Coalition of Animal Sanctuaries Craft Policy Statement on Urban Chicken-Keeping

Animal Activists Urged to Present This Policy Statement to Their
Municipalities

A coalition of animal sanctuaries involved in the direct care of unwanted
chickens in the United States has formulated recommendations regarding the
recent trend in backyard chicken-keeping. As the popularity of raising
backyard flocks has grown, our shelters have become inundated with calls to
take in unwanted chickens. In addition, we understand many communities are
now besieged with requests to legally regulate the keeping of backyard
flocks.

Recognizing the importance of this issue, we developed the following
Position Statement. If you live in a municipality that allows urban
"backyard" chicken-keeping already or is considering an Ordinance to
allow the keeping of chickens, please provide this Position Statement to
your local Animal Control, City Council, and Mayor. Please use the
information in it to write letters to the editor of your local newspapers
and respond to media coverage about the trend in urban/suburban backyard
chicken-keeping.

But first, please read and consider the issues raised in our Position
Statement and consider the reasons we give for encouraging your
municipality to resist becoming zoned for chicken-keeping. If zoning is
already in place, we urge your municipality to establish and enforce strict
requirements designed to protect both the birds, and your community, from
serious problems that will, quite predictably, otherwise result. Thank you.

===========================================================================

Collective Position Statement on Backyard Poultry

Click here for PDF: [http://www.upc-online.org/chickens/backyard_poultry.pdf]

Background

In the past year, shelters and sanctuaries in urban and suburban areas
have witnessed a dramatic increase in the intake of chickens, particularly
roosters. Hatcheries producing day-old chicks for shipment to feed stores
and individuals are backlogged with orders. The desire to raise poultry can
be linked to organic backyard farming as well as a desire to have direct
access to food (eggs and, in some cases, meat).

As a coalition of animal sanctuaries interested in the welfare of hens
and roosters, we have created this position statement on the keeping and
raising of chickens. All of us have been inundated with calls to take in
hens and roosters who are a) no longer wanted; b) not the correct sex; c)
not legally permissible. As organizations with limited resources and space,
it is no longer feasible to take in even a small percentage of these
unwanted animals. Even with placement assistance, most of these chickens,
particularly roosters, do not find permanent placement. This leaves
municipal dog and cat shelters the task of taking in, housing, feeding,
caring for, and inevitably killing healthy, adoptable chickens.

Problems associated with urban backyard flocks

Hatcheries are like puppy mills: When animals are reduced to
commodities, their best interests are pushed aside in favor of profit.
Hatcheries that produce chicks for backyard flocks treat chickens and their
offspring in much the same way puppy mills treat breeding dogs and their
puppies. There are no legal requirements dictating how breeding hens and
roosters are housed, meaning they may be crammed into small cages or sheds
without outdoor access.

Shipping day-old chicks is cruel: Most chickens purchased are bought from
hatcheries or feed stores (these chicks originate from hatcheries).
Hatcheries ship day-old birds through the postal service without any legal
oversight. Young chickens are deprived of food and water for up to 72 hours
and exposed to extremes in temperature. As Dr. Jean Cypher, a veterinarian
specializing in avian medicine states, "A day-old chick can no more
withstand three days in a dark crowded box than can any other newborn."
Other experts in avian medicine and behavior agree that transporting
day-old chicks in boxes for the first 24-72 hours of life is cruel and
medically detrimental to the birds. See, for example:
[http://www.upc-online.org/transport/71408shippingbirds.html].

Chicken sexing is more art than science: Using data collected from
sanctuaries and rescues that field calls daily about unwanted chickens, we
estimate between 20-50% of purchased "hens" are actually roosters.
Depending on breed, visually identifying a rooster can take weeks to
months.

Roosters may be unwanted and are often illegal: Male chickens are
generally unwanted for two reasons: They don't produce eggs and they are
rarely legal in urban or suburban settings. Hatcheries may use rooster
chicks as packing material, regardless of whether they were ordered. Most
incorporated or urban regions that do permit chickens only allow hens, not
roosters. Unwanted roosters may be abandoned to the streets, slaughtered,
or end up in a municipal shelter to be killed. Very few find their way into
a permanent home or sanctuary.

Chickens attract rodents: Even the cleanest coop is attractive to rats
and mice who enjoy the free bedding (straw and shavings) and food. Rodents
are generally viewed as pests and their presence is unwanted by chicken
owners and neighbors.

Lack of professional medical care: Avian medicine has made progress but
there are few vets specialized in the treatment and care of birds.
Veterinarians who do treat poultry are often expensive, with the average
vet visit starting at a minimum of $100.

Concerns with new ordinances allowing backyard poultry

Enforcement costs: Municipal shelters run on a tight budget dealing with
animal cruelty cases, dangerous dog calls, and the normal day to day
operation of their facilities. Adding an extra burden, like enforcing
chicken licensing laws and related complaints, is unwise amidst current
economic concerns.

Slaughter: The average chicken guardian is ill-equipped to "properly"
stun and kill a chicken. Further, slaughtering can be traumatic for
neighbors, including impressionable children. If chickens are to be
permitted in urban areas, they must be protected from cruel mistreatment as
much as "traditional" companion animals like dogs or cats, including a
ban on slaughtering them for consumption.

Roosters will be killed: Creating new ordinances permitting chickens
creates a market for killing 50% of all chicks born in hatcheries. Urban
and suburban areas considering chickens generally ban roosters, yet male
chickens comprise half of all chicks born. Hatcheries mail roosters as
packing material, and sexing of chickens is more art than science (see
above). When residents purchase chicks from hatcheries or feedstores and
end up with roosters, they will be put in the position of having to rehome
the bird(s). Most roosters are not rehomed and end up abandoned or dumped
at shelters, where they are invariably killed.

