The flags at the farm are at half mast today after the catastrophic loss of my reindeer this past Sunday.

Sometime on Saturday, unknown persons were at my farm without invitation or permission and introduced a deadly bacteria, MCF (Malignant Catarrhal Fever) to my herd. This disease is carried in a bacteria from sheep and goats to which the reindeer have no defense.

Once this disease is introduced, the animals will die and all that can be done is to make them comfortable and wait for them to pass.

This bacteria is agressive and only requires simply contact to pass.

The life cycle of the bacteria is 24 hours and death will occur within 24 hours of exposure.

While I am heartbroken and do not see any chance to recover from this at this time, I wanted to write to discuss bio security and intrusion of people onto another persons property.

Since beginning to keep a farm, I have seen the introduction of a gamut of new accepted procedures for bio security starting at nothing at all to strictly controlled.

Having had parents that still understood the importance of manners, as most of us here did, I can’t understand why so many of the farm people seem to think that they have the right to come on to your property and enter your animal enclosures, buildings or your house without even the simply courtesy of knocking on your door.

While you can strictly control what you can see, it isn’t practical and shouldn’t be necessary for all of us to post an armed guard on our land.

In my case, this is not the stream of passers by from the city but our own local and surrounding farm people who should know better.

Since acquiring the reindeer and other odd animals over the last few years, I have tried to keep them where they could be seen and enjoyed by the people living in the area but my farm has NEVER been open to the public. I have allowed people to come and visit from time to time and meet the animals under the provision that they call to arrange it but had to stop that as well when people just showed up and demand our undivided attention.

We are not a zoo nor do we have any interest in becoming one.

I am not a person of means and these losses are devastating.

Many of you have relatives in Dufferin Oaks or Shelburne Residence in Shelburne who are visited each year by my reindeer.

They would ride up in the elevators, go room to room for those unable to come out to the common area and stand quietly for the host of people to have a pet or get a picture.

We have never taken money for any of this and rarely accepted donations.

This is something that seemed to be an event that the residents enjoyed and look forward to.

I can’t see any way for this to continue this year if ever again.

There is no insurance to claim, nothing else to do but bury the dead and try to salvage what little else is left.

I wonder how the cattle farmers would feel if someone brought BSE to their farm under the same circumstance. It can happen to you.

For me it took only four friendly animals standing at the fence line and one individual with no care or concern. The results are the same.

I would like to thank Mike Pytlik of Orangeville who, despite being told there was nothing to be done, came up and spent the day with me to help me deal with the losses. Kootenay died is his arms.

I would also like to thank my friends and associates from across North America, Australia and the UK for the words of comfort that I have received since the word went out.

Anthony Porter

Dundalk