Dogs Employed for ‘Goose Patrol’ to Scare Away Geese From Overcrowded Beaches

In response to an increasing goose population, a park and beach in Canada have released the dogs.

The District of Peachland, located in Okanagan, Canada, is enlisting volunteer dogs to assist in discouraging geese from frequenting the beachfront.

"We are looking for dogs who like to put birds on the run,” Kirsten Jones, communications officer for the district, said, according to CBC. "The [goose] population likes to linger on our beaches. Unfortunately, so does the public.”

Jones claims that the population of geese became a public health concern due to the volume of droppings they leave. "The beach becomes heavily fouled by the excrement, and kids don't know any better, they pick it up, it's everywhere," Jones commented.

Jones said that introducing dogs follows several unsuccessful attempts by park staff to control the population, including the use of scarecrows, reflective tape, and noisemakers.

For the pilot project, he plans to deploy a "handful" of dogs to goose “hot spots,” including the park waterfront, parks with popular playgrounds, and food service areas.

The dogs will be trained to scare the geese, not harm them, and will be clearly identified with a "Goose Patrol" vest or bandana, she explained.

Acknowledging the innate fear geese have of dogs, Colleen St. Clair, a biology professor at the University of Alberta, noted that the new approach “sounds really innovative and could be effective.”

According to St. Clair, geese have become excessively abundant in many urban areas. She added that they often cause ecological damage, destroy natural grassy habitats, and their droppings can carry diseases that can be passed on to humans.

"You might play on the ground where goose poop has been, and is no longer visible, but where these microscopic organisms still occur," St. Clair said.