Suggestions if you are considering a backyard flock

Make sure it's legal: If you live in an unincorporated area, contact
your planning department and ask about the zoning requirements regarding
poultry. If you live in an incorporated region, contact the city clerk for
information on ordinances regarding chickens. Adopt: Avoid the cruelties of
the hatcheries by adopting birds already in existence who need homes. Check
out [http://www.petfinder.org] for animals available at your local shelter. Visit [http://www.sanctuaries.org] or [http://www.farmanimalshelters.org] and
contact a sanctuary near you about adopting birds. If they do not have
birds, do not give up. Sanctuaries and rescues receive inquiries daily
regarding animals needing homes - ask that you be contacted if one of these
calls occurs.

Do your research: Chickens can be wonderful companions. While they are
relatively easy to maintain, they do have special needs. Be sure to
research housing, predator proofing, diet, and medical needs. Some things
to be aware of:

- Some breeds of chickens are cold-sensitive: Hens and roosters with large
single combs are prone to frost-bite in cooler climates. Make sure adequate
housing accommodates birds in both cool and hot temperatures.

- Predator protection is vital: Chickens should be locked up at night in a
safe enclosure that prevents access by all predators, including dogs,
raccoons, aerial predators, rats, cats, wild canines, weasels, etc. During
the day, animals should be housed in a fully-fenced enclosure or yard with
proper protection from aerial, day-time predators and neighborhood dogs
and, in the case of small bantams, large domestic free-roaming cats.

- Veterinary care is critical: Avian medicine is still considered an
"exotic" practice and, as such, is more expensive. A one-time visit may
start at $100. Nevertheless, before considering housing chickens, it is
imperative that they have access to veterinary care.

Supporting Organizations

- Animal Place - http://www.animalplace.org



- Chicken Run Rescue - http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/





]

- Chocowinity Chicken Sanctuary - http://www.chocochickensanctuary.org/
- Eastern Shore Sanctuary and Education Center - http://www.bravebirds.org

- Farm Sanctuary - http://www.farmsanctuary.org/
- Sunny Skies Bird and Animal Sanctuary - http://www.sunnyskiesbirdsanctuary.org/

- http://www.upc-online.org/ United Poultry Concerns
(Chicken Care: http://www.upc-online.org/chickens/
--
United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes the
compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl.
Don't just switch from beef to chicken. Go Vegan.
[http://www.UPC-online.org]

View online: http://www.upc-online.org/chickens/backyard_poultry.html

URGENT: Action needed to prevent the city of Bend, Oregon from killing geese!

Dear Friends of Canada Geese:

It has come to our attention that the city of Bend, Oregon is considering
lethal action against the Canada geese that inhabit their city. Please click
the link below for the news article:

http://kohd.com/page/147627


Please contact the people below to voice your opposition to any lethal
action against the geese.

Many communities and golf courses have managed to control their geese
populations successfully without bloodshed. There is absolutely no
justification for killing the geese when they are attracted to the lawns and
ponds of the city. Please suggest that the city modify its landscape as a
permanent and effective deterrent to the geese. The city of Moncton, New
Brunswick has also been successful at getting geese off athletic fields by
turning on the lawn sprinklers. The city can also place swan decoys to fool
the geese and professionally controlled herding dogs have been very
successful at getting geese off lawns.

Mayor - Kathie Eckman: KEckman@ci.bend.or.us



Mayor Pro Tem - Mark Capell: mcapell@ci.bend.or.us

Councilor - Jodie Barram: jbarram@ci.bend.or.us


Councilor - Oran Teater: oteater@ci.bend.or.us


Councilor - Jeff Eager: jeager@ci.bend.or.us


Councilor - Jim Clinton: jclinton@ci.bend.or.us


Councilor - Tom Greene: tgreene@ci.bend.or.us




City Manager - Eric King: citymanager@ci.bend.or.us



City Hall
(541) 388-5505
710 NW Wall Street
Bend, Oregon 97701



Bend Metro Parks and Recreation - Board of Directors

All BMPRD board members
board@bendparksandrec.org


Or Individual Directors

Scott Wallace
swallace@bendparksandrec.org

Scott Asla
sasla@bendparksandrec.org


Ruth Williamson
rwilliamson@bendparksandrec.org


Ted Schoenborn
tschoenborn@bendparksandrec.org


George Thayer
gthayer@bendparksandrec.org


Thank you all very much for your help!

Choo and Earl Rosenbloom

--
Love Canada Geese 2010 Calendar is now available. For preview, please visit:

http://www.LoveCanadaGeese.com/2010calendar.html

Arctic Geese Skip Migration as Planet Warms

No Longer Just Summer Birds Discovery News Video Sept. 16, 2009 --
In the Fall of 2007, tens of thousands of small arctic geese called Pacific brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) decided not to go south for the winter.

For these long-haul migratory birds, it was a dramatic choice -- they usually spend the cold months munching their favorite eel grass in the waters off Mexico's Baja peninsula. But changes in Earth's climate have so affected them that the barren windswept lagoons of western Alaska are looking more and more appealing.

The trend is likely to continue, according to a new study, affecting not only brant but a host of migratory birds around the globe.

David Ward of the United States Geological Survey in Anchorage has been studying brant behavior for nearly three decades.

When he began back in the 1970s, only around 4000 birds toughed out the winter in Izembek Lagoon, a 25-mile long stretch of protected water on the Alaska Peninsula. Two autumns ago, the number had climbed to 40,000 -- nearly 30 percent of the total population.

"The birds normally wait for a storm system to come down through the Aleutians," Ward said. "They catch the tail winds down south. But the track of storm systems is a little different now."


WATCH VIDEO: Is Alaska America's poster child for climate change? Related Content:
Full story:http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/09/16/birds-migration-warming.html

LETTERS NEEDED: Ontario, Canada golf course about to shoot migratory geese!

Dear friends of Canada geese:

We just learned that a golf course (Osprey Links) in the Municipality of
Callander in Ontario, Canada has been granted permission by Canadian
Wildlife Services to shoot geese that land on their golf course. Please
click on the link below for the news article:

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1734603


There is absolutely no good reason for shooting geese, either to frighten
them away or to kill them to "set an example" for other geese not to land
upon the golf course. A golf course in New Brunswick, Canada has had great
success getting geese off their courses just by the simple act of turning on
their water sprinklers:

http://www.hallofshame.lovecanadageese.com/humane.html


Please write letters voicing your opposition to the proposed shooting of
geese at Osprey Links and offer humane methods instead.

