We are now on day 21 of what has been an intense crash course in Avian Flu. There are still many questions we are navigating, and we want to share our experience – not as experts, but as volunteers committed to learning and sharing with our community. We are still closed.
This post is long, and we’ve included information on:
- How Avian Flu is transmitted
- Guidance we’ve been given on navigating risks
- Updates on our peacocks
We are not trying to be controversial. This is simply an effort to share information and experiences so that together we can research, learn and improve safety for all sanctuary animals. If you disagree with anything, please know that we are volunteers doing our best – not professionals in this field – and we ask for respect in your responses.
While 21 days does not make us experts, it has shown us that there is a real opportunity to create new platforms for sanctuary-level guidance and solutions, and we are committed to participating in that process for growth in safety process for our animals.
For anyone who wants to learn more pertaining to animal sanctuaries, we will continue to share what we’ve learned. For those who understand that this is a journey and not perfect, thank you for supporting us as we work to turn this challenging experience into a learning opportunity for all.
Question 1: is Avian Flu airborne?
- No – Avian Flu is not airborne for the general public. It does not spread through the air like seasonal flu or COVID.
You cannot catch it by:
- Walking near a sanctuary or farm.
- Breathing outdoor air.
- Living beside a property where birds have been sick.
- Driving past barns.
The only environment where airborne risk can exist is inside enclosed barns where infected birds are actively shedding virus into dust or droplets. This affects not only workers inside those barns, not neighbours or the community.
Bottom Line:
- Avian Flu is not airborne in the community.
- Human infection requires direct, close exposure to sick or dead birds or heavily contaminated material. The general public is not at risk from the air.
Question 2: Can Critteraid volunteers who were exposed pass Avian Flu to the public?
- No – exposed volunteers cannot pass Avian Flu to anyone.
Here’s the factual breakdown:
- Avian Flu does not spread person-to-person. Worldwide surveillance shows almost zero human-to-human transmission of avian influenza. There has never been a case of someone catching it from:
- Casual contact.
- Talking with someone.
- Sharing air.
- Being in the same room.
- Passing someone in public.
For a person to infect someone else, Avian Flu would have to mutate into a human-transmissible form – and that has not happened.
Exposure ≠ to infection (and none of the volunteers are infected.)
Being “exposed” simply means being near an affected environment. It does not mean someone is sick.
- How we are dealing with biosecurity protocols to prevent transmission:
- Volunteers followed strict containment procedures including PPE in Coops, footbaths & shoe disinfection, restricted movement, cleaning and sanitation.
- Everyone is cleared through Interior health that was directly exposed to the birds, as we are now past monitoring time frame.
- Just for reference and information to share – the virus cannot travel from an exposed person to the public. There is no mechanism for a volunteer to breathe it out, cough it into the air, spread it through clothing, pass it on to stores, workplaces or homes. Avian Flu requires direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.
Bottom Line for the Community
- Avian Flu is not airborne in the community.
- It does not spread person-to-person.
- Critteraid volunteers cannot pass Avian Flu to anyone.
- The Community is completely safe.
Question 3 The Peacocks Formal Appeal: Consideration for Peacocks.
(I wrote the following letter to CFIA)
We have fully complied with all directives concerning our chickens and ducks. Veterinary appointments are scheduled for Friday to ensure humane euthanasia is carried out in accordance with current biosecurity and containment requirements. While this has been a heartbreaking process, as these birds have been with us for as long as 18 years and have names, personalities, and are very loved, we understand the necessity of these measures for the protection of animal and public health.
However I wish to present relevant information for your consideration regarding the peacocks. These birds have been completely isolated from the lower areas of the sanctuary and from all waterfowl. They are not waterfowl species and therefore do not share the same exposure risk factors associated with Avian Influenza transmission in aquatic environments. Their enclosure is located a significant distance from the affected zones, with no shared food, water sources or direct contact with other birds under restriction.
Our goal is not to challenge the intent of the directive, but to provide clear context that may allow for a science-based, risk-mitigated exemption in this case. We remain committed to full transparency, continued observation, and any enhanced monitoring or testing deemed necessary to ensure compliance and containment.
Like the ducks, these birds have been part of our sanctuary for many years and have not displayed any clinical signs of illness. But unlike the ducks, because of their separation of locations and protocol, we believe there is a justifiable and manageable path forward that would allow them to be spared without compromising broader containment efforts.
I deeply appreciate your consideration of this request and your understanding of the emotional and ethical complexities involved in such difficult decisions. Please know that we remain cooperative and committed to following all recommendations to ensure both animal welfare and disease control are upheld.
With sincere respect and gratitude,
We are still in an active investigation regarding the peacocks as the CFIA has to cover their mandates as well. We do not have an answer to date if they will be spared or not.
This experience has also raised serious questions about the future of “domestic animals” and how sanctuaries can reasonably operate under standards designed for commercial farms.
I am still completing the required reports on the peacocks, but this has been an eye-opening process, highlighting both what we are doing correctly and what is simply beyond our control. As a sanctuary, it is impossible for us to meet commercial-level biosecurity requirements for “confined for consumption” animals vs ‘live their lives forever in safety” sanctuary animals.
In every other respect, we meet the expectations placed on us. This situation is harsh but instantly makes us look at what the future holds for all domestic animals.
We do believe that we may have been put on this path to assist the future generations to navigate as we are truly left with many concerns and not a lot of answers.
We truly don’t know what this means for the future of our sanctuary.
This is not meant to send shockwaves, but we have been given a glimpse of what the options to us and our animals are. Now as a sanctuary, we are unsure of what this means. I have more questions than answers but will share.
Thank you for the support.
