Our National Goose Protection Coalition is celebrating another major win for Canada geese in Foster City, with the City Council officially approving a new non-lethal pilot program to support coexistence with them. 

In Defense of Animals has been on the front lines of this campaign since city leaders first proposed cruelly killing geese. Together, we stopped those horrible plans through protests, public comments, and more than 30,000 letters from compassionate supporters like you. This is our third major victory for geese in Foster City!

The plan, overseen by a full-time biologist, relies only on nonlethal hazing methods, including trained dogs, remote-controlled boats, drones, and visual and audio deterrents. Hazing will take place at Leo J. Ryan, Marlin, Gull, Erckenbrack, Sea Cloud, Edgewater, and Catamaran parks.

Population control will focus on nest destruction and egg addling at Bair Island, along with the use of methyl anthranilate, a grape-scented chemical repellent that temporarily irritates birds’ noses and throats. 

The three-year plan comes with an estimated cost of $482,000 per year. This includes all proposed services, such as remote-controlled boat hazing and egg addling. About $100,000 annually is dedicated to hazing with trained dogs. Since Wildlife Innovations is a company that generally profits from killing wild animals, local activists are concerned about the training of these dogs and will be monitoring the situation closely. If you live in Foster City, please report any suspicious behavior to authorities and email us at geese@idausa.org.

While these methods have not always succeeded in the past, combining multiple approaches may bring better results. Habitat modification also must be a key part of the plan. City officials admit the chemical repellent is at the bottom of the priority list, leaving questions about long-term effectiveness.

We launched the National Goose Protection Coalition in 2019 to give communities across the country the tools they need to stop lethal goose roundups.

Help us defend geese nationwide by joining the coalition or by making a donation today.