The Puget Sound area's lush green business parks, private lawns, and parklands adjacent to water have encouraged Canada geese to breed and congregate in the same places its residents like to spend their leisure time. Geese, like people, enjoy grassy areas near water. Partly as a result of Seattle's luxuriantly landscaped setting, formerly migratory birds have taken up year-round residence, and many no longer fly south for the winter.

While the overall populations of both migratory and non-migratory Canada geese have grown beyond desirable levels in recent years, the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) believes humans and geese can coexist in harmony, and that killing geese is an unnecessary component of a program to proactively manage these populations. In addition to being inhumane, the killing of geese is expensive, divisive for our community, and ineffective in the long term.

Many people have come to believe that goose droppings in our waterways cause health problems for humans. This concern is unfounded - there has never been a human disease outbreak directly linked to exposure to goose feces. Urban runoff and other human-caused pollution pose far greater risks to the safety of our waters.

Landscape modification, such as the placement of natural (or human-made) barriers at the water's edge, can discourage geese from grazing on private lawns and parks. Effective geese barriers include hedges, shrubs, tall grass, and low fences. When they encounter such barriers, geese are less likely to leave the water and congregate on land.

The use of ground covers instead of grass discourages geese from feeding and congregating on private and public grounds. Allowing grass to grow taller also discourages grazing by geese. Overhead wire grids across dams, ponds and swimming pools can be effective in preventing geese from landing on these bodies of water.

Addling is the most effective method of reducing and managing geese populations. Addling is both humane and cost effective. Eggs in the nest are covered in corn oil, which stops the growth of the geese embryos. Federal permits are required to addle eggs; to date, the federal government has refused to issue permits to the qualified animal-welfare organizations that have requested them. Addling programs have been proposed by trained community groups, universities, and wildlife authorities; these groups and their volunteer members would ensure the eggs are addled consistently.

Addling is often described as a "spay and neuter" campaign for geese. Not unlike spay-and-neuter campaigns for companion animals, addling helps control geese populations by preventing an overabundance of birds from being hatched and keeps the population down over the long term.

Repellents, when product instructions are followed, can be useful in many situations. Repellents may be useful on golf courses and private lawns, though rainfall and watering may reduce their effectiveness. Repellents should be used in conjunction with other methods. Brand-name repellents can be found at gardening and hardware stores.

Don't feed the birds! Geese in western Washington do not require supplemental feeding. Feeding only encourages geese to congregate in one area, increasing the likelihood they will breed there. Geese fed by people in public areas tend to become aggressive beggars, and are more likely to be deemed a nuisance.

It is often most effective to combine several methods, as well as using old fashioned scare tactics, to discourage geese from living in certain areas. Such tactics include the use of "scare balloons," scarecrows, sprinklers, manual shooing, and trained dogs. Dogs have been used to harass geese in order to move them away from "problem" areas, and to keep them from returning.