Summerland's Critteraid Animal Sanctuary has shared online that it is facing a “heartbreaking experience” after a positive H5N1 (avian influenza) case was discovered at its Okanagan animal refuge.

“Over the past few days, our sanctuary family has been facing one of the most heartbreaking experiences in our history,” stated a Critteraid Facebook post from Friday.

The organization said that the situation has required immediate action and it is working with veterinary professionals, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Interior Health.

Photo Credit: Critteraid Animal Sanctuary/Facebook

“Our team and volunteers are devastated,” added the organization.

“The animals in our care are the centre of everything we do and the emotional weight of this moment is immense.”

The Critteraid sanctuary is home to a variety of animals, including ducks, chickens, peacocks, goats, horses, pigs and more.

The sanctuary did not specify the animal or animals affected by the positive case. NowMedia has reached out for more information.

“Because this situation is still active and regulated, we are simply consumed with this horror,” the sanctuary added.

“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.”

The sanctuary said that it will share everything about its experience and hopes to help the next sanctuary that deals with the same situation.

The news of a positive case at the sanctuary comes as the wounds from the ostrich cull at a BC Interior farm are still fresh. 

The ostriches met their demise on Thursday evening, more than 10 months after the CFIA ordered a cull of the hundreds of ostriches.