With Profound Sadness, we share:
Over the past few days, our sanctuary family has been facing one of the most heartbreaking experiences in our history. We are navigating a situation that has required immediate action, coordination with veterinary professionals, federal (CFIA) regulatory authorities, Interior Health and Epidemiology divisions as we had positive case of H5N1 at our sanctuary.
Our team and volunteers are devastated. The animals in our care are the center of everything we do, and the emotional weight of this moment is immense.
Because this situation is still active and regulated, we are simply consumed with this horror. We want to be very clear: we are not hiding anything from our community. We are simply trying to move through this with care, accuracy, and integrity while also supporting our animals and each other.
We will share everything with our experience. The facts we are getting a crash course in, may be able to help the next sanctuaries as these situations are designed for rapid responses wrapped in navigating the differentiating factors of being put into a commercial category.
For now, we ask for:
Compassion
Patience
And understanding
Our commitment to the animals, to transparency, and to this community has not changed and will never change.
If you need to reach us, please do so with kindness. Our hearts are fragile right now.
Love,
Your Critteraid Family
FAQ
1. What happened?
On Sunday, October 25, 2025, our rooster, Delta, exhibited signs of illness and passed away. We were making arrangements to send Delta to the lab (historically, we have sent many birds when a passing has something we can’t explain). Monday upon arrival, we had 3 more birds pass, so we sent 3 birds off. Between October 26th and October 28th, we had 8 chickens die suddenly, leaving 2 extremely sick that we euthanized on the 29th after getting confirmation of H5N1.
During this time period, we sent samples for testing to determine the cause, and we were informed on October 29th that the chickens had the avian flu. (H5 from Abbotsford and second lab out of Winnipeg to determine H5N1 strain)
2. What did we do next?
We immediately shut the farm down for all but essential personnel.
We are working with Interior Health (to look after our humans).
Navigate CFIA protocol for containment and lockdown of areas.
On Nov 8th, we took the heartbreaking option to compassionately euthanize our 5 ducks ourselves and not have the disposal team conduct so we could ensure it was done our way with love and dignity. Charles was 18 years old, Martin was 9, Cossette was 12, Bernie 7, and Thelma 5 years old. We loved them dearly.
The farm remains closed to all but essential personnel.
3. What is avian influenza – bird flu?
4. What type of avian flu is present at the sanctuary?
H5N1. While H5N1 primarily affects birds and causes severe disease with high fatalities, it can also infect mammals (including cats, dogs, cows, pigs, goats, and others) and humans.
5. How serious is H5N1 for humans?
Human cases are very rare — 900 cases worldwide, 2 cases in Canada.
But if you catch it, it is very serious. Reported that about 52–53% of confirmed human H5N1 cases have resulted in death.
6. How does avian flu spread?
Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are common carriers.
The virus spreads through direct contact with infected birds, their droppings, secretions/saliva, feathers, or contaminated surfaces (like shoes, clothing, equipment, or feed).
People can also carry the virus on their clothing, shoes, and vehicle tires.
7. How do wild birds have access to the sanctuary?
The sanctuary sits directly under a migratory bird path, and wild birds regularly land on the property. We cannot prevent this. We also live in the Okanagan, which has lakes, beaches, geese, and ducks.
8. What are we doing about the risks?
We are working with Interior Health to make sure we provided a list of everyone for contact tracing. They start with the front line of volunteers who had direct contact (we held, comforted, inspected most of the birds without any PPE before we knew what we were dealing with), and Interior Health assisted each one with testing and antivirals if deemed necessary after their assessment.
The farm is shut down to all but essential personnel to make sure we can keep everyone safe.
Essential personnel at the farm are following strict protocols while they do their tasks to minimize risk.
We are working with an epidemiologist to make sure that all of our other animals at the farm and cat sanctuary are protected.
It’s important to note that no humans have tested positive, had any symptoms, or felt sick in any way to date.
9. Will we have birds again at the farm?
10. How long will the farm be closed?
Questions from the Public
How did you first realize something was wrong and how the positive H5N1 result was confirmed?
We have a lab in Abbotsford that confirmed H5, then a lab in Winnipeg confirmed the severity of the H5 strain to H5N1.
How many and what type of animals tested positive?
3 chickens.
What steps are you taking on the ground now to protect the animals and your volunteers?
Immediate closure to all volunteers and public. Interior Health was involved to be available to all volunteers that were exposed to ensure their level of comfort was achieved.
What would you like the public to know about Critteraid, your animals, and what this has been like for your team?
Trying to make all the right decisions, navigate the complexities of mandates and regulations, what is correct, what is a mistake, making the right decisions for the animals, protecting us/them, obligation to community, the unwavering support, the unjustified hate, sleepless nights, and I miss my mom moments… It’s a pressure I have never felt before, and the crash course has given us clarity on what must be done next.
Are we getting threats?
Yes.
Are we evacuating our animals from the farm?
No.
Is CFIA going after (culling/killing) all of our animals, including dogs and cats?
No.
Can the public help by adopting/taking animals from the sanctuary?
Appreciated, but we would rather do adoptions when people can make that decision out of wanting to instead of fear.
Is the CFIA bringing dead, massacred, beheaded ostriches to the farm?
Absolutely no.
Have we received ostriches from a farm in Enerby?
No.
Do we have anything to do with the petition started on change.org by Nicole Corrado?
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-forced-culling-of-critteraid-animals
No.
Do we have anything to do with the petition started on
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/618/915/297/stop-the-cfia-slaughter-at-critteraid-sanctuary/
No.
Does this mean the sanctuary will not be able to welcome new animals for some time?
Once the CFIA completes their assessment of decontamination, we could receive more birds in 30 days. But we at Critteraid have questions and concerns to rectify before we do any such thing.
