Dog, dog, goose: Canines tapped to control bird population

OCEAN PINES, Md. – A Maryland town besieged by birds is calling on goose busters — more commonly known as border collies.

The Ocean Pines Association voted earlier this year to euthanize around 300 of the Canadian geese to protect local water quality. The tactic both angered residents and proved largely ineffective.

News outlets report the geese have returned in large numbers, so the association decided this week to hire Maryland Geese Control. The association’s general manager, John Bailey, says the company uses border collies trained to chase geese out of the water and off the land without harming the birds.

The company will also remove nests, transport injured birds to rehabilitation centres and addle the eggs.

The border collies will patrol Ocean Pines for around two months, at $625 a week.