Geese Police On Goose Poop Patrol At National Mall, Border Collies To The Rescue?

Geese Police will roam the National Mall on “goose poop patrol.” Border collies will be used to run geese away from the National Mall so they are not a nuisance to tourists and to eliminate mess at the attraction.

Goose poop problems reportedly prompted the National Parks Service to spend $32 million of taxpayer money in order to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. New pumps and filters were reportedly too “gunked up” with goose poop to function properly.

Canadian geese are known to be aggressive at times. One Canadian goose can reportedly leave up to three pounds of droppings per day while waddling around their chosen area. The National Parks Service said the goose poop National Mall issue is not just an aesthetic problem, but a matter which could develop into a public health hazard as well.

Geese Police owner Dave Marcks said border collies possess an intimidating stare which encourages geese to move along. Marcks referred to the border collie stare as a “wolf’s eye” that unsettles the geese.

Border collies from the Geese Police group will be brought to the National Mall multiple times over the course of several weeks. During their goose poop patrol endeavors, the collies will follow the commands uttered by their trainers in order to prompt the Canadian geese to fly away.

The Geese Police owner said his his dogs care about only two things, where he is and where he is sending them.

“It works because they perceive the dog as a threat, not a nuisance. You put cardboard cutlets, lights — they might work the first time. If lights worked, I’d have a truck full of lights. But I’m glad it’s dogs because I love my job. I love the dogs and they work.”

The goose poop patrol tactics used by the Geese Police team is called “hazing.” The National Park Service noted that while the geese will be herded away, none of the birds will be touched or harmed during the process.

The National Parks Service has reportedly entered into a 1-year contract with Geese Police in an effort to keep the National Mall clean. If the parks service is happy with the goose poop patrol activities by the border collies, they can exercise an 4-year extension to continue the program.

What do you think about the Geese Police goose poop patrol by the border collies at the National Mall?

[Image via: Shutterstock.com]