You know them, you smell them, you step in their business: Geese are a part of every day life here in the DMV.
But did you know there’s a small army of four-legged friends who work behind the scenes to keep some of D.C.’s most iconic locations bird-free?
In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax went to Constitution Gardens to meet the dogs of Capital Goose Control.
Founded decades ago in the Northeast, owner Doug Marcks said Capital Goose Control (which went by a different name back then) was the brain child of his father.
Originally established to keep geese off a golf course in Connecticut, the company decided to “employ” border collies, because of their intelligence and incredibly efficient herding techniques.
What makes border collies special, Matt learned, is a wolf-like stare called “the eye.” To find out more about how it works — make sure to watch his video!
During his visit, Matt got to meet one of Capital Goose Control’s hardest-working employees: a 9-year-old black and white border collie named Cowboy. Turns out, it takes an incredible amount of discipline and focus each and every day to keep geese (and their waste) from making a mess of D.C.’s green spaces — and Cowboy is the right dog for the job.
The coolest part? No geese are ever harmed during the process.
Matt learned that highly-trained border collies like Cowboy never touch the geese, only scare them off. That’s why the techniques of Capital Goose Control are endorsed by PETA and the Humane Society.
The company has been working on the National Mall for about a decade now, and service between 30 to 60 private accounts in the D.C. area every day.
“Matt About Town” airs every Tuesday and Thursday on WTOP at 7:45 a.m., and runs throughout the rest of the day on 103.5 FM. His video pieces are always posted on wtop.com.
You can also find Matt’s videos on Instagram (@wtopnews and @mkaufax) and TikTok (@wtopnews and @mattabouttown_).
If you have an idea for a feature story Matt should cover, reach out via the WTOP “contact us” page to submit it.
You can also contact Matt directly. His contact information is listed below.