WRITE TO OSPREY LINKS AT:

info@ospreylinksgolf.com
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTH BAY NUGGET:
http://www.nugget.ca/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx


Thank you all so much!

Choo and Earl
www.LoveCanadaGeese.com

Geese at Melrose's Ell Pond being trapped, euthanized

By Daniel DeMaina / ddemaina@cnc.com

Melrose - What's good for the goose isn't good for those who take a gander
at The Knoll's playing fields, which are typically covered in bird
droppings.

To combat the problem of Canada geese [1]soiling those playing fields, the
Melrose Health Department [2] has called in the feds. Last Friday, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture [3](USDA) reported to the Melrose Police [4]that
they would be conducting net-gun captures of geese at Ell Pond.

Carol Bannerman, spokeswoman for the USDA's wildlife division, said the
captured geese are gassed, leading to a quiet death, and donated to food
banks and homeless shelters through a program called Hunters for the
Homeless, which mainly takes food donations from hunters.

The USDA also uses sound and light devices to harass the geese and when used
in conjunction with the net-gun -- making the geese associate the sound and
noise with the net-guns -- deters the geese from taking up residence at Ell
Pond.

"The problem isn't that there are resident Canada geese," Bannerman said.
"The problem is there's an overabundance in an area that's too small."

Ruth Clay, Melrose-Wakefield Health Director, said her office has received
"a lot of complaints" about the geese excrement from parents of children who
use the playing fields at The Knoll.

"We're trying to address that by reducing the number of birds," Clay said.
"It's an ongoing problem. This is the first year we've been in partnership
with the USDA helping us."

It's not a case of just a few bird droppings here and there, either,
Bannerman said. Canada geese leave, at a minimum, a half a pound of feces a
day.

"In a park area that has 50 Canada geese, you're going to have 25 pounds a
day," she said.

The killing of Canada geese as way of controlling the their population in
urban and suburban areas -- and thereby protecting humans from the bird's
droppings -- is not without controversy. The Web site of the New York-based
Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese [5] cites studies by
the National Wildlife Health Center and the New Jersey Division of Fish and
Wildlife, which state that Canada geese and their feces do not pose a public
health risk to humans.

The Coalition urges the use of non-lethal goose control methods, such as
scare devices and lawn treatments.

Bannerman said the USDA, depending on the situation, does use an "integrated
approach" combining a variety of techniques besides killing the geese, such
as egg and nest treatment and habitat management.

She also noted that in some cases, such as in New York City, harassing the
geese into taking up residence someplace else usually results in the geese
only moving half a mile to a mile away, still in the city.

"However, I would hesitate to say that [in relation to Melrose], because we
haven't done that type of study in this area," Bannerman said.

One way Melrosians can help control the Canada geese population at Ell Pond
is to avoid feeding the geese, Bannerman said.

"I always feel a little bit guilty saying this -- I have a lovely picture of
my kids and I on my desk feeding the geese and the ducks," she said. "That
was before I knew about the problems. I understand that it's a fun activity
to do with your children and grandchildren, but by and large the food humans
give to wild fowl like geese or ducks is not the healthiest food for them.
It really only encourages the birds staying in an area that's not right for
them. Certainly we would discourage the feeding of wild birds. Wild birds
are the ones that end up harmed in those situations."

****************************************************************************
*****************************
CONTACT INFO:
Robert A. Boisselle
President of the Board of Aldermen
(781) 979-4100
Aldermen@cityofmelrose.org [6]
Mayor Robert J. Dolan
(send e-email to Mayor through City's web site)
http://www.cityofmelrose.org/contact.html

Letter to Editor: melrose@cnc.com
[7]


1: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/id

2: http://www.cityofmelrose.org/departments/health.htm

3: http://www.usda.gov/

4: http://www.melrosepolice.com/

5: http://www.canadageese.org/

6: http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Aldermen@cityofmelrose.org

7: http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=melrose@cnc.com

Kittery Water District kills geese at York pond

By Susan Morse

smorse@seacoastonline.com

August 18, 2009 4:08 PM

YORK - Kittery Water Superintendent Mike Rogers shot five Canada geese at
Boulter Pond in York in June and July upsetting local residents who believe
non-lethal methods could have deterred the birds from living around the
public water supply.

Boulter Pond, off New Boston Road, provides drinking water to Kittery,
Eliot, part of York and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Rogers confirmed he killed the geese after getting the necessary permit from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service June 16. He shot five geese over the
subsequent five weeks, he said by e-mail response. No geese have been shot
for at least two to three weeks, he said.

Two geese wounded by gunshot were brought to the Center for Wildlife in
York, according to Executive Director Karen McElmurry. One had an injured
eye; the other had superficial wounds that prevented it from flying, she
said. They were treated and released to a location in Greenland, N.H., which
could handle additional geese, McElmurry said.

Rogers said he killed the geese to protect the water supply from fecal
bacteria contamination as the geese were near the area of the pond's intake
tower.

"The reason was to drive the geese from Boulter Pond, which is one of our
public water supplies," he said. "The amount of feces left behind from the
flock, sometimes as many as 40 at one time, is astonishing. The feces on the
dam, which abuts Boulter Pond, was so excessive that it was killing the
grass."

As it is maintained, Boulter Pond invites geese, according to local resident
Joanne Muckenhoupt, president of the New Boston Road and Thomas Road
Homeowners' Association. The way to get rid of the birds is to make the area
less hospitable, she said. Geese feed on manicured grass around the pond,
she said. There is no barrier between the water and grass, which is also
inviting for the birds, that don't like to fly over such obstacles.

"It's a perfect environment for geese," she said. "It doesn't make sense in
people's minds to make a hospitable environment. I would remove turf, which
is food."

Planting an English ivy or other inedible plant would help, she said, as
would erecting a fence, or raising the rock wall that lines the embankment.

