As reported elsewhere in this newspaper, for the last two weeks, people have been seeing large numbers of dead Canada geese on the ocean beaches, particularly between Town Lane and the Georgica Gut. The Friends of Georgica Pond has reported the situation to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and appropriate health authorities. The D.E.C. has fielded reports of more than 100 dead geese or ducks in the Jamesport area, as well.
Waterfowl may have been weakened by hunger during the recent snow cover, but the D.E.C. advises us to assume large numbers like these are victims of disease, not weather, and to take safety precautions.
With a recent necropsy on a snowy owl found at Louse Point confirming it had died of highly pathogenic avian influenza, and with literally millions of Canada geese having died so far in 2026 in Pennsylvania, this is a time for caution — and for beach walkers to leave their dogs at home, walk their dogs elsewhere for a few weeks, or, at minimum, keep Barnaby or Waffles on a leash.
Dogs can contract and transmit bird flu by doing any number of the things dogs love to do on the beach, especially when running blissfully free: eat bird feces, nibble on bird carcasses, lap up still water tainted with the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control, signs of bird flu in pets include “fever, fatigue, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, [and] neurologic symptoms, like tremors, seizures, incoordination, or blindness.” Things no one wants to see in their beloved pets.
The best course, for the birds as well as your own pets, is to keep your cats inside and to keep your dogs off the beaches.
We don’t like missing our ocean walks with Sir Barks-a-Lot any more than you do, but it’s the responsible thing to do right now.