For those viewing this post on a phone, here is the text from the e-mail:
"Good afternoon, Shaun,
It has taken me some time to write this message, as I am deeply disturbed by what has taken place during the recent ostrich cull.
With over twenty-five years of experience in the slaughterhouse industry and extensive involvement with the CFIA, I must be cautious in how I express my views. However, in all my years in this field and through visits to numerous facilities worldwide, I have never witnessed anything as inhumane or distressing as what occurred in this incident.
The claim that a veterinarian was present raises serious questions. The role of an on-site veterinarian is to ensure that animals are slaughtered correctly and with minimal stress - a standard clearly not met in this case. If a veterinarian was indeed present, it would appear their involvement was limited to confirming death rather than overseeing humane slaughter practices.
A far more appropriate and humane approach would have been as follows: placing a sack over each bird’s head to calm it, allowing a trained handler to gently lead and control the animal by the neck. Once calm, the ostrich could then be moved into a confined area and euthanized quickly and humanely using a captive bolt gun - a single, well-placed shot to the top of the head resulting in an immediate loss of consciousness. Instead, what appears to have occurred were random gunshots under high stress conditions, which would have caused extreme distress and unnecessary suffering.
These animals could and should have been handled professionally, away from the public eye and particularly away from the family and witnesses who were subjected to this traumatic event. That this was not the case reflects a serious lapse in judgment and procedure.
There is no doubt in my mind that these animals endured significant suffering, and it is entirely appropriate that the public express outrage over how this situation was handled.
Kind regards,"