edgewood. 

In November, the CFIA shot and killed 314 ostriches at the farm.

The cull happened after a year-long court battle with the government, a campaign that raised thousands of dollars, and a media campaign that reached the U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy and Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz.

The CFIA said that the Universal Ostrich Farm did not follow the procedures that Critteraid adhered to. 

“Universal Ostrich Farm has not cooperated with the requirements set out under the Health of Animals Act. The farm owners failed to report the initial cases of illness and deaths to the CFIA… (and) after being placed under quarantine as an infected place, Universal Ostrich Farm failed to adhere to quarantine orders,” a Canadian Food Inspection Agency statement from May states.

Workers with the CFIA have been dealing with harassment and death threats from people who are angry about the ostriches.

Critteraid’s outbreak happened around the time of the ostrich cull that outraged thousands of people. The sanctuary received threats and people made petitions in its name without it’s permission.

Now that the outbreak has been dealt with, Critteraid has reopened its doors and said it wants to move forward with positivity. 

“Through this experience, we’ve been invited to join several committees where we can bring forward our questions, learn from experts, and contribute to broader discussions. We feel fortunate to have these doors open and look forward to strengthening our processes so we can continue creating safer, more informed environments for all animals in sanctuary care,” the Critteraid said in a social media post.