The private roads around Boulter Pond are maintained by the water district,
which has worked hard to be a good neighbor, Muckenhoupt said. Residents
don't understand the shootings. "There's no reason they can't get the
community involved to help with solutions," she said. "This seems like an
extreme measure."

Muckenhoupt and others regularly walk their dogs by the pond. Neighbors
reported seeing dead geese at the site, she said. A goose carcass was seen
on a recent tour of the pond. It's unknown if the bird was shot or died of
other causes.

Muckenhoupt advises walkers to be wary of goose droppings along the grassy
trail. She has seen three families of geese at the pond. The birds come back
every year for two months during the summer, along their migratory route,
she said.


Shooting requests not uncommon


The Canada Geese became a problem in 2008, Rogers said.

"They are a very hard animal to drive away without using lethal methods," he
said. "We purchased an audio system that operates 24 hours a day, and used
(it) both last summer and this summer."

Rogers said they also used decoys, blow-ups like beach balls with reflective
eyes that were placed on land and in the water. "These were useless, the
geese would walk and swim right around them," he said. "One of our plant
operators even purchased a sling shot and marbles to try to drive them away
before reverting to lethal action."

Richard and Natalia Locke of Cider Hill Road are also upset by the Water
District's decision to kill the geese. "You can't convince me there's such a
risk from goose run off," Richard Locke said.

McElmurry also questions if there is proof geese are contaminating the
drinking water. "Are fecal counts high?" she asked. "If they're just
shooting them because they're suspect, they don't know really if they're
causing problems. I think the general public has a hard time with that. You
would think all of the treatment our water goes through, it's going to kill
just about anything."

Rogers said no water samples were taken. "I am taking a proactive approach
on this," he said, "and not a reactive approach, meaning I did not want to
wait for an outbreak of bacteria or residents becoming sick from drinking
our water before taking action."

Rogers said he notified the York Police Department as a courtesy, in case
police received calls of shots fired. Police Capt. Kevin LeConte on Monday
confirmed Rogers contacted the department.

Rogers needed no town approval, but did need a U.S. Fish and Wildlife
depredation permit. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman said such requests
are common. "We don't issue a permit unless they've tried non-lethal
techniques first," said Chief of Permits Valerie Slocund, who works out of
the West Hadley, Mass., regional office.

Non-lethal techniques recommended by the department include harassment,
scaring and fencing.

Slocund was not familiar with the Water District case but said the town had
to get a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture before a
permit was issued, she said. John Forbes of the Maine USDA was familiar with
the request. Forbes is the state director of USDA Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, Wildlife Services. "Usually, by the time they contact
us, they're at wit's end," he said, "and they've tried other things."

Forbes' department easily handles "50 to 75 requests each year," he said.
"In Maine, we're starting to see population increases. There's a
sub-population of geese that don't go to the Arctic and nest."

In addition to lethal control, Forbes said the USDA recommends non-lethal
measures. "It's a standard approach throughout the country," he said.

McElmurry said the Center for Wildlife fields calls daily from people
fearful of wildlife causing a problem. Killing wildlife is often seen as the
best solution by some.

"On a personal and professional level, yes we have a problem with that," she
said. "We're trying to teach tolerance and educate people so that the fear
factor gets notched down a little bit."

Rogers said the goose problem seems to have gone away - for now, and hopes
geese have learned they're not welcome at Boulter Pond. "If the geese return
in the spring, there is a method available that we will try that does not
allow the eggs of the young ones to hatch," he said. "There is an ingredient
that can be put out for the geese to ingest, but it must be done early in
the spring. If the flock returns, then yes, future shootings could occur."

The season for hunting geese opens shortly, Rogers said, and the district
"does permit hunting on our properties, so we could get some assistance in
thinning down the flock."

"I do not want to shoot these birds, but we as drinking water suppliers need
to ensure that our source of drinking water is as free from pollution as
possible, ensuring that the feces does not lead to an out break of e-coli or
fecal bacteria," he said. "Ninety-nine percent of the geese activity was
occurring near the water intake tower of Boulter Pond."

CONTACT INFO:

Letters to Editor: opinion@seacoastonline.com

Letters to goose killer: Michael S. Rogers, Superintendent Kittery Water
District - kitterywater@comcast.net



Letters to York, Maine Selectmen: selectmen@yorkmaine.org


Letters to York Town Manager, Robert G. Yandow: ryandow@yorkmaine.org

One man’s meat

The practice of force-feeding an animal for the sole pleasure of the
palate has come under criticism from animal welfare groups.

IN any killing of animals for food, there is a certain degree of
cruelty, a fact that has led many people to stop eating meat.

There’s also the environmental concern in animal agriculture, which is
the main source of methane worldwide, a significant contributor to
global warming.

This, however, is not a polemic for vegetarianism, despite the proven
benefits to our bodies and the planet (the food must be organic,
though), or a question of morality. The fact of the matter is that one
can be an animal lover and still eat meat.

Standard animal agriculture practices leave much to be desired and
many informed meat-eaters draw the line at what they consider unfair
treatment of an animal before it ends up on their tables.

The matter is especially contentious when it comes to gourmet food.
Certainly, there appears to be no bigger controversy than the
production of foie gras (pronoun­ced “fwah grah”) – duck or goose
liver that is fattened by force-feeding.

This is done by feeding the birds through a tube shoved down their
throats. Anti-foie gras campaigners say this is painful, cruel and
something the industry wants to hide. This has also led many animal
rights groups to go undercover to film the process. These videos can
be viewed on their websites, along with images of unkempt and dead
birds.

--
full story:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/7/27/lifefocus/3448294&sec=lifefocus

URGENT: Letters needed to help save the geese of Asphodel-Norwood,Ontario,Canada!

Dear Friends of Canada Geese:

We need your assistance to help save the geese of Asphodel-Norwood, a small
township located in Ontario, Canada.

