Update: West Virgina Town Considering Goose Massacre—Speak Up!

Update (August 25, 2025): Good news! Officials have confirmed that they do not intend to move forward with lethal measures. Thank you to all who spoke out on behalf of these animals!

Original text:

Summersville, West Virginia, officials recently proposed a measure to hire the U.S. Department of Agriculture to corral and kill Canada geese who call the town home. Such massacres—which begin when birds are flightless after seasonal feather molting and therefore especially vulnerable—rip wild families apart. Adult geese are trucked away to be killed, leaving orphaned young to starve or succumb to other terrible fates. In addition to being exceedingly cruel, such roundups are wholly ineffective at controlling Canada goose populations, because survivors simply breed at accelerated rates while inevitable newcomers arrive for the still-available resources. The result is always an insidious killing cycle with no end in sight.

PETA and area residents gave decision-makers information on the cruelty and futility of this approach and encouraged the use of nonlethal methods that effectively persuade unwanted geese to move on, yet we’ve received no reply. Apparently, a vote will take place soon to determine whether this plan moves forward.