They may be man’s best friend, but a crew of patrolling canines is proving to be quite the opposite for Abbotsford’s goose population.

Walkers, joggers, cyclists and Rollerbladers who regularly visit Abbotsford’s Mill Lake and Albert Dyck parks may well have seen the dogs in action.

Off leash and wearing orange uniforms, it is their job to bark and chase away the birds, to keep the popular visitor spots as clean and poop-free as possible.

Mark Taylor, the City of Abbotsford’s head of parks, recreation and culture, said the program has been operating in the city for more than five years.

The chasing takes place from May to July, he said, but then slows down once goose eggs start hatching.

There are currently 15 dogs that form the dog squad, explained Taylor.

Well-trained and able to control themselves off leash, the dogs must be at least 20 pounds. Other than that, Taylor said the criteria is pretty straightforward.

“You don’t want my little shitzhu doing it, but as long as the dog has a good yapper on it, then it’s all good,” he said.

The program appears to be working, said Taylor, who believes a drop in the number of geese around the two parks can be attributed to the initiative.

Rick Daykin, the city’s manager of parks services, stressed the importance of controlling the number of geese at lakes and parks.

One goose dropping, he said, contaminates one litre of water. That does not include the droppings left on pathways and on the grass.

While the city is not actively looking for more dogs, Taylor said any owners interested in participating can leave their name with the parks, recreation and culture department at city hall.