City council has cleared the way for a falconer to shoot the geese at Mill
Pond beginning in September.
http://www.hallofshame.lovecanadageese.com/norwood.html

Some points to consider when writing letters to the editor and City Council:

1. Bill Duke, representative of the Mill Pond Revitalization Committee
warned City Council that too much publicity will draw animal rights
activists to the village. He also states that activists are very militant,
yet the very act of taking up arms (guns) against the geese is the most
violent and militant act of all.
2. Duke also stresses that the cull would be a business transaction
between the falconer, the municipality and is not a hunt or sports shoot.
That doesn't justify subjecting the geese to a cruel and violent death.
3. Killing the geese at Mill Pond will only create a void for other
geese to fill. Geese will continue to be attracted to the pond as long as
water fills the pond and the landscape and other conditions remain
unchanged.
4. Urge Council to use successful, humane, and non-lethal goose
abatement techniques such as landscape modification, egg addling and the use
of a trained border collie service. Kill programs are controversial,
disrupt community harmony and generate negative publicity.

CONTACTS:

1. Please
CLICK HERE to send a letter to the editor of the Community Press. http://communitypress.ca/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx
2. Please send your letters to City Council:

Doug Pearcy, Reeve: dpearcy@accel.net


Terry Low, Deputy Reeve:
terry.low@sympatico.ca


Mary Hay, Councillor: mjhay@nexicom.net


Rod Manley, Councillor:
rodmanley@nexicom.net


Thank you very much.

Choo and Earl Rosenbloom

Write To President Obama To Protest The Slaughtering Of Canada Geese!

Dear friends of Canada Geese:

Please write a letter to President Obama to protest the USDA's slaughtering
of Canada geese when humane methods are available and effective. Even though
local government officials make the call to proceed with slaughters, the
USDA is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture, who was
appointed by Obama. All Obama needed to have done was say "No."

Please CLICK HERE to send a letter to
President Obama.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT

Thank you.

Choo and Earl Rosenbloom

--
Please visit Love Canada Geese. We have updated stories of our geese friends
and we're introducing other friends over the coming weeks.
Visit us and our friends at:
http://www.lovecanadageese.com

NYC/GOOSE SLAUGHTER POLL!PLEASE VOTE!

Dear friends of Canada geese:


Please take a moment to put in your two cents on this poll of Killing Geese.
The poll is beneath the video boxes. Please click on: I don't support it;
it's inhumane. Thank you.



http://www.newsday.com/news/local/transportation/ny-bc-us--birdstrikes0611ju
n11,0,1768553.story



Choo and Earl
--
Please visit Love Canada Geese. We have updated stories of our geese friends
and we're introducing other friends over the coming weeks.
Visit us and our friends at:
http://www.lovecanadageese.com

BARRY MCKAY ON GEESE

"Culling" of geese in New York city



Recently a supporter wrote to my organization asking about the New York
cull of Canada Geese. Here is part of what I wrote back:



Some years ago (and I am no expert on U.S. law) the U.S. essentially ceded
management of this species, or so-called urban populations of it, over to
State governments. It seems to me that it is a violation of a binational
treaty to protect migratory birds, but the argument made at the time was
that there were non-migratory “resident” populations of Canada Geese, and
they should be exempt from the Migratory Birds Convention Treaty between the
U.S. and Canada.



The position I took at the time, and maintain, is that there is no hard
distinction between the two populations. Canada Geese that migrate may also
become part of the so-called “resident” population, and vice versa.



It’s an important consideration because in eastern North America the Canada
Goose tends to be in decline and at any rate in both countries wildlife
management agencies (federal, state and provincial) have vested interests in
maintaining healthy populations of migrant birds to generate hunting permit
revenues.



This is of particular importance in the U.S. since such revenues (including
from the sale of weapons and ammunition, including those not used in
hunting) fund the agencies. It is different in Canada, where the funding
comes out of general revenues, although even so those revenues include
licensing fees from hunters.



At any rate, I presented that theory at a symposium some years ago, in
Memphis, Tenn., held by the joint flyway commissions of the U.S. and
Canada, who, in an advisory capacity, essentially regulate licensing. I was
countered by the alternative argument that no, resident geese don’t join
migrant flocks and if migrant geese join resident geese, they tend to
remain.



I find that in these situations facts really don’t matter; all management
decisions are political.



In fact, analysis of the feathers retrieved from the engines of the plane
downed on the Hudson River last winter show that they came from migrant
Canada Geese who originated in Labrador. Thus, as I argued at that Memphis
conference and have been arguing all along to no avail, there is no hard
distinction between urban “resident” geese and migrants.



The so-called “resident” geese are the ones being culled in New York and New
Jersey as I write. They kill breeding birds and their young and
non-breeding and non-migrating birds during a time in their life-cycle when
all are flightless…the young because they have not yet matured to that
stage, the adults because at this time of year, adult Canada Geese, like
other native waterfowl species, molt (shed) all of their flight feathers at
one time and for a couple of weeks are flightless, renewing their flight
feathers with a new set in time for post-nuptial dispersal and migration.



They could have killed every Canada Goose in New York State and New Jersey
last summer, and it would not have prevented those birds from Labrador from
flying over the Hudson River at the time that the airplane did the same.



*The purpose of the cull is to allow politicians to assure constituents that
“something is being done”.*



Killing is easy. But the only way to make the skies statistically safer for
planes (remembering that bird strikes account for only a tiny fraction of
the causes that bring down airplanes) from Canada Geese would be to also
pretty well eliminate the migrant geese, which, as you will recall me
saying, are already at lower numbers than is satisfactory to the interests
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or its Canadian counterpart, the
Canadian Wildlife Service.



In fact, I’d argue that they would pretty well have to reduce migrant birds
to endangered status in order to make a difference, and that is
(technically) illegal. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is prevented by
law (as I understand it) from causing a species to become endangered.



There is something else that can be done, and that is to make the urban
environment, particularly in the vicinity of airports, less attractive to
all geese at all times. Canada Geese are “grazers”, who eat off the tops of
grass, especially when it is fresh and tender, which it is after mowing. Thus
lawns, swards, greens, golf courses, sports pitches and the like are the
major attraction.



