Urge New Jersey Town to Halt Goose Massacre

Update (June 12, 2024): Despite continued vocal opposition from the community, the city council of the Borough of Peapack and Gladstone confirmed at its June 6 council meeting that it would be moving forward with its cruel plan to round up and massacre geese. This could begin any day.

If you haven’t yet, please contact the city officials below, politely asking them to oppose the “cull.” Then share this alert with everyone you know!

Borough of Peapack and Gladstone, New Jersey, officials recently approved a measure to hire the U.S. Department of Agriculture in June to corral and kill Canada geese who call the borough’s Liberty Park their 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—evidently to no avail. The borough reportedly plans to move forward with this massacre despite a public outcry. Now it’s your turn to speak up!

Please take a moment to contact city officials and politely urge them to adopt humane methods. Then forward this alert to everyone you know.

Personalized messages carry the most weight, but feel free to use our sample letter as a guide:

I was appalled to hear the city council of the Borough of Peapack and Gladstone has reportedly voted to contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer to round up and kill Canada geese who call Liberty Park home! In addition to ripping wild families apart and leaving orphaned young to starve or succumb to other terrible fates, killing or otherwise removing geese is wholly ineffective in the long term for controlling Canada goose populations. As long as areas remain attractive and accessible to them, survivors will breed at accelerated rates in response to the sudden spike in the food supply and newcomers will arrive for the still-available resources. Please reconsider this cruel initiative and fully and consistently commit to tried-and-true humane wildlife deterrents instead!

Mark Corigliano
Mayor
[email protected]
908-234-2250, ext. 202

John Sweeney
Council President
[email protected]
908-234-2250, ext. 205

Jamie Murphy
Council Member
[email protected]
908-234-2250, ext. 204

Eric L. Quartello
Council Member
[email protected]
908-234-2250, ext. 201

Jill Weible
Council Member
[email protected]
908-234-2250, ext. 207

Sergio Silva
Council Member
[email protected]
908-234-2250, ext. 206

Council Member Julie Sueta is the only borough official who voted against the goose massacre. Please e-mail her at [email protected] to thank her.