The City of Cheyenne is going to the dogs to try and rid parks of unwanted geese. Cheyenne has purchased a 2 1/2 year old Border Collie named Flo as a humane way to control the increasing geese population on city parks, golf courses, and cemeteries.
“The City has tried other methods to rid our parks of the geese and we have found that the use of a dog is the most effective and best humane way, said Mayor Rick Kaysen. “In addition, the use of a dog addresses health and visual concerns of goose feces in the parks.”
Flo has been one the job training in Cheyenne , and Jason Sanchez, the director of grounds and facilities for parks said that her work is already paying off, “This past week if you go to Holiday park you would have seen that the number of resident geese there was about 200, and right now we are dealing with about a dozen stubborn geese not wanting to leave.”
The City has tried other methods to control the geese population including ordinances to not feed the geese, egg addling, general hazing coyote decoys, and bird bangers/whistlers, and none have been as effective as the Border Collie.
Flo will begin working on City properties within the week, and cost the Cheyenne $6,000. She was purchased from Hudson Valley Goose Chasers from Nyack, N.Y.