But remember that during the breeding season the birds are flightless. Thus
to be attractive to breeding geese, the grass should be in the vicinity of
open water, to allow the birds to escape natural predators, and find
alternative food. Simply by placing low obstructions between greenswards
and water (even shrubbery and natural reedy vegetation can work) one can
reduce the attractiveness of a given urban environment for Canada Geese.



There are many other things that could be done to reduce the attractiveness
of the area for Canada Geese and we have funded both the production and
distribution of materials aimed at teaching necessary decision makers and
property managers how to reduce or eliminate those features that encourage
the presence of geese.



But in the emotional response of a catastrophe, however rare and unlikely,
as the one that brought down the airplane o n the Hudson River last winter,
it is far easier and conspicuous to instigate a cull. It won’t work to save
airplanes (again I must emphasize that statistically birds are a very minor
threat to air safety) but it will serve to placate the public, who lacks an
understanding of why the geese are so attracted to the area in the first
place, or how the appropriate officials have failed to do their respective
jobs and reducing that attractiveness.



That is where people such as yourself come in, and can do something we can’t
do, which is to write letters as private citizens to editors of local
newspapers show that you do understand that this cull really does not
address the core problem, and indeed, scapegoats the Canada Geese, and
victimizes them for the unwillingness of more effective, long-term measures
in a world that, no matter what, can never be made entirely safe.



You may hear the argument that by culling breeding (so-called resident)
birds in summer, the population of Canada Geese will be reduced overall,
with a subsequent reduction of the likelihood of a collision occurring
between Canada Geese and airplanes in the future.



There is some merit to that contention, but remember, there are still the
migrant geese attracted to the area, and the area become that much more
attractive to them in the absence of competition from other, “local” geese,
thus their numbers can be expected to increase. And that can only be dealt
with by reducing the migrant population, now reserved, as it were, for
hunters, who generate revenue that pays the salaries of the “experts” whose
opinions contribute to the cull of local geese.



Needless to say, feel free to use any arguments presented.
Barry

BLOOMBERG'S BIG LIE!

Sharon Azar powerful, intelligent, compassionate piece by Norman Guberman.
Please forward to all.
Thank you


COMPASSIONATE GOVERNMENT?
A quick synopsis: Last week, it was announced that 2,000 Canada Geese
living within a 5-mile radius of the airports would be rounded up and
killed. The reason given was the downing of the Captain Sullenberger
plane last January by hitting flying geese. Immediately however the
Smithsonian and other scientific institutions involved in the analysis
of the accident announced that it was migrating Canada Geese, not the
resident geese, that brought the plane down. This gave lie to the
reason to conduct the massacre of the goose population.

Let us look into this dark event more closely. The Canada Geese
population living around the areas of the NYC airports has
dramatically increased in the last twenty years, and is now estimated
at around 15,000. During this period (from June through early July),
when the round up is in effect, adult geese moult and cannot fly while
at the same time their babies hatch. They walk or swim around with a
lot of goslings in tow eating a lot of grass. And making a lot of
goose poo.

Goose poo being vegetarian is harmless (and great fertilizer!) . But it
makes lawns slimy. Since geese are tough birds and not easily shoo-ed
off, wherever they have congregated, they have been considered to be
pests. The USDA's policy is to without review, when asked, grant the
permit to have them killed. They don't need to be a danger.
And they are not. Resident Canada Geese fly at much lower altitudes in
different air currents than the migrating geese. Based on the genetic
samples found in the airplane engines, the Smithsonian team was able
to definitely say the "culprits" in the Sullenberger downing were
migrating geese.

For years Mayor Bloomberg was offered federal monies along with free
expert advice and volunteers to help bring down our resident geese
population. The resident Canada Geese population can be completely
nonlethally controlled. They are easily kept from the close proximity
to airports. Through habitat management, egg addling (pouring oil over
the eggs to keep them from hatching), border collies to disperse them,
and so forth their population can be stabilized at a much lower number
(unlike killing them, which is not a long-term fix).

Until this decision to kill the geese Mayor Bloomberg did nothing to
address this problem. The money spent by this ineffective "air safety"
massacre of geese, could have spent to add an inexpensive but highly
effective radar program. First used in Israel but now in use in many
large cities with airports, this program saves both birds and
airplanes. It was found that at any one time there are only a few air
currents, which run like rivers over a particular area, that birds use
as corridors when passing through. The program monitors these air
currents in real time, and when there are migrating birds coming
through, planes are diverted. Captain Sullenberger' s plane take-off
flight path went through just such a current and hit a formation of
large migrating Canada Geese. Migrant geese are much larger than their
resident counterparts and so more dangerous to hit. And they do fly at
higher altitudes. Resident geese do not.

In the name of a Big Lie, our mayor ordered not merely a decimation of
baby geese and their parents (who mate for life), but a massacre. One
out of ten killed is decimation. 2,000 out of 15,000 is a massacre.
The irony of a Jewish mayor employing round-ups and gassings so
reminiscent of Nazi holocaust methods has not been lost. And the fact
that Israel pioneered this win-win effective solution to the dangers
of migrating birds that we are not employing is not being forgotten.
But the heart stopping pictures of USDA T-shirted "swat-teams" herding
families of geese and goslings into pens and then stuffing them into
boxes is etched forever. The silent background sound of death in the
video rings in the ears. And the good Mayor's response wishing the
geese killed (parents and babies) "nice dreams" -- absolute-zero cold!

============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ===
Ny Daily News: Hundreds of Geese Gassed at NYC Airports


http://www.nydailyn ews.com/ny_ local/2009/ 06/19/2009- 06-19_dark_ day_of_canada_ geese_in_ new_york_ hundreds_ gassed_at_ airports. html


============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ====

NYC: Bloomberg's Reaction to Geese Gassing Protests


Letters to NY Daily News: voicers@edit. nydailynews. com. Letters Must Be Brief! Include name, address, day/night phone number.

http://www.nydailyn ews.com/ny_ local/2009/ 06/19/2009- 06-19_mike_ swats_away_ goose_protests. html

NY-100 GEESE ARE DEAD

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06162009/news/regionalnews/100_geese_are_dead_ducks_174471.htm
Nearly 100 Canada geese were killed yesterday, the first day of an effort toexterminate waterfowl that smash into planes.
Agents from the US Department of Agriculture hit four city parks and willcontinue rounding up the geese this week, said Allen Gosser the department'sassistant state director.
The geese, which are flightless during the June and July molting season, are"herded into a corralled area and are picked up in wooden crates," he said.They are gassed with carbon dioxide.
The $100,000 campaign will eliminate about 2,000 geese that could be ahazard to aircraft.

