BENTONVILLE -- Two geese sat on a wall at the municipal airport on Thursday morning unaware they would be on the move in a few seconds.
In a flash, a 4-year-old border collie named Greg dispersed the geese into Lake Bentonville and followed in after them before he was called back.
Bentonville's airport has battled a geese problem for years. The geese become a concern when they wander near the runway or fly near planes taking off or landing, Dennis Birge, city transportation engineer, has said.
About 183,296 wildlife strikes to civil aircraft were reported in the United States and for U.S.-registered aircraft in foreign countries from 1990-2016, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture's Airport Wildlife Hazards Program report published in June 2018.
The city has bought a dog from Flyaway Geese, a North Carolina company that trains border collies to disperse geese and other birds. The new dog will arrive in the city in a few months.
The dogs are used at airports, city parks, golf courses and military bases, owner Rebecca Gibson said. Flyaway Geese has sold between 500 and 600 dogs over the past 23 years, she said.
The Flyaway Geese website says the business can help manage geese, pigeons, wading birds, starlings, seagulls, ducks, cormorants and coot.
New handler Robin Fields will train with Greg for about 60 to 90 days before Bentonville gets its own goose dog, Gibson said. Birge said the new dog could work from eight to 10 years.
Greg gave a demonstration Thursday of how a border collie can quickly run the geese off.
The border collie's body posture when working is much like that of a wolf, coyote or fox -- all natural predators for geese, Gibson said. Geese see colors, shapes and patterns, Gibson said.
Greg crouched low before springing into action and driving the geese into the lake.
The goal is to drive the geese away and not kill them, Birge said. Using a border collie is the humane way to manage the geese, Gibson said.
Gibson was in town with Greg to work with Fields for three days. After that, Fields and Greg will work together.
"The dog will train the trainer," Gibson said. "He's been there, done that."
The border collie will cost about $7,000. The 2020 city budget shows a salary of $45,000 for the dog handler. The position is listed under the Police Department as administrative technician (goose dog handler/part-time bailiff).
The city's new goose dog, a male, hasn't been named yet. The city is looking to hold a contest to name the dog, said Debbie Griffin, city community relations and economic development director.
State Desk on 02/21/2020