At Tuesday’s Clarkstown’s Town Board meeting, the board approved putting a bid out for the “Canine harassment of Canadian Geese.”

The technique of using “Site Aversion” has gained traction, as a non-lethal way of dealing with the Canadian Geese population. The strategy is by harassing or scaring geese away so they learn an area is not safe, before they become strongly attached to a site. According to the Humane Society, the longer geese use a site, the harder it will be to get them to move. Geese are also more willing to relocate before they establish nesting territories.

The dogs are trained to chase and harass the geese, not attack. Geese see the dogs as predators and will naturally avoid them. If the Dogs are handled properly, they will put the geese in flight and leave the area entirely. When Handled improperly, they may only put the the birds in the water, where, if not pursued, they quickly learn the dog is not a real threat.

*If a dog catches or harms a goose, it is a violation of federal law. If a dog harasses geese who are defending nests or young, either the geese or the dog may come to harm.