PROTEST THE KILLING OF GEESE IN NEW YORK!

Protest the Killing
Tuesday, June 16 @ 12:00 pm
Join Win Animal Rights this Tuesday, as we protest the planned killing of 2,000 Canada Geese by New York City. In a program devised by MayorMichael Bloomberg's office and with the complicity of the PortAuthority, New York City is about to start rounding up geese in thevicinity of the city's airports in an alleged effort to make the skysafer for air travellers.
This is just another sham to make New Yorkers feel that the Mayor isconcerned about safety instead of his own shameful re-election to anillegal third term. A term that is unethical and contrary to the willof the people, who have voted twice for term limits, which Bloomberg hasconveniently overlooked.
In the face of compelling evidence that the birds killed in the recentairline incident which forced the landing of a jet on the Hudson Riverwere migratory geese, the Mayor and the Port Authority are planning toslaughter 2,000 geese that had nothing to do with the problem. Geesethat are currently molting and unable to fly will be captured and putinto trucks where they will be killed with lethal gas.
Has anyone considered that the geese they are about to kill had nothingto do with the accident? Has anyone considered that there arealternatives (dogs, chemical repellents, etc.) to lethal measures? Hasanyone considered the environmental impact of the planned killing? Hasanyone considered the costs of this program, at a time when cityservices are being drastically reduced because of financial constraints?
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pmWhere: Port Authority Headquarters225 Park Avenue South (18th & 19th Sts.)
We are sorry for the short notice, but this plan to kill our geese wasonly made public a couple of days ago and the killing is scheduled tobegin on Monday, June 15, 2009. Animal advocates were not given anyadvance notice and the plan was put into effect with no period forpublic comment. This from a Mayor who claims to speak for the people.Other events are being planned including one targeting the cold uncaringBloomberg.
If you cannot participate in the protest, please take the following action:
Contact Mayor Bloomberg:
Mayor Michael R. BloombergCity HallNew York, NY 10020-1175
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)FAX (212) 788-2460
e-mail: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html
Contact the Port Authority:
Ray TragaleDeputy DirectorPort Authority of New York and New Jersey225 Park Avenue South, 18th FloorNew York, NY 10003Phone: (212) 435-3730
Port Authority Corporate HeadquartersGeneral number: (212) 435-7000Public Affairs: (212) 435-7777(Get a live person on the line and demand to speak to someone about theCanada Geese -- keep calling until they respond)Fax: (212) 435-4032
Anthony R. Coscia,Chairman, Board of CommissionersThe Port Authority of New York & New JerseyPhone: (732) 846-2120 (direct line), 732-846-7600 (general number forMr. Coscia's law firm)Fax: (732) 846-8877
On-line Feedback form for Port Authority Board of Commissioners:
http://www.panynj.gov/feedback.php
Coming events: Mark your calendars now!
June 20 & 21 - June Justice Weekend - Protests on behalf of Prisoners ofConscienceJune 26 - 28 - Let Live Conference - Portland, Oregon July 16 - 20 - AR2009 National Animal Rights Conference - Los Angeles(see the WAR calendar at Yahoo for details and web-links)
Visit the WAR Calendar for future events:http://calendar.yahoo.com/winanimalrightsVisit the WAR MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/winanimalrightsVisit WAR on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Win-Animal-Rights/25169195791
For more info contact Win Animal Rights at: winanimalrights@optonline.netCall: 646.267.9934 or visit the WAR website at: http://war-online.org/
W.A.R. (WIN ANIMAL RIGHTS) is an independent non-profit organization notaffiliated or associated with SHAC, SHAC USA or any other group ororganization and does not conduct or incite any illegal activity. Theabove information is not meant to incite or request any illegal actionsor illegal activities of any kind. If you have any questions about thelegality of any act, we encourage everyone receiving this (or the)action alert(s) to check your local laws and ordinances beforeproceeding to do anything.

PROTEST ON TUSDAY,JUNE 16 TH-SLAUGHTER OF CANADA GEESE

SLAUGHTER OF CANADA GEESE.
(see petition below)
Where: Port Authority Headquarters – 225 Park Avenue South (between 18th and 19th St.) When: Tuesday, June 16th from 12 noon to 2PMWho: various Animal rights groups and activists including Friends of Animals Beginning Monday, the City of NY is planning to remove and kill thousands of Canada geese from city owned properties near JFK and LaGuardia airports as part of a “strategy” to keep the birds from interfering with flights. Destroying geese is a quick fix that offers no enduring solution since after a significant sector of the flock is removed, new animals will eventual migrate in. Violence begets more violence and surely non-violent means to reduce flock grown should be pursued including researching new technology to protect plane engines from bird hits. What a sad uncivilized message to send by our mayor – if someone becomes inconvenient or gets in your way - just wipe them out.. The roundup is being planned for molting season when the geese cannot fly. Coexisting peacefully with wildlife requires diligence, creativity and an open mind …. Something that appears to be sorely lacking with this administration.Please sign petition to stop gassing plan.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/ 1/stop-nys- goose-gassing- plan
PLEASE SIGN PETITION TO STOP THE GASSING
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-nys- goose-gassing- plan
City Planning Massive Goose Genocide – NY Magazine – 6/11/09http://nymag. com/daily/ intel/2009/06/cityplanningmassive_goose_ge. html?imw= Y&f=most-emailed- 24h5

