Blog with Rob: A new meaning for “poop patrol”

Poop patrol. No, I’m not talking about the slow and careful walk that dog owners take around the backyard holding their Poop’N’Scooper.  I’m talking about the gritty, difficult and absolutely adorable work of the “Geese Police”, a fluffy band of Border Collies currently employed by the US Government.

The National Park Service has a big problem with geese around the National Memorial. One goose can produce up to a pound of droppings per day, which not only creates a public health problem but can also damage pipes and filters in the reflecting pool (not to mention a certain negative aesthetic component).

The solution? The Geese Police are on the prowl! These highly trained (and uniformed) Border Collies humanely chase away the geese. After a few scares, the geese won’t come back and so far the plan is working.

This isn’t the first example of a government relying on animals to do its dirty work. Goats were brought into O’Hare, Atlanta and San Francisco airport to eat out-of-control weeds and grass in hard to reach areas. Switzerland just employed 80 sheep to “mow” the lawn along 6,000 acres of high speed train tracks. Not only are they cute solutions, but eco-friendly as well!