City Purchases Dog To Address Goose Problem

The City of Cheyenne has purchased a trained dog to chase geese away from city property.

Flo is a 2 1/2 year old specially trained border collie who represent Cheyenne's latest attempt to deal with the Canada geese who have long called Holliday Park and other city properties home.

Past city efforts at dealing with the goose issue have included an ordinance prohibiting people from feeding the birds, and egg addling program, coyote decoys and most recently a contract with a company that specializes in dealing with wild geese.

Jason Sanchez, Director of Grounds and Facilities  for city parks, says the efforts have had an effect, reducing the goose population in Holliday Park from roughly 200 to about a dozen or so birds.

The city considerS the geese a pest and a health hazard, and gets frequent complaints about bird feces as well as geese hissing and acting aggressively.

Flo was purchased for $6000 from a New York Company that trains geese-chasing dogs. Mayor Rick Kaysen is asking people who may see Flo at work on city property that she is a working dog and should not be disturbed while going about her job of scaring geese away from local parks.

City officials say she doesn't actually kill any geese, but rather is specially trained to frighten the birds away.