OYSTER BAY, Long Island (PIX11) -- Canada Geese have been taking over parks and business plazas, prompting Town of Oyster Bay officials to take action.
The Town has now contracted with a Ronkonkoma-based company to chase the geese away.
Owner Amanda Ackerly uses Australian Shepherds twice a day to scare the flocks away. "It's a really good dog to choose, they're not going to hurt the geese in any way, say like any other dogs, as these geese are federally protected," said Ackerly.
Ackerly says the geese get conditioned to know the dogs will be coming by and eventually find a new location to settle.
You may be wondering why this is necessary? Ackerly says there are currently more than 235,000 Canadian Geese on Long Island and they have no natural predators here.
"Every single goose produces at least 3 to 4 pounds of droppings a day, each and every one of them! The droppings can contain e-coli, salmonella, and even MRSA and that's something you don't want your children running in," explained Ackerly.
A spokesperson for the Town of Oyster Bay said in a statement "The Town's geese control program protects the health and safety of our residents while also helping to preserve local ecosystems and prevent damage to our parks."
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