FOSTER CITY, Calif. (May 19, 2022) — In Defense of Animals and dozens of outraged Foster City residents protested the Council of Foster City’s plan to brutally kill 323 Canada geese and goslings who live in the city. The demonstration was held during a city council meeting on Tuesday, May 17, in front of city hall. The protest was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, KTVU FOX 2, KRON4, ABC 7 News, NBC Bay Area, and even by journalists far afield in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/meMVMoJ_IzA

 More than 50 demonstrators marched from Foster City’s Parks and Recreation building to Foster City Hall chanting “let the geese live” and “geese have feelings, just like us.” When they arrived, the bird advocates set up a pen with faux goose corpses, a smoke machine and wore gas masks to symbolize what could happen to the animals. Atop the pen, a banner read: “$45,000 of taxpayer dollars are being spent on killing 323 individuals.”

Two Foster City children were among those who gave moving speeches calling for mercy. Next, the demonstrators walked inside the chambers and sat before the Mayor and City Council holding protest signs.

Prior to the protest, Vice Chair of Foster City Parks and Recreation Stacy Jimenez addressed the crowd to confirm that Foster City awaits the final step of obtaining the permit to kill a “small percentage” of geese, likely in 2023. 

“As long as Foster City plans to kill any number of geese, we will plan to mobilize, protest, and raise awareness about unnecessarily killing wildlife with taxpayer dollars which were not approved by taxpayers,” replied protest organizer Erik Allen.

Goose killings generally take place in summer when the geese molt and cannot fly away. It’s also when they have their babies, making them especially vulnerable to heartless and violent trap and kill plans.

“Goose roundups are very cruel, targeting animals just after they’ve had their babies and while they’re molting and cannot fly away,” said Fleur Dawes, Communications Director for In Defense of Animals. “Gassing them is very violent and painful, and sends a terrible message to children who love interacting with the geese. Residents enjoy mental health benefits from being around the geese and many are strongly opposed to any goose killing at all. Killing geese isn’t a solution, it’s a money pit that must be filled each year. It’s time for Foster City to reverse this massive waste of taxpayer dollars and commit to peaceful coexistence with our animal members of our community.”

The Council of Foster City may contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to kill 323 geese due to complaints of goose poop. Killing geese and their goslings always involves animal cruelty. Geese and goslings are often placed in mobile gas chambers, a particularly cruel and painful method of killing high-flying migratory birds who are used to dramatic differences in air pressure. The gassing process simultaneously burns and freezes their lungs for up to 45 minutes before they die in agony.

Goose massacres are repeated annually because they are a temporary solution. When geese are trapped and killed, new geese repopulate the same area since they are attracted to plentiful resources of food, water, and shelter. Non-lethal strategies such as landscape modifications and changes in human behavior provide a permanent, effective, long-term solution that doesn’t involve animal cruelty.

Foster City residents don't want their tax dollars spent on putting geese and their families into mobile gas chambers. The recently released Foster City 2022 - 2023 budget allocates $20,000 in 2021 - 2022 and $45,000 in 2022 - 2023 for the geese mitigation plan. Residents are urging the Council of Foster City to remove lethal options from the plan and commit to nonlethal goose stewardship strategies that focus on accountable, transparent processes and allow for public engagement.

“As listed in the Council of Foster City’s new annual budget, thousands of taxpayer dollars are funding this cruel and unnecessary death plan, but the taxpayers of Foster City do not want this,” continues Erik Allen. “We are asking Mayor Awasthi and the City Council of Foster City to cancel its plans with the USDA and not allow for lethal round-ups where some of us call home. Do not take these individuals from their home! Let the geese live!”

The Council of Foster City has received opposition emails from more than 14,000 In Defense of Animals supporters, urging them to cancel the cruel and ineffective goose massacre.

“Foster City residents are devastated that the city plans to kill beloved geese and goslings in their neighborhoods,” said Lisa Levinson, Campaigns Director at In Defense of Animals. “The Council of Foster City’s new ‘Healthy Waters, Healthy Parks’ branding initiative should include coexistence and compassion instead of heartless killing. The city can easily purchase a tow and collect machine to consistently clean up goose droppings, which can be processed, packaged, and sold as fertilizer to help fund nonlethal alternatives to killing goose families.”

In Defense of Animals’ National Goose Protection Coalition was formed in 2019 to help concerned citizens stop goose cruelty in their communities. Learn more and find nonlethal goose engagement options at: www.stopgooseabuse.org

To bring local attention to this disturbing situation, In Defense of Animals and Foster City residents are protesting the Council of Foster City’s merciless plan to kill geese and goslings because of their droppings. Members of the public are encouraged to attend this peaceful demonstration, and to take action to stop this massacre: 

• Take action to stop Foster City from killing of geese and goslings

Images and video of the Foster City demonstration to Let The Geese Live, free for use with credit: https://bit.ly/FosterCityMay22GooseDemo

Images of goose roundups, free for use with credit: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWfmPKu

Contacts:

In Defense of Animals, Lisa Levinson, lisa@idausa.org, 215-620-2130
Erik Allen, hopefullysomedaysoon@gmail.com, 707-695-4799
 

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in Marin county, California with over 250,000 supporters and a 39-year history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org/geese

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