© TASS / Yuri Khodzitsky/TASS/Sipa USA
(New York, NY) – As dawn broke over New York City, I sat in the main studio at 77 WABC with owner-operator John Catsimatidis. “They’re gonna kill them,” he said. And I unfortunately knew exactly to what he was referring: the potentially impending killing of 400 otherwise healthy ostriches, who show previous signs of bird flu infection. Despite the fact the birds have also recovered, and might therefore be a major resource in the ongoing fight against avian influenza — Canadian health officials have insisted on exterminating the flock at Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia.
So, on Thursday, October 2, 2025, 77 WABC held an emergency press conference in hopes of rallying support for the ostriches and the farm — with time potentially running out.
Catsimatidis was joined Katie Pasitney, daughter of the farm’s co-owner and its spokesperson. The pair came together to demand re-testing of the birds for avian flu. Catsimatidis urged the Supreme Court of Canada to allow the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct the tests, stating, “All I’m asking for is the common-sense solution.” He also proposed that, if Canada does not want the ostriches, Dr. Mehmet Oz could relocate them to the United States, an idea previously suggested. Dr. Oz currently serves as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and has stood alongside Catsimatidis in the fight to save the ostriches.
Similarly, Pasitney called on Canadian leaders to support the ostriches, emphasizing the need for action. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the situation as “total Liberal incompetence,” arguing that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has mishandled the issue, leaving farmers confused.
It’s worth noting the ostriches are not raised for food but rather research. Catsimatidis and others have repeatedly stressed that the ostriches may hold keys to curing future instances of bird flu. But Canadian authorities argue because the ostriches live in open-air pens, they could come into contact with wild bird populations and thereby spread bird flu.
Tensions escalated last week when the Supreme Court of Canada temporarily halted the culling of hundreds of infected birds to consider whether to hear the case to spare them. The CFIA plans to euthanize the ostriches after some tested positive for avian flu in December. But resistance to that move is growing and intensifying — both from the farm — and its supporters.
Culling infected flocks is standard practice, aligned with the World Organization for Animal Health’s guidelines, which mandate the destruction of an entire flock if even one bird tests positive. A May federal court ruling warned that allowing the birds to live could risk spreading avian influenza to other animals, the poultry industry, or humans. The CFIA emphasized that its “stamping out policy” has been upheld by the Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal, supported by scientific evidence.
Yet the entire situation seems to hinge on whether or not the ostriches pose a risk at this time — or present more of a research opportunity. Hence why Catsimatidis is calling for the testing program, utilizing FDA testing.
Earlier Thursday -- John discussed the fate of the ostriches on "Sid and Friends in the Morning."
