In the distance, the frantic honk-honk-honk can be heard as the Canada goose warns the others there is a predator in their midst. There is no predator, but the black-and-white border collies used by Ohio Geese Control, a Rocky River-based company, keep the geese moving as effectively as wolves.
Ohio Geese Control services corporate facilities, hospitals, public parks, communities, airports, marinas and golf courses in Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Sandusky and Toledo.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 has protected Canada geese since they nearly became extinct, making it against the law to harm them.
However, geese are territorial birds, returning year after year to where they were born to have their young.
During nesting, geese become violent toward humans because they are protecting their eggs. Each goose can lay six to 10 eggs each year, and they have a 20-year life span.
As the goose population in urban areas grows, so does the quantity of their droppings. One goose produces one to two pounds of droppings a day.
The droppings can carry diseases and affect the water quality of ponds and streams — not to mention presenting a slippery mess for humans in the area.
Jeff Hower, owner of Ohio Geese Control, said his company’s mission is to safely, effectively and humanely manage geese populations.
After working with border collies as a golf course superintendent, Hower purchased Nick, a border collie, from the course to start his own business in 2006.
Much like K-9 police dogs, the company’s dogs live with their handlers. They are purchased young from breeders in Ohio because they are good listeners.
Border collies have an inherent nature to herd, making them the perfect dogs for the job. This innate ability, when coupled with whistles and verbal commands, reinforces their usefulness.
"They’re K-9 patrol for geese," said Gayle Bartosh, an employee at St. John Medical Center in Westlake who walks the path in the mornings.
While spring is the busiest time of the year for Hower’s migratory bird specialists, they do have several clients who use their services year-around for geese that do not migrate.
Handlers, with their dogs in tow, travel to service their client’s properties two to three times a day, seven days a week, keeping mating pairs from building nests and laying eggs.
In addition to multiple sweeps to harass the birds, OGC uses remote-control speedboats to keep the birds out of the water.
"The public is so thankful to be able to use the clean soccer fields and walk down the park paths without dodging goose droppings," said Diane Corrao, director of Avon’s parks and recreation.
One of the popular canine workers on the OGC team is Joff.
"The geese hate to see Joff, but people visiting the park love to see him at work. He is graceful, fast and he loves his job," said Becky Lee, a migratory bird specialist for Ohio Geese Control.
"My guys (park workers) love to see Joff at work. They try to see him whenever they are in the area," Corrao said.
Joff can also be seen at work in Avenbury Lakes development in Avon.
For more information about Ohio Geese Control, call (216) 228-4822 or visit ohiogeesecontrol.com.
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