Worcester Seeks Pack Of Dogs To Haze Nuisance Geese

WORCESTER, MA — Have you heard the telltale "honk" streaking across the sky above? Have you noticed a nasty sludge on the soles of your shoes? Have you been hissed at?

With the arrival of spring weather, 'tis the season for Canada geese to gather on grassy areas across the region, covering many acres with their slippery green poops and menacing children who venture too close.

But the aggressive and messy geese may not find a welcome home this year in Worcester. The city is seeking a dog specialist to haze the geese and prevent them from staying too long in several popular parks.

"The vendor shall use trained dogs to discourage geese from locating in the parks," as the city puts it in bidding documents.

According to the bid, the chosen dog wrangler would patrol some of the most goose-ridden parks — Morgan Park on Indian Lake, Elm Park and especially University Park — plus Institute Park, Coes Pond, Hope Cemetery and the Green Hill Park golf course three times a week to scare — but not injure — the geese. The job would include sending dogs into the water, weather permitting.

Importantly, the city only wants to harass non-migratory geese. Canada geese have been migrating between the southern U.S. in winter and far northern Canada in summer since before Worcester incorporated as a city. Those geese will land here for short periods on their way to breeding grounds in the north or south.

There's a second, more aggravating type of Canada goose that lives in Massachusetts year-round. According to MassWildlife, these geese got their start in the 1930s when the state outlawed live decoys in duck hunting. With no real predators, the former captive geese flourished in the wild and became permanent Bay Staters.

Lucky us: the state decided to start moving the birds to our area more than 50 years ago.

"In the 1960s and early 1970s, MassWildlife moved geese from the coast into central and western Massachusetts, to the applause of both hunters and non-hunters. No one imagined the population explosion that followed," the agency says.

The population exploded, sure, and so did the turds. Canada geese can produce up to a pound of excrement per day, according to the state. The geese can weigh up to 15 pounds, and love to gather in packs of a dozen or more on ball fields, in picnic areas and near beaches.

Local residents can also help with the problem. State wildlife officials warn that no one should ever feed geese or ducks. Human food like bread is bad for their health — fowl can actually become addicted to bread — and it incentivizes them to stay in a given area.

This won't be the first time Worcester has used dogs to harass geese. The city used border collies from Coast-is-Clear Farm and Kennels in New York in the mid-aughts for the same problem areas, including Elm, Green Hill and University parks, according to a 2007 Telegram and Gazette article. There are now local companies that provide whip-smart border collies — hopefully smart enough to avoid stopping for a snack while on the job.

The bidding closes on April 10, and the winner will provide hazing services for at least a year beginning July 1.