Animal Justice is deeply troubled after learning that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s killing of more than 300 healthy ostriches in Edgewood last year, months after avian influenza was first detected on the farm, cost Canadian taxpayers at least $6.8 million.
The massive sum was revealed this week in a response to a parliamentary inquiry from Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee MP Scott Anderson in December. The total includes $2.3 million spent on staff time, and $1.3 million on lawyers and legal fees.
“The amount of money spent is absolutely outrageous,” said lawyer and Animal Justice executive director Camille Labchuk. “Millions of taxpayers’ dollars were poured down the drain, wasted to massacre these sensitive, intelligent animals who, by that point, were entirely healthy. That money could have helped support animal sanctuaries, improved welfare for animals, or funded real disease-prevention measures instead.
“Not to mention, a fraction of this money could have funded Canada’s only research centre devoted to replacing animal experimentation, which was forced to close last year after the federal government failed to fund it. This would have supported the federal government’s own goal of phasing out toxicity testing on animals.”
Following last year’s slaughter, Animal Justice filed a formal complaint with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over the method used to kill the ostriches, citing serious concerns about animal suffering and potential violations of federal and provincial animal protection laws.