DETROIT, Mich. (May 9, 2025) — In a major win for Canada geese and their defenders, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced it will pause its controversial goose-killing program and will not issue any permits for the carbon dioxide gassing of geese this year. The decision follows a high-profile campaign led by In Defense of Animals and other advocates urging the state to adopt humane, non-lethal alternatives.

The DNR confirmed that while the program is paused, it will instead focus on researching alternative non-lethal solutions for addressing human-goose conflicts. The move comes after sustained public pressure and opposition to previous roundups and gassings — including at Belle Isle Park and Lake Sherwood, where entire goose families were killed in past years under state-issued permits.