LOVE CANADA GEESE/ CANADA GOOSE HALL OF SHAME

I absolutely LOVE all Canada Geese! I cannot believe how many people want to harm them or kill them. A man from KIMCO REALTY (Property Manager—Matthew Kells) threatened to harm, injure, or even SHOOT the Canada Geese on “his property.” He is only a property manager. He does not OWN this land—the new MILLS STATION shopping Center in Owings Mills, MD! He asked me to stop feeding them. I didn’t listen. Last Thursday, I saw that only 7 were left out of the original 48. One was severely injured—beak bashed in and his eye was shut as tears streamed down his face and mine, as well. He was on the outside of a fenced in area looking for his family. Just then, I turned and saw 6 others, two from his family and four from another family of geese. All of them were outside of the fence. There’s a gap where the fence is held up by a large rock. That’s how these geese were getting outside of the fenced in area. I took a few tiny pieces of bread (I know—not good for them in large quantities but they love it like we love junk food) and tossed the bread on the inside of the fence. Within 5 minutes, this Matthew Kells started towards me screaming and telling me it was MY fault the geese were on his property and was calling the police to have me arrested. I just said, “What is wrong with you??? You really hate geese that much??? Go ahead. Call the Police!” Then, I got into my car and left. The next day, last Friday, I called the Franklin Police Department. I explained what was happening. Even the Police sides with me saying THEY feed the geese and enjoy looking at them. A cop met me in the parking lot near where the geese were. The cop said I wasn’t committing any crime and this man was just a “grumpy old man.” He asked Mall Security if I was banned from shopping there. The Security Guard said I wasn’t but he received hundreds of text messages telling him to look for me! I’m VERY upset! These geese were like children to me. I even got to know them and named the 10 that I knew. There was a gander who lost his mate. He was raising 3 goslings by himself. I named him Mel and his goslings Flo, Vera, and Alice. Then, I met this other family. I called them the Bozo family because the goslings looked like tiny bozos with yellow fur by their ears. I named the Daddy Mike (that’s the one who was severely injured and I’m sure it was done by a human and not another gander. I named his wife Corina. Their goslings I named as Blondie, Dagwood, Abby, and Gabby. They actually responded to me when I called them by the names I gave them. I also took fresh cut grapes for them. I only could visit them once a day after work. Now that I’ve been threatened to be put in jail (when I have never been in trouble with the law before), —not even so much as a traffic ticket in 44 years of driving, I cannot even VISIT my geese families. As a goose/gander lover, I KNOW they have human emotions. I wonder if they think I stopped loving them. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m hurting!!! I feel like calling the local news stations! It’s not like there are thousands or hundreds of them. There were only 7 the last time I was there. The fact he said he would shoot these beautiful geese worries me! In MD, it is against the law to shoot a gun in a commercial or residential area! I drove on the road beside the shopping area and saw 4 of them still there. So, that ignorant man said I was the reason the geese would not leave? NO! Those geese were there before I even knew they were there. I feel alone in my fight to keep CANADA GEESE alive and unharmed! So sad! Wish PETA or someone (ANYONE) would help me. I even miss seeing them and I know they liked seeing me, too! The Police said they would never arrest me; however, if he bans me from the property and doesn’t even tell me I am banned, he COULD have me arrested just for visiting them! I despise people who hate Canada Geese. I just hope and pray there are BILLIONS of them in Heaven and the haters never get to go to God’s Kingdom. Thank everyone for LOVING CANADA GEESE as much as I do.

I had a family member Opus D. Gooseus, who died last weekend, July 21st. He was a little over 4 years of age. Born(hatched) on May 2nd, of 2015. Opus was loved by all, and equally missed.

Died of a broken heart, after it companion Stalker Ann, a Rhode Island Red hen, was killed by a fox, or raccoon.

He grieved for 6 weeks, lost a lot of weight. Weighed only four and quarter pounds at his death.

I love Geese...

For the past few years, we have had a few come to my oiffice part in Marietta, GA.

Have babies and leave.

I sure miss them when I do, even though I spend only a few minutes of them giving them some food.

I often worry about the babies, and there maybe as many as 5, and then over time as they get older...

The babies disapper.

Luckily the partens that have been around for months now had 5 baties, and they only lost one.

The parents being protective "Hiss at me", and I make the same nose back.

They back off, and let me feed the babies.

Not much food around my office accept a large drainage pond from rain, and the grass around it,

and the grass around our builsings. They walk all over looking for food, but everyone loves that at work, they slow down, and make sure they cross the road safe.

I email you with some questions, I hope you respond.

Keith

My wife and I have been trying to alert local DNR of what we believe to be inhumane and unlawful practices with Canada Geese eggs in our locale. It is shameful that a local apartment management company obtained a license to control the Canada Goose population and there is no local enforcement actions or oversight for proper practices. Recently, maintenance personnel took more than three dozen eggs from nests, some of which my wife and I calculated were ready to hatch the same day or next (we monitor several nests) and tossed them over a fence to "feed the raccoons." How do I know? I asked them and they outright admitted it.

We have pictures we intend to provide to DNR, if they ever return our calls.

We are not holding our breath. What a shame!

Dear Love Canada Geese, my family raised 6 Canada Geese when I was a child. I have many fond memories of these wonderful birds and to this day, when I hear them flying overhead it makes me think of my youth.

Fast forward to today: I am currently working on a documentary about the hazzards of plastics for our Savannah Riverkeeper here in Augusta Georgia. I found an image on your website showing a goose with a plastic six pack ring stuck on it and wondered if I could obtain permission from you to use it in our video about keeping the river clean and cutting back on single use plastics? I would attribute your photo if you would like?

Sincerely,

Mark Albertin