HOTEL CHAINS BILDERBERG,CARLTON AND MOVENPICK AR REMOVING FOIE GRAS FROM THE MENU

Hotel chains Bilderberg, Carlton and Mövenpick are removing dishes containing foie gras from the menu in their Dutch hotels.The chains have told animal rights action group Wakker Dier (Alert Animal) that they share its objections to the suffering of animals involved in making the liver paté. The group has been campaigning for a long time against the production and consumption of foie gras.
The paté is produced by force-feeding geese or duck in order to fatten their livers. The process has been outlawed in the Netherlands, although it is not illegal to consume foie gras.
Other chains, such as the mid-market Van der Valk restaurant chain, are keeping foie gras on the menu.
http://drupal. rnw.nl/english/article/hotel- chains-take- foie-gras- menu

Eating foie gras may increase risk of Alzheimer’s (note: vivisection was used to discover this)
http://uvuaac. blogspot. com/2009/ 04/eating-foie-gras-may-increase- risk-of.html

Action Alert!-Help Prevent Another Goose Beating

Dear friends of Canada Geese:
We recently read a heartbreaking and tragic case about an Ohio Sheriff'sdeputy who beat an injured goose to death.
Here's the story:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30960807/
Please send an email to the Warren County's Sherriff's department urgingthem to utilize wildlife rehabilitators for future cases.
Please urge themto train officers to capture injured geese and transport them torehabilitators. They do not have the knowledge to know whether or not aninjured goose is beyond rehabilitation. Clubbing and beating a goose todeath because they think the goose would have died anyway is wrong. SecondChance Wildlife (their address and contact info is below) would have takenthis goose that the officer had beaten to death. If they feel that theirofficers should euthanize injured geese, they should send them for trainingin the proper methods of humane euthanazation.Telephone: 513-695-1280 - Main Office513-695-1662 - Administrative Office513-695-1285 - Fiscal OfficeFAX: 513-695-1286Mailing Address: 550 Justice Dr.Lebanon, Ohio 45036E-mail: lisa.dickerson@wcsooh.org
Find Us Online: http://www.wcsooh.org/Here is the information for the rehabebr who woudl have taken the goose the
officer beat to death.Second Chance Wildlife4525 SR 131,P.O. Box 170Fayetteville Ohio 45118Contact Person: Mary and Richard Corelli
Email: scwildlf@mail.tds.net
Phone: (513) 875-3433Fax: (513) 875-4436
Thank you very much.Choo Choo and Earl--Please visit our website at:http://www.LoveCanadaGeese.comFollow our blog:http://sevengeese.blogspot.com/

FEATHERS FLY OVER CANADA GEESE CULL

http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=ea1ba812-7bb1-4414-9d64-ac2f82caea93
Blaine Gaffney
Goose season in the Okanagan has been put on hold.
In an effort to control problem geese, the City of Kelowna has obtained a permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service to shoot 50 birds this year.
However, Sinikka Crosland of the Responsible Animal Care Society has a legal opinion from a Toronto law firm that the permit may have been wrongly issued.
"It basically says shooting geese is against the [Migratory Birds Convention Act] unless it's done to prevent damage that the geese are causing," she said. "It has to be property damage."
The city has consistently cited health concerns, not properly damage, as the prime reason for the cull. Four beaches have pollution from goose excrement, affecting water quality.
In response to Crosland's complaint, the killing of geese along the lakefront in Kelowna has stopped.
Ian Wilson of the city's parks department said the Canadian Wildlife Service "felt that what we're doing is appropriate."
"[But] we did agree mutually that we'd hold off on shooting any more geese because they've been asked to look at it."
So far this year, the city contractor has shot about 30 geese.

Goslings mysteriously disappearing

http://www.journal-news.com/news/hamilton-news/goslings-mysteriously-disappe
aring-80476.html


HAMILTON - A pair of Canada geese have returned to nest in a parking lot in
Enterprise Park, and employees there are fed up.

But their frustrations are not with the geese, or the copious droppings that
the migrating birds are known for. Employees are fed up with whoever - or
whatever - keeps taking the pair's goslings after they hatch.

For the past two years, the short, fluffy, dewey-eyed goslings have
disappeared shortly after being born, said Darlene Carmella, clinical
manager at the Fresenius Dialysis Center on Mcbride Court.

"They search for their children for about three days. Then the mom and dad
get on our building, and just cry," Carmella said.

The cries are loud and mournful, employees said, and the center's patients
always ask what the noise is all about.

Last year, the parents were seen waddling proudly around the parking lot
with the offspring in tow the day after they hatched. The next morning,
however, the babies were gone just like the previous year, Carmella said.

Employees said they were told that the goslings were taken by someone who
works at a nearby business, Sensus LLC, because the person didn't want the
geese going to the pond in front of the Sensus building.

That's absolutely not true, said Sensus President Daniel J. Wampler.

While harmless deterrents are used to prevent geese from nesting by the
pond, Wampler said geese and other wildlife use the pond every day and he
doesn't mind at all.

"I think its pretty cool to see the little things floating around out
there," he said.

It appears the goslings were missed by Sensus employees as well. A photo
album that sits in the waiting room at Sensus has photos from three years
ago of the parents and their goslings swimming in the pond and peering
through the building's front doors.

A more plausible explanation might be coyotes, said Aaron Ireland, of the
Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Ireland, the wildlife officer for Butler County, said Canada geese are
protected under U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations and anyone caught taking
the creatures without a permit would be arrested and prosecuted.

Save The Geese of Ballwin, MissouriTarget:Animal Rescue and Humane People-Petition to Sign!

Save The Geese of Ballwin, MissouriTarget:Animal Rescue and Humane People EverywaySponsored by: Debra of Love Animals TooWe the undersigned

Please join us in stopping the murder of innocent geese in Ballwin, Missouri. This is an attempt to kill the geese for no other reason then for doing what comes naturally. The Alderman of Ballwin, Missouri are now stating that they are attempting to fix the problem of aggressive geese who poop on their public parks by lowering the number of geese. This attempt to lower the number of geese will be done by rounding them up and killing the geese.


http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-geese-of-ballwin-missouri