An animal hospital in Maple Ridge has gone public with news that several cackling geese tested positive last month for avian flu.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence, as migratory birds moving through B.C. and across Canada are sometimes exposed to the H5N1 virus that spreads in wild populations.

The difference is that Dewdney Animal Hospital usually gets one or two birds a month during the fall migratory season — whereas this cluster all happened in November.

“We have always got birds in the fall with suspected avian influenza and have for all 17 years I have been here,” said Dewdney’s head veterinarian and owner, Dr. Adrian Walton.

“We work with the B.C. Wildlife Rescue Association and OWL Rehab to see if the birds should be euthanized or can safely be sent to them. This year, WRA we

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